Mr. Appliance of Greater St. Louis helps homeowners in Ballwin, Chesterfield, and St. Louis, MO know when their refrigerator’s not cool enough and what to do about it. If your fridge isn’t maintaining a cool enough temperature to keep your food fresh, your groceries can spoil quickly and end up in your garbage. Your first step is knowing how cold your refrigerator should be. The FDA states you should set your refrigerator’s temperature at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. If your refrigerator is set at a proper temperature, and your food is still rotting, or your fridge doesn't stay cool, our appliance repair specialists can help. Our technicians will help you diagnose your refrigerator’s problem and guide you through repairs. Sometimes, you’ll need a professional to step in and complete repairs.
Things to Check When Your Refrigerator’s Not Cool Enough
Your fridge might not actually be broken when it has trouble maintaining a cool temperature. Mr. Appliance of Greater St. Louis’s technicians are well-versed in common causes and can advise you on steps to take before contacting us for repairs. You don’t need to be embarrassed if your warm fridge has a common-sense solution because countless homeowners run into the same situations every day. We recommend checking the following things before calling us:
- Your refrigerator isn’t plugged in – Many people jump to conclusions about having a broken fridge without checking to see if the power is running. Always check if your refrigerator is plugged into an outlet.
- Your thermostat is turned down – Find your fridge’s thermostat and verify it’s set to an appropriate temperature. You’ll typically find a side-by-side refrigerator’s thermostat in the back, and over-under models’ thermostats are probably under the fridge.
- Your door doesn’t close properly – Check your fridge’s doors and gaskets, the flexible elastic strips around your door’s edges. Does the light in your refrigerator turn on and off when closing the door? If your doors don’t close or seal properly, warm or humid air can leak into your fridge.
- Cold air can’t circulate in your fridge – Cold air cannot circulate inside your fridge if boxes of food block the vents and obstruct airflow. We recommend organizing your fridge to let air move freely and keep your fridge cool.
Refrigerator Parts Potentially Causing Your Tepid Fridge
Finding a repair solution to fix a warm refrigerator isn’t always obvious. Many things can go wrong and prevent your fridge from staying cool. Mr. Appliance of Greater St. Louis has listed various common parts and issues that can spoil food in your fridge and freezer:
- Compressor – Your compressor compresses and pushes refrigerant vapor into your fridge’s coils. The pressure and vapor pushing create heat that cools and absorbs your freezer and fridge heat. Your compressor could be bad if your freezer fan still runs, but the fridge doesn’t get cold.
- Condenser coils – These coils carry the compressor’s hot air up to your fridge’s evaporator coils. You might end up with poor air circulation if your condenser coils clog, restricting your refrigerator’s ability to stay cool.
- Condenser fan – As your condenser coils and compressor work, the condenser fan keeps them cool. If your compressor is running, your condenser fan should also be running. A condenser fan malfunction can overheat your compressor and cause your fridge’s temperature to rise.
- Evaporator fan – This refrigerator part blows cool air inside your fridge by pulling air across the evaporator coil, cooling it, and pushing it through your freezer and fridge. A non-working evaporator fan prevents your fridge from producing cool air.
- Air damper – Your fridge’s air damper controls the air shared from your freezer to your refrigerator. Your freezer may stay at the right temperature while your fridge gets warmer or too cold if your air damper can’t open or close.
What to Do When All Else Fails
If you don't have expertise in appliance repair and your refrigerator will not get cold enough, you can reach out to Mr. Appliance of Greater St. Louis. Trying to fix your fridge yourself can be complicated and dangerous, so you need a highly trained professional to perform repairs or replacements. Our expert team will quickly and effectively repair your refrigerator if repairs are the best option. However, your fridge problems might be beyond repair. We can assess your fridge to determine if you need to replace it. Your refrigerator might be on its last leg because of its age or wear and tear, and our technicians will give you honest advice when it’s time for a replacement.
Schedule Refrigerator Service With Mr. Appliance
Mr. Appliance of Great St. Louis proudly serves households throughout Ballwin, Chesterfield, and St. Louis. We cover your appliance repair needs, from dryers and washers to ovens and ranges. If your refrigerator or freezer isn’t staying cool enough, and you’ve checked for obvious causes with easy solutions, your fridge might need professional service. Contact us today to discuss your refrigerator’s problems and schedule repairs at your home.