Refrigerator Not Cooling? Work Through This Before You Lose the Groceries
A fridge that stops cooling is the one appliance failure with a countdown attached. Before food starts spoiling, a handful of checks tell you whether you are looking at a five-minute fix or a sealed-system fault. Here is exactly how our technicians triage a warm refrigerator.
Symptom, cause, and the fix
Fridge warm, freezer still cold
Likely cause: Failed evaporator fan or a blocked air damper between compartments.
What we do: Listen for the fan when the door switch is pressed. A silent fan is a same-visit motor replacement.
Both compartments warm, compressor silent
Likely cause: Start relay, compressor, or main control board.
What we do: The relay is tested first — it is the cheapest and most common failure of the three.
Thick frost on the back panel of the freezer
Likely cause: Defrost heater, defrost thermostat, or timer/board failure.
What we do: Manual defrost restores cooling for a day or two; the defrost circuit still needs repairing.
Compressor runs constantly and the sides feel hot
Likely cause: Condenser coils packed with dust or a failed condenser fan.
What we do: Vacuum the coils behind or beneath the unit — a genuinely effective DIY step.
Water pooling in the crisper or under the unit
Likely cause: Frozen or clogged defrost drain line.
What we do: The line is flushed and fitted with a drain clip so it stops re-freezing.
Ice maker stopped but fridge is cold
Likely cause: Water inlet valve, filter, or a frozen fill tube.
What we do: Replace the filter first; if flow is still low the inlet valve is replaced.
Safe to try yourself
- Check the temperature dial has not been knocked — 3–4 °C fridge, −18 °C freezer.
- Vacuum the condenser coils every six months, more often with pets in the house.
- Leave a hand's width of air gap behind and above built-in and column fridges.
- Do not pack the fridge so full that air cannot circulate around the vents.
Stop and call a technician
- Compressor hot to the touch, clicking on and off every few minutes.
- Any hissing plus an oily residue near the coils — that is a refrigerant leak.
- Sub-Zero, Thermador, Miele or other built-in column units, which need brand-specific procedure.
- Frost returning within days of a manual defrost.
People also ask
Serving Greater Vancouver, BC during our posted hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 – 17:00 · Sat 8:00 – 16:00 · Closed Sunday. Every repair carries a 3-month warranty on parts and labour.