KitchenAid Refrigerator Not Cooling

Oh no! You go to grab a nice cold beverage or tasty treat from the kitchen and you notice your KitchenAid refrigerator not cooling. You slam the door shut to save what little cool air is left and wonder what to do.

KitchenAid makes great refrigerators, but sometimes repair problems are unavoidable. The truth is, there are a variety of reasons why your KitchenAid refrigerator isn’t cold. It could be something like dirty condenser coils — a problem you can fix yourself. Or it may be something more complex, like a defective evaporator fan motor — which will require a professional refrigerator repair help.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of why your KitchenAid refrigerator isn’t cooling. If you’re lucky, you can diagnose and remedy this warm refrigerator issue on your own. Take a look at our list of top reasons why your refrigerator is warm.

This is a pretty common cause for a KitchenAid refrigerator not cooling. The condenser cools are responsible for dispersing heat. However, if they develop a thick layer of dust, hair and other debris, they cannot do their job. Thus, the refrigerator has to pick up the slack and work much harder to keep cool. When the refrigerator has to run constantly, the internal temperature climbs, warming your food and drink.

If this is the problem, clean the refrigerator condenser coils so they can get back to work. You’ll typically find the coils underneath the refrigerator. Wipe them off with a long bottle brush or use a vacuum hose to clear the debris. To avoid future problems, we recommend cleaning your condenser coils once or twice each year. Here’s KitchenAid’s coil cleaning guide for your quick reference.

The refrigerator thermistor keeps track of the internal temperature. It signals the control board, which in turn dictates what the compressor and evaporator fan should do to maintain a cool reading. A faulty thermistor may send an incorrect reading to the control board, throwing everything out of whack. If the compressor and evaporator fan don’t run when they’re supposed to, the refrigerator temperature will continue to increase.

You can test the thermistor with a multimeter and determine if it is accurate. It will need to be replaced if there is no continuity or if the reading is incorrect. You can purchase a new thermistor from an appliance parts store or have a professional replace it for you.

The evaporator fan motor is a crucial part of your refrigerator. It pulls air over the evaporator coils and disperses this cool air through the refrigerator, keeping everything at the perfect temperature. You may notice that your KitchenAid refrigerator is warm but the freezer is cold if the evaporator fan motor isn’t working.

Locate the evaporator fan and try to spin the blade. If it doesn’t move, then the motor needs to be replaced. A loud noise is indicative of a faulty motor as well. If this is the case, replace the evaporator fan motor with a new one.

Another possible cause of a KitchenAid refrigerator not cooling is a faulty start relay. The start relay helps to start the compressor, and thus cool the refrigerator. If this relay isn’t working, the compressor won’t run and temperatures will rise.

You can test the start relay with a multimeter and replace it if necessary.

If you run through this whole list of refrigerator troubleshooting ideas and your KitchenAid refrigerator is warm still, it may be time to call in the professionals. A refrigerator repair tech, like Fix Appliance Repair Appliance Repair , will be able to accurately diagnose the problem and repair it so no more food goes to waste, and you can finally have that cold treat you’ve been craving!