Are you also looking to figure out Why the fridge is not cold but freezer is? If yes, you are reading the right article as we will lead you through the reason why your fridge is not cold but the same fridge freezer is cold. So, here, we will provide a simple ideology behind all these and how to better understand how a refrigerator works and how a freezer works.
It’s totally normal. However, the culprit behind a warm fridge and a cold freezer are pretty easy to troubleshoot such that It can be done by anyone.
It cannot take you less than 3 minutes depending on what is causing the issues.
Coupled with this, troubleshooting it yourself saves you money since you don’t have to spend extra for a repairman.
Since you are here to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is, let’s delve into the proven steps you can take to troubleshoot it.
6 Reasons Why the Fridge is not Cold but Freezer is Cold
One of the most obvious pointers to check if your fridge is not getting cold is the evaporator coil and the defrost assembly.
In most cases, it’s either they need a simple repair or a replacement if damaged. But, it is not limited to those components alone as other components could also cause this.
Anyway, let’s delve into the various things that are causing this and how you can resolve them in no time
NOTE: Some of the troubleshooting steps listed below might need a repairman but some can be easily done by you, you just need to adhere to safety precautions such as unplugging the device before disassembling it, and snapping the state of a device if you are not too sure if you can assemble it back without a guide.
Now, let us proceed to the reasons :
1. Your Fridge is Stuffed up
This seems like an issue you can skip if you open your fridge and the items packed in the fridge are arranged in a stuffy manner such that there is no space for airflow.
In cases like this, the airflow will not circulate very well around the fridge making some sections cooler than the others. A good pointer to this is if some sections of your fridge seem frozen.
To resolve this, you simply have to remove any unnecessary food items while ensuring there is enough space for airflow in the fridge.
However, if the whole section of your fridge is warm, then you might have to inspect the evaporator coils.
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2. Check Your Evaporator Coils
The evaporator coil is a popular culprit for your refrigerator. Once you check through the coil and you are seeing ice crystals around it. It’s either the coil isn’t always defrosted or there is insufficient airflow.
This alone is sufficient to stop cool air from flowing into the refrigerator compartment.
Checking the coils isn’t rocket science, all you have to do is check the access panel inside your refrigerator or under one of its doors and observe the spot for ice crystals.
If there is ice crystal on some parts of the coils, there is air flowing in some parts while in some other parts it is restricted
Also, if your defrost heater assembly is faulty you can be sure that the frost will keep accumulating till it blocks airflow to the refrigerator
Although you don’t need to panic, here is how you can resolve that
- First and foremost unplug and turn off power at the power source or the breaker panel
- Use a cloth dipped inside alcohol or any other alternative liquid to remove as much frost from all parts of the coil
- After cleaning, let them dry completely
- Now, turn the refrigerator back on.
- After doing all these ensure that, there is airflow, through the freezer and refrigerator
3. Check the Evaporator Fan Motor
The evaporator fan has one job which is to move cold air via the coils till it gets to the fridge. In a scenario where the evaporator fan is defective or it’s not working it will make the fridge compartment warm.
You might not easily discern where the problem is coming from until you check the back compartment of your fridge to inspect if the fan is rolling or not.
If you can’t feel any airflow, you can inspect your evaporator fan by following the steps below
- Unplug your fridge from the power source
- Inspect the fan for any Obstruction.
- If there is any dust around the fan clean it off
- After doing these, try rotating the fan manually.
- if it’s hard to rotate, then you need to replace it
- Before leaving, inspect the wires, for any wear or tear
If the wires are okay, follow the steps below to resolve it
- Remove the cover from the back of the freezer.
- Remove any screws or locking tabs holding the motor in
- Replace it with the exact motor using the model number
If you are yet to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is proceed to the next step.
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4. Inspect the Condenser Coils for Dirt
If your condenser coils get dirty or they are covered with debris, This alone can cause you stuck trying to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is.
However, troubleshooting the condenser coil is pretty easy. All you have to do is, clean the parts that are covered with dirt and you are good to go.
You can follow the steps below for a more details procedure
- Unplug the refrigerator from the power source
- Take out any removable panels around the condenser coil housing
- After doing that, disconnect the power cable by loosening the terminal screws
- Next, vacuum clean dirt off aluminium fins.
- Put back panel(s), and reconnect the power cord.
If you are yet to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is proceed to the next step.
