Refrigerator not cooling: what to check before you call

A refrigerator that is not cooling almost always has one of three problems: it can’t get rid of heat, it can’t move cold air, or the compressor isn’t running. Dirty condenser coils and a stopped condenser fan cause the first. A failed evaporator fan, an iced-over evaporator or a stuck damper cause the second. Which section is warm tells you where to start.

Start with one question: which section is warm?

On most refrigerator-freezers there is a single cooling coil, called the evaporator, behind a panel in the freezer. A fan pulls air across it and pushes part of that cold air through a duct into the fresh-food side. Many built-ins and some newer models have a separate evaporator for each section, so the patterns below can shift on those.

Freezer cold, refrigerator warm

Treat this as an airflow problem until proven otherwise. The cooling system works, because the freezer is cold. The cold air just isn’t reaching the fresh-food side. The usual suspects are the evaporator fan, frost that has choked the evaporator, or a damper stuck closed.

Both sections warm

Now the question is whether the refrigerator is getting rid of heat at all. Look at the condenser coils, the condenser fan, and whether the compressor is starting. A refrigerant leak also lands here, but it’s the least common answer and the last one to assume.

Five-minute checks before anything else

These cost nothing, and we’d rather you find the answer here than pay for a visit.

1. Measure the temperature. Put an appliance thermometer in a glass of water on a middle shelf and read it after several hours. The fresh-food section should be at or below 40°F, and most people aim for about 37°F. The freezer should read 0°F.
2. Check the controls. Dials get bumped by grocery bags and kids. If you change a setting, give it a full 24 hours before judging the result.
3. Rule out demo mode. Showroom or demo mode keeps the lights and display working while the cooling system stays off. The way out varies by brand and is usually a button combination listed in the owner’s manual.
4. Confirm it’s running. A lit interior light only proves the outlet works. Listen for the low hum of the compressor and the whir of the fans. On models with a grille at the bottom front, you should feel warm air coming out of it.
5. Look at the doors and vents. A door held open a quarter inch by an overfilled bin will warm the whole cabinet. Close the door on a sheet of paper at several points around the seal. If the paper slides out with no drag, the gasket isn’t sealing there. Also keep food from being packed against the air vents, usually at the back or top of the fresh-food section.

Worn seals get their own walk-through in our door gasket replacement guide.

Clean the condenser coils

The condenser coils release the heat the refrigerator pulls out of your food. Coated in dust and pet hair, they can’t shed it, so the compressor runs hotter and longer and cooling drops off. Of all the maintenance a homeowner can do, this pays off most.

Safety: unplug the refrigerator before you touch the coils or reach anywhere near the fan. The condenser fan can start without warning.

1. Find the coils. On most freestanding models they sit underneath, behind the kickplate at the bottom front, or on the back. On many built-ins they’re at the top, behind a grille.
2. Unplug the unit, or switch it off at the breaker if the plug is hard to reach.
3. Loosen the dust with a long, narrow coil brush, then pull it out with a vacuum and crevice tool.
4. Work gently. The fins and tubing bend easily. Never pry at them with anything metal.
5. Plug it back in and give it a day to recover.

Built-ins call for a slightly different approach, covered in cleaning the condenser on a built-in.

Check the two fans

Condenser fan

On models with coils underneath, a small fan near the compressor pulls air across them. With the refrigerator unplugged, remove the thin access panel at the bottom of the back and spin the blade by hand. It should turn freely. Stiff, wobbly or wrapped in lint means you’ve found a lead. If the compressor runs and this fan doesn’t, the refrigerator will warm up over a day or two.

Evaporator fan

This one lives in the freezer, behind the rear panel. On most models it stops when the freezer door opens, so press and hold the door switch (the small plunger or lever the door pushes on) and listen. You should hear steady airflow. Silence, squealing, or a ticking like a blade striking something all point to the fan motor or to ice around it.

Frost on the back of the freezer

At regular intervals, a frost-free refrigerator briefly heats the evaporator to melt the frost off it. If the defrost heater, the defrost thermostat or sensor, or the timer or control fails, frost keeps building until it blocks airflow. You’ll often see a coat of snow on the rear freezer panel or around the vents, and the fresh-food side warms first.

A manual defrost is a reasonable stopgap. Unplug the refrigerator, move the food to coolers, prop the doors open and lay towels down. A heavily iced evaporator can take a full day or longer to clear. If cooling comes back and then fades again within a couple of weeks, a defrost part has failed. Our freezer frost buildup guide explains how to read the frost.

A damper that won’t open

Many refrigerators meter cold air into the fresh-food section through a damper, either a motorized flap or a manual slide linked to the temperature control. If it sticks closed or ices over, the freezer stays cold and the fridge warms. Make sure nothing is blocking the opening where cold air enters the fresh-food side. Testing a motorized damper has to be done with the power on, so leave that to a technician.

Clicking every few minutes

You hear a click near the bottom back, a hum for a few seconds, another click, and then the cycle repeats every few minutes. The compressor is trying to start and failing. The start relay or overload protector on the side of the compressor is a frequent cause and a fairly simple part. The same sound can come from a compressor that’s wearing out, though, so have it confirmed before you buy parts. Testing either one involves live voltage and isn’t a homeowner job.

Refrigerator not cooling: symptoms at a glance

What you notice	Likely cause	Safe to check yourself?	Next step
Freezer cold, fridge warm, no fan sound in freezer	Evaporator fan motor, or ice around the blade	Listen only	Technician replaces fan or clears ice
Snow on the panel at the back of the freezer	Defrost heater, thermostat or control	Manual defrost as a stopgap	Technician finds the failed part
Both sections warm, no warm air from the bottom grille	Dirty coils or stopped condenser fan	Yes, unplugged	Call if the fan won’t turn
Click, hum, click every few minutes	Start relay, overload or compressor	No	Technician
Compressor runs nonstop, coils clean, still warm	Refrigerant leak or restriction	No	Technician with EPA certification
Lights and display on, nothing running	Demo mode, control board or thermostat	Check settings and manual	Call if settings are correct

When to call a technician

Call once the simple checks are done and the refrigerator still can’t hold 40°F, or as soon as you notice any of these:

• Frost returns on the back of the freezer within a couple of weeks of a manual defrost.
• The click, hum, click pattern from the compressor area.
• Fans running and coils clean, yet the compressor runs constantly and the cabinet stays warm.
• Oily spots on tubing or on the floor under the compressor, which can mean a refrigerant leak.
• A burning smell, scorch marks, or a breaker that trips. Unplug the refrigerator and leave it unplugged.

Never cut, bend or puncture refrigerant tubing. Many refrigerators sold in the US over the past several years use R-600a, or isobutane, which is flammable, so keep heat guns and open flames well away from the tubing too. Refrigerant handling is regulated and needs recovery equipment, so leave anything in the sealed system to an EPA Section 608-certified technician. While you wait, our guide on what to do when a refrigerator stops working covers keeping food safe.