The fridge-freezer is getting cold in the freezer compartment but not chilling in the fridge part

Is the freezer compartment of your fridge-freezer getting cold properly but your fridge compartment isn't chilling? There can be various different causes for this issue, and here we're going to help you resolve it.

THE POSSIBLE CAUSES FOR THIS FAULT:

• The door seal is damaged

• The condenser is blocked

• The damper is failing to open

• The fan is defective

• The defrost timer is defective

• A thermal fuse has failed

• The thermostat is damaged

• The circuit board is faulty

• The compressor is defective

• The coolant is no longer able to circulate

WARNING
Before you do anything to your appliance, make sure you disconnect it from the power supply.
There is a risk of electric shock.

The door seal is damaged

If the door seal is damaged or not fitting closely and evenly, warm air will penetrate into the fridge interior when the door is closed. When this occurs on appliances fitted with frost-free technology, frost forms on the evaporator, preventing cool air from circulating properly inside the refrigerator.

Purchase a door seal for your refrigerator

The condenser is blocked

The coolant in a fridge enters the condenser in vapour form and should emerge from it in liquid form. If the condenser is blocked, such as by dust for example, your appliance will have problems operating properly. We recommend you check the condition of the condenser and clean it with a brush if necessary.

The damper is failing to open

On fridge-freezers equipped with frost-free technology, each time the fridge compartment requests more cold, the fan on the freezer section begins operating. The damper, which is a kind of small baffle, then opens to allow cold air from the freezer to enter the refrigerator. If the fridge compartment is not cooling properly, this could be because the flap valve is no longer opening due to a fault or defect, or is obstructed in some way (e.g. by frost build-up). Check its condition, and replace it if it's defective.

The fan is defective

On fridges fitted with frost-free technology, the fan normally starts operating at the same time as the compressor. If the fan fails to operate, the refrigerator compartment will not be supplied with cold from the freezer. If you can no longer hear the sound of the fan operating in addition to the noise of the compressor, you probably need to consider the possibility that the fan is faulty and will need to think about replacing it.

The defrost timer is defective

On fridges fitted with frost-free technology, the defrosting process is started automatically by a defrost timer. If this is defective, it could cause excess frost to build up and prevent the air from circulating properly around the fridge. On older-generation appliances with mechanical defrost mechanisms, you can manually turn the timer yourself until the defrosting process begins, at which point you'll hear a click. Wait to see whether the heating element warms up (it will be located at the bottom of the fridge compartment, behind the back wall). For the process to work correctly, the appliance must be properly cold. If the heating element does not heat up, either the timer or the element itself will likely be the issue.

A thermal fuse has failed

On appliances fitted with frost-free technology, the thermal fuses are the components that provide thermal protection by tripping if the defrost thermostat fails to work properly. If these fuses blow or fail, defrosting will not occur, causing excess frost to build up. If this is the case, the air will not circulate properly around the fridge part of the fridge-freezer. You can check the fuses are in good working order by disconnecting their connectors and placing the probes of a multimeter (in ohmmeter mode) on them. If the multimeter does not give a reading, the issue will definitely be with the fuse in question.

The thermostat is damaged

If the thermostat is faulty, it will no longer be able to regulate the temperature in your fridge. If you experience this problem, your fridge-freezer will operate non-stop and produce too much frost, which will prevent the air from circulating properly around the fridge compartment. To check the fridge's thermostat is working properly, place the end of the thermostatic sensor in a glass of very cold water with ice cubes in it, and turn the thermostat dial until you hear a click. If the thermostat does not switch on, you will need to replace it. To confirm this diagnosis, you can also use a multimeter (in ohmmeter mode) to check for continuity at the thermostat's terminals when it's in its on state. If the thermostat does not give a reading, it will need to be replaced.

Purchase a thermostat for your refrigerator

The circuit board is faulty

On appliances fitted with frost-free technology, if the circuit board that regulates either the temperature or the defrost process is faulty, the fridge will run non-stop and too much frost will build up. If this occurs, the air will be prevented from circulating properly around the refrigerator compartment. Before deciding to replace the circuit board, make sure you've first carefully checked the temperature sensors, thermal fuses and heating element.

The compressor is defective

If the compressor is defective due to either its internal flaps becoming worn or oil from its motor finding its way into the coolant circuit, it will have difficulty circulating the fluid, and this could lead to excess frost build-up or mean the refrigerator part of the fridge-freezer is no longer able to get cold. If the compressor does turn out to be the source of your problem, you will need to seek the advice of a professional.

The coolant is no longer able to circulate

Oil from the motor can sometimes get into the coolant circuit, causing it to block. If this is the case, the fluid will not be able to circulate efficiently, which will lead to excess frost building up. If the circuit is leaking coolant gas, the refrigerator part of the fridge-freezer will start to work less and less efficiently, and the freezer will likely get colder too as a result.