Why Your Fridge Is Not Cooling

Opening your fridge to find warm milk and spoiled food is a stressful discovery. If the internal light comes on but the air is warm, the appliance is failing to circulate cold air, or the compressor has stopped running entirely.

How Fridge Freezers Share Cold Air

Most modern fridge freezers only have one cooling element, located in the freezer compartment. A small fan blows this freezing air up through a hidden channel into the fridge section. If this channel freezes solid, or the fan fails, the freezer stays cold but the fridge becomes warm.

Common causes

  • Freezer iced up, blocking the air channel to the fridge
  • Evaporator fan motor failed (not blowing cold air upwards)
  • Condenser coils at the back heavily blanketed in dust
  • Compressor start relay failed (compressor not running)
  • Refrigerant gas leak (system cannot generate cold)

Safe first checks

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Safety warning

If you hear a sharp clicking sound every few minutes from the back of the fridge, the compressor is trying and failing to start. Unplug the appliance to prevent motor burnout.

When to stop and call a professional

If the fridge is fully defrosted, the coils are clean, and the fan is running, but it still won't cool, you likely have a compressor failure or a gas leak requiring a refrigeration engineer.

How this information is researched

Publisher: Error Code Lookup Editorial Team. Error Code Lookup is an independent appliance-information resource and is not affiliated with appliance manufacturers. Guidance is written in our own words and reviewed with safety boundaries in mind.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is the freezer cold but the fridge is warm?

This is the classic symptom of a blocked air channel. The cold air is generated in the freezer but cannot travel up to the fridge because the fan is broken or the duct is blocked by solid ice.

Will a regas fix it?

Only if the leak is found and repaired first. Refrigerant gas does not get "used up". If it is low, there is a hole in the system. Regassing without fixing the hole is a temporary waste of money.

How long does a fridge take to cool down?

After a full defrost or when first turned on, a fridge freezer can take up to 24 hours to reach a stable, safe temperature.