Introduction
Refrigerators tend to have problems like the rest of your home appliances. If you can’t fix those problems, you need to hire a technician by searching “refrigerator repair near me” and get their help. However, if there aren’t any major problems, an experienced homeowner like you can also do the job. Let’s check out some common refrigerator problems and figure out a fix:
The Problems
1. Leaking fridge – Refrigerators have drainage pathways that carry the condensed humidity from the air inside the fridge and dispose of it. However, if the drain gets blocked, you may have a leaky refrigerator on your hands. You can also face this problem if the water supply line gets frozen. The defrost drain is usually blocked due to food particles and other kinds of debris. Fortunately, you can access it from the freezer unit inside the refrigerator.
Get some warm water and flush the drain from the inside by scraping away debris manually. If it isn’t working, you need to access the defrost drain from the back of the fridge and clean it with warm soapy water. If the water supply line is frozen or blocked, unplug the refrigerator and check for signs of damage or tears on the line. You may have to get the line replaced if there are signs of damage or remove the clogged ice. In either case, you will need the hello of a professional.
2. The water dispenser doesn’t work – Modern refrigerators usually come with a built-in water dispenser so that you can get fresh and cold water without worrying about filling up jugs or bottles in the refrigerator. There are numerous reasons why it may not work. The tub inside the freezer door may be frozen. If that happens water doesn’t have any path to flow through the dispenser. This problem can be easily fixed by removing the water tub and rinsing it with warm water over your sink to melt and flush out all the ice. On the other hand, if you have a faulty inlet valve that supplies water to the dispenser, you need to get that replaced. Sometimes, it isn’t the inlet valve or the frozen tub, but good old low water pressure. In that case, you need to consult your plumber or a refrigerator technician.
3. Ice buildup – While the freezer is the perfect spot for freezing water and storing ice cubes, it shouldn’t have excessive ice buildup. When you leave the freezer open for way too long, it causes ice to build up. This is caused since the humid external air goes inside the freezer and settles in with the moisture due to the sharp drop in temperature. That’s why you need to pay special attention when you open the freezer door. If there is no human error, then the problem is probably caused by a faulty seal that allows in moisture and air. If that’s the problem, you can DIY a fix by removing the old seal and replacing it with a new one.
4. The refrigerator is constantly running – Your refrigerator needs to run for most of the day to keep things cool and fresh. However, due to the thermostat and other sensors inside your fridge, it doesn’t need to run all day. It detects when temperatures inside the refrigerator are going up and runs cooling cycles accordingly. So, if your refrigerator is running throughout the day with constant cooling cycles, it’s a problem. First of all, a fridge that runs all day is loud due to the compressor and also consumes a lot of electricity. The usual culprit for this problem is a heavy buildup of dust or kitchen debris.
Unplug the refrigerator and check the condenser coils for any dust or debris buildup. The compressor is usually at the bottom of the fridge. Clean any buildup and observe your refrigerator for a couple of days. If the problem persists, check the thermostat. If it’s set to a very low temperature, the refrigerator will try to reach that mark constantly and will keep running perpetual cooling cycles. Readjust the thermostat to fix the problem.
5. Noise problem – While the compressor is loud, several iterations for many decades and improvements in technology have rendered the modern refrigerator fairly quiet. If it’s noisy enough to intrude on your lifestyle then you may have a faulty fan inside the unit. Refrigerators have an evaporator fan and a condenser fan. Both are placed above their respective coils run at the same time for efficient cooling. However, if there is an issue with any of the fan motors, then you may experience loud noise. You can inspect if the motors are broken and get them replaced by a technician.
6. The refrigerator door doesn’t shut properly – If your fridge is several years old, this problem is a common one. The door has a gasket along the edges to make a perfect seal. Over the years, the gasket wears out, peels off, and causes a faulty seal. Check your refrigerator model and get a replacement strip or gasket for the door. Remember that the gasket may need to be soaked in warm water to soften up. After the gasket is softened up and easy to work with, you can carefully install it on the door.
Make sure to eliminate any loose spots and make sure that the door makes a perfect seal after installation. You can conduct the dollar bill check to ensure that the seal is tight. Place a dollar bill halfway on the door and close it. If you feel significant resistance while pulling it out, the seal works perfectly. If the door isn’t sealed tightly, it puts more strain on the refrigerator, decreases its lifespan, and also increases your energy bill.
Conclusion
Now you must be aware of most of the common refrigerator problems that homeowners come across quite often. If there isn’t an easy fix to those problems, it’s best to leave it to a professional by searching for “refrigerator repair near me”.
