Frigidaire Refrigerator Not Cooling

A refrigerator is one of the most crucial appliances in a household. It plays a vital role in preventing food spoilage and waste by maintaining optimal conditions. When a refrigerator suddenly ceases to function, it can quickly escalate from an inconvenience to a full-blown emergency.

Among the common issues faced by Frigidaire refrigerators, a notable one is their tendency to stop cooling, sometimes without any prior warning. Fortunately, this problem can often be resolved with relative ease. In this blog post, we will delve into various steps for rectifying this issue.

Frigidaire Refrigerator Not Cooling

When Frigidaire refrigerators stop cooling abruptly, it signals one or several potential issues. These may include dirty condenser coils, malfunctioning evaporators, a faulty evaporator fan motor, problems with the compressor relay, or defective condenser fans. Additionally, incorrect temperature control settings, compromised gasket seals, or clogged defrost drains could also be contributing factors. Overstuffing, blocked air vents, and damaged door gaskets are a few possible reasons why your Frigidaire refrigerator isn’t cooling while the freezer is.

Most of these issues are minor and can be resolved in a few minutes without professional assistance. Organizing and cleaning your fridge section, including checking for a faulty start relay and a faulty compressor, should resolve these issues.

However, before wielding that screwdriver, it’s prudent to systematically examine all possible causes, ensuring that the solution isn’t an evident one. Subsequently, we will methodically progress through each potential fix.

Double Check Frigidaire Refrigerator Power Outlet

Investigate the Outlet:

• Sometimes, even if it seems unlikely, a problem with the electrical outlet could be why your refrigerator isn’t working right.

Unplug and Test:

• Start by pulling the plug out of the outlet. Then, plug in a different electronic device. If this device doesn’t work properly, it could mean the outlet is the issue.

Try a Reset:

• If the new device works, try a little trick for your fridge. Leave it unplugged for about two minutes, then plug it back in. This can often fix the problem.

Give it Space:

• Your fridge needs room to breathe. Make sure there’s at least an inch of space between the back of your fridge and the wall. This helps it cool properly.

Ensure That Frigidaire Refrigerator and Freezer Doors Close Properly

Look at the Seals:

• There are rubber seals around your fridge door. They’re really important. They keep the cool air in and the warm air out.

Imagine a Damaged Seal:

• Think about what would happen if these seals were broken or not working right. Your fridge would have a hard time staying cool.

Adjust or Replace:

• If you see a seal that’s loose, gently fix it. But if it’s clearly damaged, you might need to get a new one.

Close and Check:

• After you’ve sorted out the seals, shut the fridge doors and make sure they close tightly. Take out any big trays or food items that might be in the way.

By doing these checks, you’re making sure your fridge has the best chance of working properly.

Reset Temperature Controls

Importance of Temperature Settings:

• The settings that control how cold your refrigerator gets are really important. They help it work well throughout the year. If these settings change, whether you meant to change them or not, it can affect how well your fridge works.

Recommended Temperature Range:

• It’s best to keep your refrigerator between 33°F and 40°F. If it’s any warmer than that, it might not cool your food properly. This goes for both the main fridge section and the freezer part.

How to Fix it:

• If you find the temperature is not in this range, you can change the settings. Remember, your freezer and main fridge each have their own controls, so check both.

Checking Over Time:

• As time goes by, fridges might not stay at exactly the same temperature. To make sure it’s still working right, you can put a special thermometer inside for a week. If it’s consistently too warm or too cold, you can adjust the settings.

By doing this, you’re helping your fridge do its job properly!

Clean the Condenser Coils

Start by Unplugging:

• First, unplug your fridge from the wall. If you can, move it a bit away from the wall. This will make it easier to reach the back.

Why Cleaning is Important:

• Sometimes, when a fridge isn’t cooling well, it’s because the coils at the back are dirty. These coils are like pipes made of copper and are vital for cooling. They make a special kind of gas that cools things down. Depending on your Frigidaire model, these coils might stretch to the front too.

What the Coils Do:

• In simple words, the coils help keep your fridge cool. They do this by swapping out hot air with cold air. But if dirt and stuff gather on the coils, they can’t do their job properly. Sadly, these coils are usually at the bottom or back of the fridge, so they can get dusty and dirty.

How to Clean:

• Now comes the good part – fixing it! Go to the back of the fridge and unscrew the vent or grille. While you’re at it, clean the vents too. Air comes in through these vents, and they can get blocked by dirt and stuff over time.

