Warm fridge · Freezer still cold · Both warm · Runs constantly
Refrigerator Not Cooling? Here Is What It Usually Is.
A refrigerator that has stopped cooling is a same-day call for us across Northern Virginia, because food in the fresh-food section is only safe for about four hours once it climbs above 40°F. Nine times out of ten the cause is a failed fan, a frozen evaporator, a bad defrost part or a dirty condenser, all of which we fix on the first visit at a flat rate you approve first. A dead compressor is the exception, not the rule.
Do this first
Three checks that take five minutes.
Before you call, these three checks either fix the problem or tell us exactly what to bring. Move dairy, meat and leftovers into a cooler with ice while you do them; the FoodSafety.gov four-hour rule applies.
- Is the freezer still cold? If the freezer is freezing but the fridge is warm, the cooling system is working and the problem is airflow (evaporator fan, frosted coil or blocked vent). If both are warm, it is the condenser, compressor or a control. Tell us which; it changes what we load on the truck.
- Check the back and the bottom. Pull the unit out a few inches. Is the compressor humming or buzzing and hot? Is there a fan spinning underneath? Is the coil under or behind the unit caked in dust or pet hair? A clogged condenser is the single most common cause of a warm fridge in summer.
- Check the settings and the door. Confirm the temperature was not bumped, that no drawer or bag is holding the door open, and that the door gasket seals. Then leave it closed. Do not unplug it repeatedly; it makes diagnosis harder.
Book your repair
Repair scheduled around your day, not ours.
Tell us what is going on with your refrigerator and when works for you. We confirm the appointment and arrive inside a two-hour window.
- 01 Choose morning, afternoon, or evening
- 02 All major brands and refrigerator types
- 03 Flat-rate pricing approved before we start
- 04 Licensed, insured, background-checked techs
Service request
Your details are used only to schedule your repair. Prefer to talk? Call (703) 608-3262.
What we find
The repair behind each not-cooling symptom.
Match your symptom to the list. This is the same logic our technicians use on the first visit.
Fridge warm, freezer cold
Cold air is made in the freezer and blown into the fridge. If it is not arriving, the evaporator fan has died, the evaporator coil has frosted into a block because a defrost part failed, or a damper is stuck. All three are first-visit repairs. See freezer repair for the frost side of this.
Both sections warm, compressor running hot
Heat is not leaving the machine. A condenser coil packed with dust or pet hair, a dead condenser fan, or a compressor that is running but has lost capacity. We clean, test and quote before touching the compressor. See compressor repair.
Both warm, compressor silent or clicking
The start relay or overload has failed (cheap), the inverter or main control board has failed (moderate), or the compressor is seized (the expensive one). Clicking every few minutes almost always means relay or board, not compressor.
Runs constantly, never gets cold enough
A slow refrigerant leak or a restriction in the sealed system, a failing door gasket, or a unit in a garage or sunroom that is fighting the room. Sealed-system work is something we do in-house on units worth it. See door seal replacement.
Cold at the bottom, warm at the top
Usually the evaporator fan is running slow or a duct is iced. On French door models it often comes with an ice maker that has stopped. See ice maker repair.
Cools, then warms, then cools again
A defrost cycle that runs too long, a thermistor reading wrong, or a control board losing its mind. Intermittent faults are the ones we ask you to describe carefully when you book.
By type
Where the failure hides on each style.
- Top-freezer. Defrost heater, thermostat, evaporator fan and start relay cover almost every not-cooling call. Simple, durable, cheap to fix.
- Side-by-side. Evaporator fan and defrost system, plus a control board on newer units. The narrow freezer frosts first.
- French door. Twin evaporators on many models, so one section can fail alone. Frosted fridge coil, stuck damper, inverter board and ice-maker-related freeze-ups.
- Built-in and column. Sub-Zero, Thermador and integrated units: separate compressors per section on many models, fans and thermistors most often. We do these ourselves.
