A broken refrigerator can cause a lot of problems, from spoiled food to water leaks and more.
When your refrigerator is not working, learning how to recognize the signs of refrigerator problems and learning how to troubleshoot refrigerator repairs can be easy.
Do you want to learn more about common refrigerator issues and when you need to get professional refrigerator repairs? Keep reading his article to learn why your refrigerator is not working and how you can repair it.
Is the Fridge Getting Power?
If your refrigerator is not working, the first thing that you should check is whether or not the fridge is getting power. While this may seem like an obvious or simple answer, there are a few ways that your fridge could lose power.
Whether the cord comes out of the outlet or if a breaker has flipped, no power is one of the common refrigerator issues. To be sure that your fridge has power, you can open the door and see if the light comes on.
If there is no power, you can check the refrigerator cord or see if there is a flipped breaker on your electrical panel.
Test Refrigerator Seals
Repairing a refrigerator can be as simple as testing the seals of your door. Even if your refrigerator does not have any other serious problems, doors that do not properly seal will allow the cool air to escape from your fridge.
The rubber seals on your doors, also known as door gaskets, use magnets to seal the door closed. This keeps your refrigerator insulated and allows the cool air inside to regulate the temperature of your food and water.
Sometimes, these rubber door gaskets can get brittle over time. This makes it difficult for your door to have a tight seal. To test the effectiveness of your door’s seal, you can simply open your door.
A good seal offers resistance and requires a strong tug to open the fridge. If your door opens too easily, it is likely an issue with your seals. You can easily replace door gaskets yourself to fix this problem.
Check the Thermostat
Next, you should check the thermostat of your refrigerator. This is what sets the temperature for the entire fridge, which should stay near 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sometimes, the thermostat can be bumped and adjusted by food in your fridge. If you notice that your thermostat has increased above the optimal temperature, this may be why your food and drinks are not as cool when you take them out of your fridge.
You can simply reset the thermostat if you notice that the temperature is not within a good range.
Listen For Knocking Sounds
If you hear your refrigerator making knocking noise, this could potentially be a sign of a problem.
Sometimes, knocking sounds come from your refrigerator if there is ice that is shifting inside your freezer. However, a knocking noise may also be a sign of a clogged condenser or a clogged compressor.
One thing that you can do if your refrigerator is making a knocking sound is to remove the panel that covers the condenser fan.
It is important that you always have the refrigerator turned off and unplugged before you clean the condenser fan.
You can take off this panel to clean the fan and remove any buildup of dust or line. Then, you can replace the panel and plug your refrigerator in again.
If the problem persists, you may have a problem with your condenser. This shouldn’t be touched, as it can be dangerous. Instead, you can call your refrigerator repair company to service your refrigerator condenser.
Look For Blockages to Air Vents
Finally, you should look inside your fridge to see if there is anything that is blocking the air vents. Your refrigerator uses these vents to circulate the cold air throughout your entire fridge.
When air vents are blocked in your refrigerator, this circulation is not done as effectively and it can affect the temperature of your fridge.
To make sure that this is not a problem, you should identify the location of your vents. These are typically along the side or back wall of your refrigerator.
Next, you should see if there are any blockages. A common reason for air vent blockages is a tightly packed fridge with items that are crammed into your refrigerator. If it is packed too tightly, the air will not be able to circulate through your entire fridge.
Another reason why your air vents could be blocked is if frost builds up in your freezer and keeps the air from reaching your refrigerator. In these cases, you can simply defrost your freezer to let this frost melt.
Get Help When Your Refrigerator is not Working
A broken refrigerator can cause a lot of stress. Whether you are worried about having to make expensive repairs or worry about your food spoiling, there are ways that you can identify the issues with your refrigerator.
When your refrigerator is not working, you can try each of these troubleshooting steps to try to repair it on your own. If none of these issues is the culprit, it is time to call a professional for refrigerator repairs.
Do you want to learn more about how you can fix a broken refrigerator? We can help! Check out the other articles on our blog to learn more about tools and home improvements that can help you fix other common kitchen problems.
