Refrigerator not cooling
A refrigerator that isn't cooling can mean anything from a bumped dial to a failed compressor, and the pattern matters.
Urgent Perishable food should be kept at 4 °C or below; a fridge that has been warm for more than a few hours is a food-safety problem before it is a repair problem.
What this symptom usually means
A refrigerator that isn't cooling can mean anything from a bumped dial to a failed compressor, and the pattern matters. If the freezer is cold but the fridge is warm, cold air probably isn't moving between the two: an iced-up evaporator coil (defrost system), a stopped evaporator fan, or blocked vents. If both sections are warming and the compressor is running constantly, the fridge may not be shedding heat (dirty coils, a stopped condenser fan) or the sealed system may have a fault. If it clicks every few minutes and goes quiet, the compressor may not be starting.
None of that is a diagnosis you can make from the symptom alone, which is why the checks below are limited to what's safe and what you can see.
Checks you can do yourself
- Protect the food firstIf the fridge section is above 4 °C, move meat, dairy and leftovers to a cooler with ice or another fridge. Keep the doors closed while you check.
- Temperature settingSet about 3–4 °C for the fridge and −18 °C for the freezer. Give it up to 24 hours to stabilise after a change, a move, a power cut or a large grocery load; manufacturers say the same.
- Airflow insidePull items away from the back wall and vents; don't overfill. A tall container in front of the vent can warm the fridge section while the freezer stays fine.
- Door seal and lightClose the door on a sheet of paper; if it slides out freely, wipe the gasket with warm soapy water and check nothing is holding the door open. Make sure the light goes off when the door closes.
- Clearance and coilsLeave a few centimetres at the sides and back. If condenser coils are accessible (rear or behind the front kick plate), unplug the fridge and vacuum the dust off. Many newer models have sealed coils; check the manual before removing anything.
- PowerTest the outlet with a lamp and check the breaker. If the fridge was recently serviced or shows a diagnostic mode, unplugging it for 30 seconds can clear it.
Nothing above involves gas, wiring, refrigerant or removing panels.
What our technician checks
These need panels off, live electrical tests or a licensed trade, so they are left to the technician:
- Removing the freezer back panel or chipping ice off the evaporator coil
- Any test on the compressor terminals, relay or wiring
- Anything involving refrigerant: recovery, leak repair, recharge (restricted by law to certified technicians)
Gas appliances, commercial equipment, and Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf and Fisher & Paykel appliances: $129 + tax.
Waived when you proceed with the repair. You get the cause, the price and our repair-or-replace verdict in writing before any work.
Repairs a technician may recommend
After inspection, not from the symptom alone.
Defrost heater, thermostat or control replacement
Likely when the freezer's back wall is a sheet of ice and the fridge section is warm. Common and usually worth doing.
Evaporator or condenser fan motor replacement
When a fan is silent, seized or noisy. Moderate cost at any age.
Start relay, overload or capacitor replacement
When the compressor clicks and won't stay running. The technician confirms the compressor itself is sound before recommending this.
Door gasket replacement or door adjustment
When the seal test fails or the door has dropped.
Thermistor or control-board replacement
When temperatures read wrong or the fridge cycles incorrectly.
Sealed-system repair
Only after everything else is ruled out, done by a certified refrigeration technician we work with, and only when the finding shows it's worth it against replacement.
Brands we see with this problem
Codes, parts and access differ by brand; the brand pages cover where the model label is and what to expect.
Brand-specific repair and error-code guides
Cost, and whether to fix it
What the repair costs depends on the part, the labour and whether a second visit is needed for an ordered part; the written finding gives the total before any work. Our guides on what drives repair costs, refrigerator repair costs and repair versus replacement explain how to weigh it.
Who to call
RepairWell diagnoses and repairs this in homes and businesses across Ottawa and Gatineau; the diagnostic ($89 + tax at home, $129 + tax for a business) is waived when you proceed with the repair. If the refrigerator is still under the manufacturer's warranty, contact the manufacturer first: warranty repairs usually have to go through their authorized network.
Have an LG? See the LG error codes for this problem.
When to book
Book if the checks above haven't restored normal temperatures within 24 hours, if the freezer back wall is iced over, if you hear clicking with no compressor run, or if either section keeps warming. Tell us the pattern (fridge warm/freezer fine, or both warm) and the model; it helps us bring the right parts. The visit is $89 + tax with a written finding, waived when you proceed with the repair. Refrigerator repair explains what the diagnosis covers.
We handle this across Ottawa and Gatineau
- Downtown Ottawa
- Centretown
- The Glebe
- Kanata
- Ottawa (central)
- Nepean
- Barrhaven
- Orléans
- Gloucester
- Kemptville
- Carleton Place
- Manotick and Riverside South
- Gatineau (secteur Gatineau)
- Hull
- Aylmer
- Buckingham and Masson-Angers
- Chelsea and Cantley
- Rural Ottawa (Carp, Richmond, Greely, Navan, Cumberland)
Related problems
Refrigerator not cooling: questions
Why is my freezer cold but my fridge warm?
Most often the cold air isn't getting from the freezer to the fridge: an iced evaporator coil from a failed defrost system, a stopped evaporator fan, or blocked vents. The technician confirms which by opening the freezer panel.
Is it worth repairing a 12-year-old fridge that isn't cooling?
It depends on the cause. A fan, relay or defrost repair is usually worth it. A compressor or sealed-system fault on a fridge that age often isn't, and the written finding shows both numbers so you can decide.
Can I just buy a refrigerant recharge kit?
No. Household refrigerant handling is restricted to certified technicians, and a low charge means a leak that a recharge won't fix.
How quickly can you come for a fridge?
Book online and pick the earliest window shown, or call: fridge calls are prioritised where the schedule allows. If food is at risk, say so when you book.
Sources
- Whirlpool: Why is my refrigerator not cooling?
- GE Appliances: Refrigerator not cooling enough
- Ontario: Certificate to handle refrigerants
Sources checked 2026-09-24.
Book the diagnostic
Tell us this symptom and your postal code; it helps us bring the right parts.
Pick a preferred day and arrival window online; we confirm by email once a technician is assigned.
- $89 + tax diagnostic$129 + tax for gas or commercial appliances and for Thermador, Miele, Viking, Wolf or Fisher & Paykel; waived when you proceed with the repair
- Written finding on every visitCause, price and our repair-or-replace verdict
- 90-day warrantyOn parts replaced; labour depends on the work done