Top 3 Refrigerator Problems
Mon, May 14, 2007
Just when you thought you had repaired all of your major appliances and it was safe to go into the kitchen, you find a problem with your refrigerator. It’s not running at all, or not properly. It’s noisy or leaky, or maybe it won’t shut off at all. You may or may not know offhand what is wrong, but you can be sure it’s going to be a big problem if you don’t get it fixed fast. You may be surprised what the most common complaints and repairs on refrigerators may be, and you may be even more taken aback by how easily you can fix them.
When troubleshooting to determine what exactly is wrong with your refrigerator, start with the most immediate symptom that you notice. The most obvious common problem would be that the refrigerator is not running. If the light inside the refrigerator is not on, you have no power to the refrigerator. This could mean that the AC outlet is defective, that the breaker has been tripped, or that the service cord is defective. Check your breaker, and try plugging another appliance into the outlet to see if it is functioning properly. Look for nicks in the service cord, as well. If the light is on, there are a number of things that could be defective, including the temperature control device, the defrost timer, the start relay, or even the compressor. The last of these is quite expensive, and you may want to have a professional take a look at your refrigerator before buying any parts.
The second most common complaint on a refrigerator is probably that it runs continuously. If it runs all the time with no cooling, your compressor, again, may be insufficient or faulty. However, first check that there is no loss of charge on the refrigerant. This is the less expensive of the two problems to fix. If you find that the refrigerator runs continuously and is TOO cool, you either have a defective temperature control or this control needs adjusting. There may also be an instance where the unit runs excessively but the freezer and refrigerator are still not cold enough. This could mean issues with the evaporator fan, the defrost timer, or simply the sealing of the unit or could be compressor failure or a dirty or defective condenser.
The third common complaint is a normal but sweaty refrigerator. If the sweat is condensing on the inside of the unit, you have bad door seals and need to have them replaced. If there is sweat on the exterior of the refrigerator, it could be bad door seals or may be faulty insulation or even a heater that is defective in the door channel. Of course, there are several other smaller problems that regularly occur in refrigerators that sometimes are more of an annoyance than a real problem. However, if you think that something really is wrong with your refrigerator beyond these more typical issues, don’t hesitate to get it checked out by a licensed professional.
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May 26th, 2007 at 6:32 pm
2 questions:
i have a white-westinghouse fridge. don’t see the model #.
it is about 5′ tall and 2′ wide with separate freezer door above.
it is a no frost model.
1) it has recently started leaking water from the inside that must be pooling under the crisper drawer. it only comes out when i open the big door. any ideas further to the ones on your page?
2) i have the air control regulator at 3; is there an optimum #
i could set it at?
thank you!
May 26th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Hi Roger,
1. The first problem is probably caused by a clogged drain line inside the refrigerator.
2. It is usually recommended to have the cold control at 4 or 5. I would also get a refrigerator thermometer (like this one http://www.appliancepartspros.com/Appliance-Parts/Tools-and-Testers/Thermometers/UNI-Thermometer–refrigerator-item-number-AP3549145.aspx ) and make sure the temperature inside the refrigerator is between 36F and 40F.
Hope this helps.
AJ
June 14th, 2007 at 2:39 am
Hi there,
My refrigerator gaskets are hot to the touch. Any ideas on what might be causing this? I have an Amana fridge that is several years old.
Thank you,
Jennifer
June 15th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Hi JBB,
Sounds like it’s a good time to clean the condenser coils (either under the fridge or in the back, depending on model and age). To clean the condenser coils, use this condenser cleaning brush: http://www.appliancepartspros.com/Appliance-Parts/WHIRLPOOL-Refrigerator-condenser-cleaning-brush-item-number-AP3103212.aspx . Make sure to get rid of all the dirt, dust, etc.
Hope this helps. Let us know what happens.
AJ
July 10th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
The door for the ice retrieval has a small amount of opening and air is being drawn into the frig. Does this require replacement due to a weak spring? Is there any instructions available short of buying an entire manual to allow me to fix this. Thanks, Joe
July 10th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Joe,
Post the model number of your refrigerator and I’ll see if I can find some diagrams for you. They should give you a good idea of how the ice dispenser is put together.
AJ
September 17th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
i have a fridgedair side by side just purchased 7/10/07 and have had to twice call for service about frost build up in the ice crube dispenser. have any of these been on recall for this problem….
