4 Reasons Why Your Freezer is Cold but Fridge is Warm

Your freezer is cold but refrigerator is warm? This can be a very big problem. Check out the top 4 most common problems and their solutions below.

Why Your Freezer is Cold but Fridge is Warm

1. The Evaporator Coils have too much frost on them.

When the evaporator coils frost over, air can not easily pass through and get cold. First manually defrost the coils by applying hot air to them with a hair dryer. Afterwards, let your fridge continue to run normally. If the coils frost over again, you should check your defrost heater assembly to make sure it is working properly.

You may need to replace your defrost heater assembly.

The problem could also be that the defrost thermostat is not working properly.

Check out the video below to find out how to check the thermostat.

If the defrost thermostat is the culprit, you will need to change it. Check out the video below to find out how.

Problem with the Defrost Timer

Another potential problem is the defrost timer is not functioning properly. The when the defrost timer advances, it provides power to the heating element. As it continues to advance, it cuts the power to the heating element and provides power to the cooling element. If the timer gets stuck, it can stuck in one of the two modes.

The defrost timer can normally be found in the temperature control section inside your refrigerator. To test if the motor works, locate the screw and turn it clockwise to advance it to the next position. If it is was in cooling mode before, it will now be in defrost mode. Wait around 30 minutes and listen for the compressor to see if it has gone back into cooling. This procedure is just opposite if it was in defrost mode first and you switched it to cooling. If the timer failed to advance, you should replace the whole timer unit. If it advanced, you can continue on and check the timer electrically.

You will need to test the defrost timer for continuity.

Check out this guide below to see how to replace your defrost timer.

2. Evaporator Fan is not working.

If the evaporator fan fails, the refrigerator can not circulate the cold air around. If it fails, you might need to replace it. Check out this handy guide below to find out how to replace your evaporator fan. This is for a Whirlpool refrigerator, but the main ideas are the same for all refrigerator brands.

Check out some of these replacement evaporator fans; however, be careful to find the correct model number for your particular fridge.

Picture	Name	Model #	Price
	GE WR60X10141 Refrigerator Evaporator Fan Motor Assembly, 1⁄8 X 2-1⁄2 Inch, 115V, 3 watts	WR60X10141	$$$$
	Replacement Evaporator Motor for Whirlpool, Sears, Kenmore W10189703	W10189703	$$
	Frigidaire 5303918549 Evaporator Motor Kit for Refrigerator	5303918549	$$$

3. Something is Wrong with the Damper Control Assembly

The Damper controls the amount of cold air that flows from the freezer section to the fridge section. If it is broken or stuck, the fridge may not get cold enough.

4. Thermistor is not working.

If the thermistor fails, the refrigerator can not monitor its temperature. If this happens the fridge might either continue cooling or stop cooling. If it fails, you might need to replace it.

If your freezer is cold but fridge is warm still, you may need to call a qualified repair man to take a closer look.