5. Inspect Your Damper Control
The damper control might not be a defining reason why your fridge is warm, but if your fridge is not cold as it is supposed to be.
The damper control looks like a small vent-like object situated at the rear of the freezer and fridge.
It simply provides an avenue for air to move from the freezer to the fridge.
Since it is a small vent, it is quite easy for the items in the fridge to block it. Apart from that, it can also be clogged with ice.
If you notice anything like that, take it out of its compartment and apply heat to melt any ice clogging it.
Caution: Doing this might require you to pull out other components which might not sit well with you.
You might want to snap it before pulling it out or call a repair if you are not comfortable inspecting the damper control.
If your damper is stuck, and you still have a warranty on your product at the time of reading this, contact the customer support of your refrigerator model to take advantage of it
If not, get a local repairman to help you resolve it.
6. Inspect The Thermistor
Inside your control panel lies the thermistor. The thermistor is a small white component connected to a single set of wires. You can check if the thermistor is working by taking it out and dipping it in a glass of ice water.
Now, check if the temperature moves above 20,000. If it does, your thermistor is working perfectly.
But then, take note that the number will differ based but it should be too far off.
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7. Inspect the Defrost heater system
This part is a bit complicated to inspect on your own since it contains different components working together.
The defrost heater system reduces ice from blocking the different air passages to the refrigerator.
A faulty defrost system will make the fridge outer compartment cold and frozen, blocking cool air from moving into the refrigerator.
One thing you might experience at the back panel is the incessant build-up of ice.
If you notice this, unplug your refrigerator and follow the steps below to troubleshoot it
- Power off the refrigerator.
- Remove the ice from your refrigerator back panel by cleaning it with equipment like a hair dryer or hot water.
- You can use a vacuum cleaner with an extendable attachment if you have one
- Once the ice is cleared, the fridge would start getting cold.
Now, this situation might keep occurring later in the future unless you take some preventive steps such as checking the defrost cycle timer and ensuring that it is set based on your model
In most cases, it is usually in the range of 30 minutes and two hours.
If you are yet to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is after going through this article, then you can either call the customer support team for your refrigerator brand or simply call an experienced technician to help resolve it
Can a Fridge Stop working but Freezer still works
It is quite possible, and there are many culprits for this. The way the majority of refrigerators are coupled is one major distinction for this.
The air supply going to the fridge and that going to the freezer is different.
The freezer is supposed to be cooler than the fridge. In that case, the three things that could be the reason why the fridge is not cold but freezer is are the evaporator coil, the evaporator fan and the damper control. However, it is not limited to that.
Why is my Whirlpool Fridge not Cooling but Freezer works
If you own a whirlpool refrigerator and you can’t seem to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is, you should go through these components
- The evaporator coil
- the damper control
- the evaporator fan
- the condenser coil
NB: you can check here for a more comprehensive way to resolve your whirlpool fridge not cooling
GE Fridge not Cooling but Freezer works
If you own a GE refrigerator and the fridge is not cooling the most common culprit for this is your evaporator fan. The evaporator fan is different from the condenser fan.
It is located inside the fridge close to the freezer compartment.
- You can check your user manual if you have a hard time locating it.
- Once you locate it, check if the fan isn’t frozen.
- If it is, simply defrost it.
- However, if that isn’t the case check here for a comprehensive guide on how you can resolve that
LG fridge not Cooling but Freezer works
If you own an LG refrigerator model and you are stuck trying to figure out why the fridge is not cold but freezer is, below are the common culprit of the problem you are stuck with
- The Condenser Coils are Dirty
- The Evaporator Fan Motor Failure
- The Condenser Fan Motor is faulty
- The Start Relay is defective
- The Temperature Control Thermostat is Faulty
- The Thermistor has an issue
If you are looking to troubleshoot your LG refrigerator yourself, check here for a comprehensive guide on how to do that
Will Unplugging a Fridge Reset it?
Unplugging a fridge will dissipate power away from it and manually bring it back to its default state. That is a manual reset, however, you have to follow the right procedure based on the brand of fridge you are using.
The waiting time before plugging back the fridge for most models differs slightly.
Conclusion
If you are not settled as to why the fridge is not cold but freezer is after troubleshooting it yourself, contact customer support for a model of your refrigerator.
That said, you should always check to see if you are qualified for a warranty and if you are still within the warranty period to take advantage of free repairs.