Refrigerator Not Cooling: Check These Before Food Spoils
A warm refrigerator is often caused by dirty condenser coils, blocked vents, a bad door seal, wrong settings or a frost-clogged evaporator. Check them in order and protect your food.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time
- 30–90 minutes
- Typical cost
- $0–$15 for a coil brush; parts like fans or defrost components cost more
A refrigerator that is not cold enough is both a repair problem and a food safety problem. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service explains that bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 and 140°F, some doubling in as little as 20 minutes, and that a refrigerator set at 40°F or below protects most foods. So the first steps are to measure the temperature and protect the food; the second is to find out why the cooling has dropped off.
Measure first
Put an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the middle of the fresh-food section and leave it for several hours. ENERGY STAR recommends keeping a refrigerator at 35 to 38°F. If the reading is above 40°F, move perishables to a cooler with ice or to another refrigerator while you work.
Diagnose the pattern
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Both freezer and fridge warm, compressor running | Dirty condenser coils, condenser fan not running |
| Both warm, compressor silent, light works | Compressor start relay, control or compressor problem |
| Freezer cold, fridge warm | Blocked air vent, evaporator fan failed, frost on evaporator coil |
| Fridge too cold in some spots, warm in others | Blocked vents, overloaded shelves |
| Condensation inside, sweating door edges | Leaking door seal |
| Nothing works, no light | Power: plug, outlet, breaker |
Step 1: Settings and power
Check that the controls have not been bumped, that the unit is not in a showroom or “demo” mode on electronic models, and that it is plugged in firmly. Listen for the compressor and fans.
Step 2: Clean the condenser coils
The condenser coils release the heat removed from inside the refrigerator. When they are coated in dust and pet hair, the refrigerator cannot shed heat and cooling drops. ENERGY STAR advises leaving a few inches between the wall and the refrigerator for air circulation, keeping condenser coils clean on older models, and reading the user’s manual to learn how to clean them safely.
- Unplug the refrigerator.
- Find the coils: behind a front grille at the bottom on many models, or on the back.
- Brush and vacuum the coils and the fan blades nearby.
- Plug it back in and confirm the condenser fan (near the compressor at the back bottom) runs when the compressor runs.
Step 3: Clear the vents
Most refrigerators cool the fresh-food section with cold air blown from the freezer through vents. Packed freezers and items pushed against the vents in either compartment stop that airflow. Rearrange food so air can circulate, and do not overfill.
Step 4: Check the door seals
ENERGY STAR recommends making sure the door seals are airtight and replacing them if not. Close the door on a strip of paper; if it slides out easily, the seal is weak at that point. Clean seals with warm soapy water, since sticky residue can keep them from sealing. Check that the refrigerator is level or tilted slightly back so doors close on their own.
Step 5: Look for frost on the evaporator
If the freezer is cold but the fridge is warm, remove the freezer’s back panel (unplug first) and look at the evaporator coil. Heavy frost covering the coil means the automatic defrost system has failed: a defrost heater, thermostat or timer/control. You can defrost manually by unplugging the refrigerator for a day with the doors open and towels in place, but the problem will return until the failed part is replaced.
Protect the food
USDA’s guidance gives refrigerator storage times for different foods and emphasizes keeping the temperature at 40°F or below. When in doubt about food that warmed above that temperature for an extended period, throw it out.
Common mistakes
- Turning the control to its coldest setting without finding the cause.
- Pushing the refrigerator tight against the wall.
- Cleaning coils with the unit plugged in.
- Chipping frost off the evaporator with sharp tools, which can puncture the refrigerant tubing.
When to call a technician
Call an appliance technician if the compressor does not run, the condenser or evaporator fan has failed, the defrost system needs repair, or cooling does not return after cleaning coils and clearing vents. Anything involving the sealed refrigerant system requires a certified technician. ENERGY STAR notes that an old refrigerator uses about 20 percent more energy on average than a certified model, which is worth weighing if a major repair is needed on an aging unit.