You just spent a ton of money on groceries. You should be set for the work week, right? After all, you were trying to cut back on going out for expensive lunches with your flashy co-worker. Most of the groceries you recently purchased are safely stowed away in the fridge, ready for consumption or preparation when you are. Oh, what’s this? To your ultimate dismay, your fridge light is off, and the temperature seems quite a bit warmer than usual. That’s not cool. Naturally, panic and despair begin to set in. Why did your fridge have to malfunction right after you bought a bunch of groceries? Maybe you should be going out for those expensive lunches after all.

Of course, you know what to do in a situation like this: you call your friendly neighborhood authorized repairmen to fix your broken kitchen appliance, like the fine guys over at Profix Appliance. However, though most people know what to do in this kind of situation, is that enough to satisfy common curiosity? If you’re wondering exactly why your fridge isn’t cooling, then calling your appliance repair guy might not be enough, unless you watch them work, ask questions, and take notes. Luckily, this is 2017, and Google is at your service when it comes to troubleshooting things. However, let us throw down some “cool” refrigerator knowledge:

The Dumb and Obvious: Is it Plugged In?

Seriously? Of course my fridge is plugged in, you’d say. It’s not like you intentionally unplugged it. You’d be surprised at what could happen – those pets you have can be crafty, sneaky creatures. What you’d often assume is an expensive or complicated fix could literally be solved in a matter of seconds and one simple motion. We can’t always be refrigerator repair experts, but this is probably the situation that we’ll feel closest to being an ice box guru.

Do You Hear a Clicking Sound?

If you hear a clicking sound coming from the back of your refrigerator/freezer, then the problem is most likely that the compressor is overheating or not getting proper power, and therefore will not start. The compressor is important – it’s the component on your refrigerator that allows it to cool. Logically, when the compressor isn’t working properly, your fridge won’t cool properly. However, it is generally other parts that support the compressor that may have failed, such as the capacitor or the relay.The capacitor is energized and sends a boost to the compressor for it to start up. You can test either the relay or the capacitor to see if it’s working with a multimeter if you have one on hand, in order to self-diagnose the problem.

Routinely Clean Your Condenser Coils

Another reason that a refrigerator repair service like Profix Appliance Service exists is because people don’t routinely clean their condenser coils. Condenser coils are located on the backside of your fridge, near the compressor.

To check to see if you have dirty condenser coils, unplug the power cord, get behind your refrigerator and remove the small panel at the bottom of the fridge. If you do in fact spot a considerable amount of dust or dirt buildup on the components, use a coil cleaning brush or a vacuum cleaner with a wand to remove said dirt and/or dust. Once the coils look relatively clean, leave your fridge unplugged for about an hour, and then plug it back in. Give the fridge a few minutes to start running properly. At this point, you should hear the condenser fan running from the back. Then, open the door and stick your hand in to check if cool air is blowing. If cool air is blowing, problem solved! If not, at least you can rule out the possibility of condenser coils being the cause of a broken refrigerator.

Other Things You May Have Overlooked

There are some additional things to think about that will assist you with your fridge repair self-diagnosis. Some things are obvious and relatively easy to fix, whereas other things will probably require contacting a professional appliance repair company:  

-Temperature setting turned to low: turn your temperature setting down (colder)
-Your circuit breaker tripped: reset your circuit breaker

-Defrost timer malfunction: replace defrost timer or computer control board

-Failed door seal: replace your worn out door seal
In any case, it is ambitious and respectable to attempt to fix something on your own. Otherwise, call the professional repairmen at Profix Appliance Service to have your refrigerator repair needs covered.

In Need of Fridge Repair? Contact Us Today!