- Garage and sunroom units. Ambient temperature below about 40°F or above 100°F confuses the controls on non-garage-rated models. Sometimes the fix is the location, and we will say so.
Worth fixing?
Most warm refrigerators are.
Fans, defrost parts, relays, thermistors and a condenser cleaning are all inexpensive relative to a new refrigerator, and they are the majority of what we find. A control board or inverter is mid-range and still clearly worth it on a unit under twelve years old.
A seized compressor or a sealed-system leak is the real repair-or-replace decision. We quote it as a flat rate and tell you honestly where the unit sits. On a Sub-Zero or other built-in, repair is almost always right; on a ten-year-old entry-level top-freezer, it may not be.
Either way you approve the flat rate before any work starts, the diagnostic fee is waived when you go ahead, and the repair is backed by our warranty.
What we typically find, and what it takes.
| Finding | How we know | Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Dirty condenser / condenser fan | Both sections warm, compressor hot, coil packed with dust | Same visit |
| Evaporator fan failed | Fridge warm, freezer cold, no fan noise when door switch is pressed | Same visit |
| Defrost failure (heater, thermostat, sensor, board) | Evaporator coil frosted solid, cooling degrades over days | Same visit |
| Start relay / overload | Compressor clicks and hums but does not start | Same visit |
| Inverter or main control board | Compressor silent, no error, power present | Same visit on stocked models |
| Sealed system (leak, restriction, compressor) | Runs constantly, coil partly frosted or oily residue | Quoted first; done in-house |
Most not-cooling repairs finish on the first visit because the parts for the common models are on the truck.
Warm fridge? Book the next window.
Same-day for most calls before early afternoon. Two-hour arrival, flat rate approved before any work.
Save on your repair
Coupons that apply to not-cooling repairs.
Any repair
Save $30 on any completed refrigerator repair.
One per household. Not combinable.
Service call
Free service call and diagnostic with any completed repair.
Applies with repair. Restrictions apply.
Holiday special
Extra savings on repairs during holiday periods.
Limited-time seasonal offer.
Mention the coupon when you call or book online.
Good to know
Refrigerator not cooling: questions we get every day.
Related pages: freezer repair, compressor repair, door seals and ice maker repair. Brand pages for Samsung, LG, Whirlpool and GE.
How long is food safe in a refrigerator that stopped cooling?
About four hours above 40°F for perishable food, per FoodSafety.gov. Keep the door closed, move meat and dairy to a cooler with ice, and call us; most Northern Virginia calls before early afternoon get a same-day window.
My freezer works but the fridge is warm. Is that a big repair?
Usually not. It means the cooling system is fine and the cold air is not reaching the fridge: an evaporator fan, a frosted coil from a defrost failure, or a stuck damper. These are common first-visit repairs.
The refrigerator is running but not cold. Is the compressor dead?
Not usually. A compressor that runs but does not cool more often points to a dirty condenser, a dead condenser fan or a sealed-system issue. We test before we quote, and we only recommend a compressor when it is actually the compressor.
It clicks every few minutes and does not cool. What is that?
The compressor is trying to start and the start relay or overload is failing, or the inverter board is not delivering power. Both are much cheaper than the compressor itself.
Should I unplug it and plug it back in?
Once, for a few minutes, is fine and sometimes clears a control fault. Repeating it can mask the symptom and make diagnosis slower. If it does not come back after one reset, leave it and call.
Is a refrigerator that stopped cooling worth repairing?
In most cases yes: fans, defrost parts, relays, boards and condenser cleaning are all far cheaper than replacement. The exception is a seized compressor or sealed-system leak on an older entry-level unit. We quote a flat rate and give you an honest recommendation before any work.
How fast can you get here?
7am to 7pm, seven days a week across Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria and Prince William. Calls before early afternoon usually get a same-day two-hour window. Call (703) 608-3262 or book online.
Book your not-cooling repair.
Morning, afternoon or evening window. Two-hour arrival. Flat rate approved before we start.