Refrigerator not cooling

What this symptom might mean

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.

Safe checks you can do first

1. Protect the food first. If 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.
2. Temperature setting. Set 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.
3. Airflow inside. Pull 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.
4. Door seal and light. Close 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.
5. Clearance and coils. Leave 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.
6. Power. Test 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. Those are technician-only: 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).

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, only by a certified technician, and only when the finding shows it's worth it against replacement.

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 with a written finding, waived if you go ahead with the repair. Refrigerator repair explains what the diagnosis covers.

Questions

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