Checking the Coils:

• After you’ve cleared the vent, move on to the coils. You can get to them by taking off the back grille with a screwdriver. Look closely at the coil. If it’s dirty, it’s time for a good clean.

Tools You Need:

• For this job, you’ll want a narrow hose on your vacuum. Use it to give the coil a good clean. Then, use a special brush to get to the trickier spots.

Make Sure It’s All Clean:

• Try to get rid of all the dirt, and vacuum up any bits left behind. If you need to do it again, that’s fine. When you’re all done, put the fridge’s grille back on, and plug it back in.

This will help your fridge work better and keep your food cool!

Make Sure the Condenser Fan Is Working Properly

A refrigerator has a condenser fan motor that helps to keep it cool and maintain its cooling system. It sits between the cooling coils and compressor and circulates air. When this fan blade fails, the refrigerator stops cooling well. The fan blade starts automatically when you turn on the refrigerator. If it doesn’t start spinning, check for obstructions. You may need to spin the blades manually. If this does not work, the condenser fan motor might be faulty and need replacing.

Also, if the blades look corroded, they may need replacement too. Listening for the operation of the cooling system is important. The compressor, which is the heart of the refrigerator’s cooling system, should produce a humming sound when it is running. If you notice irregular noises or the compressor fails to start, it may require professional attention.

Examine the Start Relay

If the Frigidaire refrigerator is not cooling, first check the condenser fan. If it’s working correctly, verify if the start relay is functional. The start relay powers the compressor and controls its motor unit. If it fails, the compressor won’t run and the refrigerator won’t cool.

To check if the start relay and circuit breaker are working, turn on your refrigerator and touch the compressor to feel for movement or a buzzing sound. If there’s no activity, unplug your fridge and gently remove the start relay using a flathead screwdriver. Shake it to check for a rattling sound or particles falling out.

Alternatively, listen for a click from the compressor when you power on your fridge to confirm if it’s faulty. The start relay, along with the circuit breaker and control panel, can be found on the side of the compressor. Additionally, you can also rotate the thermostat from its lowest setting to its highest to determine if it’s functioning properly. This step can help you identify any issues with the thermostat.

Verify that the Evaporator Fan Is Working

If your Frigidaire fridge isn’t cooling properly, the main control board might be malfunctioned. The main control board is responsible for regulating the temperature and controlling the various components of the refrigerator. If it’s not functioning correctly, it can cause issues with the cooling system.

If you notice that the freezer is cold but the food compartment remains warm, you may need to replace the main control board. Some Frigidaire refrigerators have one main control board while newer models feature multiple boards. To check if the main control board is okay, listen for any unusual sounds or check for error codes on the display panel.

For Refrigerators with a Single Evaporator

Finding the Evaporator Fan:

• In regular Frigidaire fridges, to get to the fan, you need to take off the light cover and look upwards.

Getting Closer to the Fan:

• If you need to be right next to the fan, you might have to take out the whole system. But don’t worry, this isn’t super hard.

Checking the Fan:

• When you’re close, examine the fan closely. Is it looking okay? If not, it might be broken, or something might be stopping it from moving.

Testing with the Door Switch:

• There’s a little switch that gets turned on when you close the fridge door. You can pretend to close it by pushing the switch with your hand. If the fan is working right, it should start up in a few seconds.

For Refrigerators with Dual Evaporators

Finding the Refrigerator’s Evaporator Fan:

• These fridges have fans in both the freezer and the fridge part. We’re interested in the fridge fan.

Opening Up the Panels:

• First, open up the panels that cover the fans. Make sure they’re still attached.

Checking the Fan:

• Close the fridge doors and wait a couple of minutes. Quickly open them again. You should see the fan still spinning before it slows down.

If the Fan Isn’t Moving:

• If you do this a few times and the fan doesn’t move at all, it’s probably not working right. It might need to be fixed or replaced.

Examine the Evaporator(s)

If you’ve tried all the solutions mentioned earlier and confirmed that your fridge’s fans are running, it’s time to check the evaporator(s). Your Frigidaire fridge has copper tubes in a panel behind the freezer which make up the evaporator coils. Its job is to create cold air, which is then distributed by a fan into the fridge during the cooling cycle. In older models, this was how it worked. But newer ones have dual evaporators, which offer more accurate temperature control for the fridge and freezer.

For Refrigerators with a Single Evaporator

Unplug and Open:

• Unplug your fridge and safely open the freezer.