September 18th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Hi Teresa,
We haven’t seen any recalls issued for Frigidaire refrigerators recently. I will be speaking to an Electrolux (Frigidaire’s parent company) rep some time next week and will pose this question on your behalf.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I bought an entire kitchen of Professional Frigidaire products. The side by side fridge does not make enough ice and I can’t seem to find a competent repairman to fix it. They’ve replaced valves, ice maker etc. It might drop a dozen cubes a day.
The top rack in my dishwasher keeps coming off the rollers. Rollers have been replaced. What gives with this high priced cheap crap??
Anything you can suggest??
January 17th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I’d check the temperature inside the freezer. For example, if the freezer door is being open frequently through out the day, it would increase the temp inside the freezer. Your ice maker will only make ice if the freezer temperature is low enough (about 0 degrees F).
If you need more help, visit the appliance repair forum at http://forum.appliancepartspros.com - it’s free.
August 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I have a GE side by side refrig (model # GSS25LGMWW). Recently replace the damper mechanism in the refrig (fresh food was freezing) and that fixed the problem. Now the freezer is not freezing. Is there a checklist or instructions for identifying the source of the problem?
Items of note:
Damper fan is working (air is blowing into refrig part)
Freezer fan or air blowing mechanism appears to be working
No hot air is blowing out of bottom (exterior) of unit
Where do I start?
Thanks.
TJ
PS. it comes in threes: first the damper, second my GE front load washer required a major part replacement; third this freezer issue. I’m hoping that this forum can help as much as the GE washer forum….they were great!
November 13th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Fridigair side by side is not making ice…I seen in previous responses that the freezer may be too cold. Control nob only has off to cold and cold to coldest. Could this be the issue that the settings are not set properly? Not making loud noise, sounds normal. Water dsipenser is working well…Motor sounds good…what else could it be?
March 30th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
fridigair up right freezer -started unthawing recently, also sides are HOT to the touch, manual cleaned it, plugged it in still hot to the touch, not freezing, any ideas 4 or 5 years old
marty
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:24 am
I have a GE refrigerator. It gets cold but it continually runs. The setting for it isn’t “2+1/2″ it’s more like a negative 8. That’s right I can’t even spin the setting dial close to the zero stamped on it. I would like to know if this can be fixed.
July 10th, 2009 at 2:30 am
i have a ge side by side refrigerator that just stop making ice and cooling what should i do to solve the problem.
thank.
July 11th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Helman, post your question on the appliance repair forum and one of the technicians will help (it’s free) - http://forum.appliancepartspros.com/
July 15th, 2009 at 6:48 am
I have a frigidair model #frt18drhz1 im not sure whats wrong with it as its still got power and the compressor is still working, but its just quit cooling the fridge part and the freezer on top seems to be working still… either way would love a little help.
July 18th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
double door frigidare
refrgirater inside vent to cool is not working
July 20th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
My refrigerator is 4 years old and is sweating inside into all the drawers so that i cannot put food in them and some of the water is frezzing…other than that the food is cold
August 9th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
My Samsung side by side refrigerator has an intermittent problem. The freezer started melting and the water leaked out in a big puddle on the floor in front of it while the temp display kept flashing 16 degrees. I increased the freezer temp to -8 and the next day it started working. What is wrong?
September 15th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Hi, My Kenore side by side refrigerator has started leaking water. In recent months, I find pools of water in front of it. Before it was random, but now its more frequent. What is wrong?
September 19th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Hi, My Kenmore side by side frig which is 11yrs old doesn’t seem to be keeping the items in it as cold as they should be. Like especially my milk which I like my milk to be very cold and so I put the it all the way up to the coldest as far as it goes to get it really cold and also if I keep it at the initial setting or a little beyond (which I usually keep it at) the veggies don’t seem to keep quite as long as they should. Also on the freezer side the ice maker has frost(looks as if there is a thin layer of snow) around it and where the ice goes through the door as it has to go on the outside of the door. What could be causing this problem?
October 20th, 2009 at 5:35 am
I have whirlpool ER8AHMXRQO1 1 1/2 year old topfreezer refrigator the freezer isn’t working thawed all my food and I have it set to the coldest the temperature is 40-45 degrees in the refrigator. What’s the problem?
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:37 am
For the past few months it has sounded like water is running from inside my refrigerator. It sounds like water lightly running. But when I move the refrigerator nothing is on the floor. We recently moved though and when the refrigeraor was tilted water did fall. We don’t have an ice maker and water dispenser so what do you think could be the problem?
June 19th, 2010 at 8:09 pm
I have an older model GE two door refridgerator with the freezer on top. Within the last month, I have noticed water accumulating on the magnetic seal around the door. Other than buy a new appliance, is ther anything I can do?
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