7 Common Refrigerator Repair Issues and Fixes
No doubt your refrigerator is an essential appliance in your home. It is the one helping you keep all your produce from spoiling, saving you trips to the supermarket, and allowing you to create memorable events among family and friends.
When your fridge is not working properly, it can put a lot of stress on your daily home life. Just the thought of having all the products in your refrigerator going bad is dreadful. A refrigerator presenting issues is a widespread occurrence as they go through a lot of wear and tear. However, some problems are more common than others. Here is a list of those so you can know if it requires a minor tweak that you can handle or a major repair repair that requires expert intervention.
1. Water Leaking Onto The Floor
Probably the most common issue found in refrigerators all over and the one you can notice very quickly. But fortunately, this may not be a severe issue, and you would be able to resolve it without calling an expert.
Two main reasons can cause your refrigerator to leak water on your kitchen floor most of the time. The first one is a blocked defrost drain. On most refrigerators, the drain is found on the back wall of the freezer above that slope that goes from the floor to the back.
The drain can get clogged with small pieces of food or debris that found their way to the drain hose, resulting in ice buildup. As a result of the drain hose getting clogged, your fridge will start leaking water into the floor. To fix this, all you need to do is pour some warm water down the drain and then, using a wire or any other tool, proceed to unclog the drain.
If this first solution doesn’t get your drain fixed, you may need to go a step further. Proceed to unplug your refrigerator from the wall and locate the defrost drain hose in the back of the service panel. The hose has a rubber valve that catches debris and prevents clogging. You need to disconnect the hose and clean the rubber valve with hot water and soap. Place it back after washing.
The second reason your refrigerator is leaking water may be a faulty water supply line that is either frozen or clogged. Additionally to the leak, this problem may also cause your water dispenser or ice maker not to work correctly. To fix this, the first thing you need to do is cut the water supply, locate the leak due to a broken or torn water line, and repair it or replace it.
2. Noisy Refrigerator
It is a warning side if your refrigerator produces excessive noise while running. This may be produced by one of its fans. Commonly, a fridge has two types of fans, a condenser fan that cools your fridge condenser coil. And an evaporator fan, which draws air over the freezer’s evaporator coil when the compressor is running. These two fans work at the same time. Loud noise can be because of an issue with either of their motors. To check the motor, first, unplug the fridge and search for any signs that the motor is broken or damaged.
3. Fridge Not Cooling
This is the most feared refrigerator trouble sign. As the primary function of your refrigerator is to keep your food products cold, going warm is concerning. The most common reason your refrigerator is not cooling is associated with its condenser coils. First, you can clean the condenser coils and check if the condenser fan motor is working properly. If not, you must contact a professional technician to look at it.
4. Fridge is Freezing
Opposite to the previous issue, but also a concerning sign that may be due to various factors such as:
- A defective thermostat. A properly working thermostat directs power to the compressor and fan. You can turn the knob to its highest setting to check if yours is working. If you don't hear a click, it is an issue with it.
- A faulty thermistor. This one is in charge of sending your fridge temperature reading to the control board. You need a technician to be abel to assess if the thermistor is working by performing a multimeter test.
- A malfunction in the temperature control panel. Its function is to supply voltage to the compressor and fan motors. When not working adequately, your fridge can get too cold, and the control panel may need to be replaced.
5. Constant Refrigerator Cycling
The problem is not only annoying because your refrigerator makes loud noises, but it will also cost you money due to high electrical consumption as your bill will increase. A few things can cause your fridge to recycle too often. But before checking any of them, be sure to unplug your refrigerator from the wall.
One problem could be a buildup of debris or dust around the condenser coils. The condenser coils are placed at the bottom back part of our refrigerator, protected by a grill. You can clean them with either a small vacuum cleaner or a cloth to assess this. This simple step will get your fridge back to regular cycling most of the time. However, if it doesn’t work could mean that the piece needs to be replaced, which would require the expertise of a professional technician.
6. Water Dispenser Stop Working
Another common problem in refrigerators can be caused by the following three reasons:
- A frozen water tube at the door. To check, just remove the tube from the base of the door and try to blow some air into it. If air doesn't pass, it is blocked, just disconnect the tube and thaw it.
- A faulty water inlet valve. This valve allows water to flow into the dispenser, but if it has a dent or is broken, it will not allow water to pass.
- Low water pressure. For the water valve to work properly, it requires a water pressure of at least 20psi. You can try to check the pressure yourself or call a professional if you find it difficult.
7. Icemaker is Overflowing
Another pervasive problem that can occur in refrigerators is when the icemaking component is making too much ice and overflows or the excess water leaks into other parts of your freezer. It can be different reasons for this occurring.
Usually, the water inlet valve is the primary problem. When the water pressure is too low, it may fail to fully close, resulting in the valve leaking water into the icemaker, causing the ice maker to overflow. You can resolve this by checking if the water pressure is at least 20psi. Also another possible cause for this is that the valve itself is not working correctly. You must check, and if it is the case that is the water inlet valve the issue, it should be replaced. Because your refrigerator is an essential piece of your kitchen and home, it is vital that it runs properly and smoothly. Also, due to its constant use, it is expected that it will eventually run into some problems with time. Therefore, proper and timely assessment of potential issues is the key to lowering the impact of these potential malfunctionings. Contact our expert team anytime. They are ready to assist you with any refrigerator repair problems.