What To Do If Your Whirlpool Refrigerator Isn’t Cooling Properly?

Spoiled food is never a good thing. In fact, it’s comparable to literally throwing your money down the drain. 

However, it’s not always our fault that we’re wasting food. Sometimes it’s our refrigerator or freezer that isn’t cooling properly to preserve our food for as long as possible. Of course, these types of situations are unsettling and frustrating. 

But there are, fortunately, plenty of DIY troubleshooting steps you can take at home on your own to try and fix your refrigerator that either isn’t cooling properly or isn’t cooling at all.

However, if you’re unable to resolve your refrigerator issue on your own, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Phoenix Appliance Repair for friendly, professional help today.

Problems With Your Power Supply

One of the most common issues that we run into with refrigerators is that the power supply is compromised in some way or another. 

So, if you suspect an issue with your unit’s power supply, be sure to check the following:

• First, ensure that the refrigerator is plugged into the power outlet and that the outlet is providing power. To check this, you might want to try plugging another appliance or device into that same socket to see whether the outlet has power.
• Also, make sure to check the power cord itself for any signs of damage. Over time, a power cord can wear out, especially if it’s been moved around often, which could disrupt the flow of electricity to your unit.
• The next thing to check is the circuit breaker in your home’s main electrical panel that is feeding your refrigerator’s outlet. Sometimes the breaker may be tripped due to a power surge or some other sort of electrical failure. If the breaker has been tripped, try flipping it back into the ‘on’ position. If this doesn’t resolve your issue, or the breaker keeps tripping, you might have some other type of electrical issue with your fridge.

Refrigerator Maintenance Tips

Alternately, a lack of proper care and maintenance can also lead to issues with your refrigerator not functioning properly. 

Fortunately, most fridge maintenance can be done by yourself at home, and simply requires you to routinely cleaning certain parts and components on your fridge. 

Three of the most important maintenance chores you can do involve: 

• Ensuring the unit’s condenser coils are all clean and free of dust and debris.
• That the fridge itself isn’t empty, nor is crammed with an excessive amount of food products. If the unit is overfilled, the vents and circulation of cool air inside the unit may be impeded, which will cause your unit to have trouble cooling down properly. 
• Checking to see that there’s no ice buildup anywhere inside your unit. 

While these are some of the most important maintenance tasks you need to do, it’s also important to regularly clean both the inside and outside of your fridge every couple of months. 

This is especially important when it comes to cleaning and vacuuming the unit’s condenser coils, which are typically located either at the back or underneath your refrigerator. 

For this, use a vacuum to remove any dust or dirt built-up, which might be impeding the coils from properly releasing heat and may contribute to the issue of your fridge not cooling down efficiently.

Temperature Controls Aren’t Working Properly

In most cases, when your fridge isn’t cooling down properly, the problem is usually that your condenser coils are dirty. However, even after a deep cleaning, you might still be experiencing the same issue, which means you might have an issue with your unit’s temperature controls. 

Below we’ve outlined two possible scenarios, as well as what you can do to resolve them.

Broken Defrost Timer

Your fridge’s defrost timer is the component that will kick on every so often to melt any built-up ice on the inside of the unit. Therefore, when this component malfunctions, it typically results in a build-up of ice, which can cause issues with the unit not being able to cool properly. 

While you may be able to diagnose this issue on your own, we highly recommend that you contact Phoenix Appliance Repair for professional help. This ensures that your unit will be repaired properly and that your warranty will remain intact.

Malfunctioning Thermostat

You might also be having an issue with your unit’s thermostat, which helps regulate the temperature inside your unit. 

So with that in mind, start by making sure that your thermostat is, in fact, set to an appropriate temperature. 

Then, to check if it is working properly, try turning it to a lower temperature. The unit’s compressor should then start working, which you should be able to hear just a few seconds after adjusting the thermostat. 

If the compressor doesn’t kick on, you likely have a defective thermostat and will need to have it replaced.

Common Compressor Problems

Finally, if your unit isn’t cooling properly, you might either have a compressor system that’s leaking, or a broken compressor motor.

Leaking Freon

Freon is a mostly odourless liquid that is contained within the unit’s pressurized system. This is what helps your fridge stay cool at all times. 

Therefore, if your unit has a freon leak, it won’t be able to keep things cool inside. 

In terms of repairing a freon leak, your best option is to contact a professional as soon as possible. Freon is a dangerous chemical that can cause certain health concerns. 

So, it’s safer to have a trained professional handle the repair instead.

Broken Motor

Another common issue is that the condenser fan motor has broken. 

This fan draws air from the condenser coils and then circulates it throughout your unit. Therefore, if this fan isn’t working, you’re going to experience cooling issues. 

While you may be able to diagnose this issue on your own, it’s highly recommended to have a professional repair the issue for you.