5 Quick Checks for Fridge Freezers Not Working

The fridge freezer is an essential appliance for a fully functional kitchen. Good fridge freezers are silent hard working machines that operate round the clock to safely store your food supplies.

However, at times a few glitches may cause your refrigerator to stop working or become ineffective. Common symptoms are:

  • It stops cooling
  • The fridge light does not come on
  • The appliance starts making some strange noise that you have never heard before.

Before, assuming that there is a major electrical problem with your appliance, we recommend you do the following quick checks.

  1. Check the power cord: If your refrigerator stops working or if the light does not come on when you open your refrigerator door, the problem is likely due to a loose power cable. Pull the fridge away from the wall, and check whether the plug is firmly fixed into the socket. In addition, unplug it and inspect the electrical cord. Have it replaced immediately by an electrician or technician if you suspect any damage. Also, ask the electrician to check for any blown fuses in your house or tripped circuit breakers in the appliance’s circuit breaker box.
  2. Turn power off / reset: If the electrical cord is not the problem, you can try turning off the power to the fridge and starting it again. Also, check the appliance manual on how to reset your fridge freezer to ensure that there is no problem with the settings.
  3. Check the seals and the gaskets: If the light remains on when you close the refrigerator door, the problem is most probably on the door seals and the gaskets. Check the door seals for cracks and rips. If the seals and gaskets are broken, an appliance engineer should replace them.
  4. Check the thermostat: It is possible that the thermostat temperature has been accidentally turned up, causing the interiors to be warmer than usual. Ensure that the thermostat is at the ideal temperature recommended by the manufacturer.
  5. Check the freezer: The refrigerator and the freezer have different controls and can malfunction separately.
  • The freezer fan may be blocked.
  • Condenser coils located beneath or behind the appliance may have collected debris. This would prevent the freezer from cooling properly.
  • There could be a problem with the defrost timer. The refrigerator compressor goes silent when it is in automatic defrost mode, which lasts between 30 minutes to an hour. If the compressor motor does not start after this time, the defrost timer may need replacement.

Please remember:

Appliances should be serviced regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions – found in the product manual. If you have a problem with an appliance, call in a NICEIC or Gas-Safe registered appliance engineer to repair your appliance. Don’t forget that if your appliance is not working optimally, you should also have it serviced to prevent causing damage to the appliance.