Take Out Shelves and Panel:

• Remove the freezer shelves and unscrew the panel at the back to get to the coils.

Inspect for Ice:

• Look closely at the coils and the panel. Do you see a lot of ice? This might mean a problem with the thermostat at the top of the coils.

Check the Thermostat:

• Look at the thermostat. Is it swollen? If yes, it might need replacing.

Test the Thermostat (Advanced):

• If it looks fine but you want to be sure, you’ll need some technical knowledge. It’s a good idea to ask a pro.

Inspect the Defrost Heater:

• This heater thaws out ice on the coils. It’s underneath them and turns on every few hours.

Imagine if it Breaks:

• If it stops working, the coils can turn into a big block of ice.

Test the Heater (Advanced):

• You might have to take it out for this. It’s a bit tricky. You’d need a special tool. A working heater should show a certain signal on a meter.

For Refrigerators with Dual Evaporators

Unplug and Open:

• Unplug the fridge and open the doors.

Take Out Food and Panel:

• Remove food, shelves, and unscrew the panel to reach the coils.

Find the Defrost Heater:

• Look under the coils for the defrost heater. It does the same job as in the single evaporator fridge.

Thaw Any Extra Ice:

• If there’s too much ice, wait for it to melt a bit.

Think About Moisture:

• If the door is left open a lot, more water gets in from the air. That’s why you get extra ice sometimes.

Plug In and Check:

• Plug the fridge back in, let it run a bit, and see if it’s working better.

If It Doesn’t Help:

• If this doesn’t fix it, you might need to replace the defrost heater or the fan.

Inspect the Defrost Drain

How Fridges Work:

• Think of fridges like finely-tuned machines. Each part has a specific job. If one part has trouble, it affects the whole system.

Evaporator Coils:

• In fridges, coils make sure the fridge stays cool. The defrost heater stops ice from building up on these coils.

Defrosting Process:

• When ice melts, it turns into water. Usually, it goes down the defrost drain. But sometimes, this drain can get blocked by dirt or other stuff.

What Happens When Blocked:

• If the drain is blocked, the defrost heater can’t melt extra ice. This leads to more ice forming in the next cycle.

Solution – Easy Fix:

• Unplug your fridge, let it thaw for a bit, then use forced air (like blowing air) to clear the blockage from the drain.

Where to Find the Drain:

• In single evaporator Frigidaire fridges, it’s in the freezer, under the coils.
• In dual evaporator fridges, it’s in the fridge, under the coils.

For Refrigerators with a Single Evaporator

• In traditional Frigidaire refrigerators with a single evaporator, the defrost drain is located in the freezer, underneath the evaporator coils.

For Refrigerators with Dual Evaporators

• In dual evaporator refrigerators, the defrost drain is situated in the refrigerator, directly beneath the evaporator coils.

When You Need to Order Replacement Parts for Your Frigidaire Refrigerator

Know Your Model:

• Note down your fridge’s exact model number. You’ll find it inside the fridge on a sticker.

Use Sears Parts Direct:

• Go to Sears Parts Direct and type in your model number. You can find and order the part you need.

Frigidaire Refrigerator User Manual

Troubleshooting Info:

• Your fridge’s manual has important tips for fixing issues. If you don’t have a physical copy, you can find it online on frigidaire.com.

How to Get It:

• Visit the website, put in your model number, and you might be able to download a digital copy.

Frigidaire Customer Support

Expert Help:

• If you’ve tried everything and your Frigidaire fridge still isn’t cooling right, it might be time to call in the experts.

Contact Frigidaire:

• You can call them at 1-800-374-4432 on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST.

Scheduled Service:

• If you want a certified technician to check your fridge at home, you can book an appointment online. If you have a warranty, the cost might be covered.

FAQs

Conclusion

If your Frigidaire refrigerator suddenly stops cooling, don’t panic. There’s usually an underlying issue that’s causing it. It could be a dirty condenser coil, faulty evaporators, malfunctioning start relay, or defective fan.

SS31SCThese problems are easy to fix, and we’ll guide you through the steps in this article. With our help, you can accurately diagnose and resolve the problem quickly. If you need professional assistance, we’ve got you covered with tips on how to get it.

Jeegna

Greetings, tech enthusiasts! I'm Jeegna, your go-to guru for all things gadget-related. With a passion for technology that runs deep, I've made it my mission to unravel the mysteries of the digital world and simplify it for you.