Samsung refrigerators are known for their top quality and performance; they also cost a lot. So, it can be frustrating after spending this much and finding your Samsung refrigerator not cooling.
Don’t worry; you have come to the right place; in this article, I will discuss every possible reason that can lead to your Samsung refrigerator not cooling. In addition, I will tell you how to fix each cause and avoid it in the future easily.
Why Is your Samsung Refrigerator Not Cooling?
If your Samsung refrigerator is not cooling, that can be due to several causes. For example, the refrigerator is too close to the wall, set on demo mode, has a defective thermostat or door seal, or needs reset.
Each cause will be discussed in this article, and how to fix it easily. Therefore, you must determine the right cause and follow the steps to fix it.
1- Bad Electrical Connection
It may seem a bit basic procedure, but it can be time-saving. If the plug of your refrigerator is not plugged properly into the socket, the refrigerator will stop working and consequently stop cooling.
If you have checked the plug and it’s connected firmly to the socket, the next step is to switch the plug to another switch. This will confirm if the current socket is faulty; it can save you a lot of time and effort.
2- Refrigerator Set to Demo Mode
Demo mode is economical in nearly every Samsung refrigerator; it disables the cooling system in the ice maker, freezer, and refrigerator.
This mode allows you to save energy when you are away for a while, for example, on vacation. However, the demo mode is only suitable for storing perishable food because food can go bad if the cooling system goes down for a short time.
Therefore, you will need to check if you have left your refrigerator in demo mode or set the fridge to it by mistake. You can check for demo mode from the display panel on your fridge.
3- Direct Heat or Sunlight
The temperature inside your refrigerator can be affected by the temperature of the surrounding environment. So, if your refrigerator is near your stove or any other heat like the sunlight, the air temperature inside the fridge will increase.
The refrigerator temperature must be adjusted to suit the surrounding environment; for example, the settings should be lower in the summer and higher in the winter.
4- The Refrigerator Too Close to the Wall
If you have your refrigerator adjacent to the wall, it will lead to inefficient cooling. The refrigerator system uses air circulation to cool down the components. If the fridge is too close to the wall, the air will not be able to circulate.
As a result, the temperature of the refrigerator’s components will start to increase. As we discussed, the cooling system is affected by the temperature of the surrounding environment.
5- Ducts and Vents Are Blocked
The cold air circulates inside your fridge through the ducts and vents. If your groceries or items block the air flow, the cooling system will not work efficiently.
Overloading your refrigerator with too many items will also block the movement of the cold air between your items. Therefore, freeing small space between every item and the other is advised.
6- Defective Door Seal
Leaving the refrigerator’s door open for a long time will affect the cooling system and lead to your Samsung refrigerator not cooling. Even if you close your fridge door, a defective seal can cause a small space that leaks heat.
The seal on the door or the opposite side can be damaged or worn. As a result, the door will not close even if it seems to be closed.
7- Wrong Temperature Settings
The temperature settings of your refrigerator can be wrong; this can happen when you accidentally change the temperature settings. As a result, the refrigerator will not cool properly, and you wouldn’t know that you have changed the settings.
The ideal or correct temperature for a Samsung refrigerator is 38 degrees Fahrenheit or below; meanwhile, the ideal for the freezer is -2 degrees Fahrenheit.
8- Grimy Condenser Coils
The refrigerator’s condenser coils dissipate the heat to help the refrigerator and the freezer achieve the desired temperature. Their efficiency decreases when the condenser coils get dirty or grimy from dust buildup.
As a result, the cooling system gets affected, and the refrigerator stops cooling. You can find the condenser coils at the bottom of the fridge inside the cabinet or on the fridge’s back.
9- Faulty Condenser Fan Motor
The condenser fan is responsible for a vital part of the cooling system; if the condenser fan is faulty or damaged, the refrigerator will stop cooling.
The fan may be damaged or blocked by something; the fan blade must spin freely to cool the motor.
10- Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor
You can know your evaporator fan motor is faulty from the noise produced by the motor or if the fan blades don’t spin freely. The evaporator fan is responsible for pulling the air through the evaporator coils to circulate the air.
If the evaporator fan stops working, the air circulationย will stop. Therefore, the heat will not be dissipated through the evaporator coils, consequently decreasing the cooling system’s efficiency.
11- Burnt Start Relay
The start relay is essential for the functionality of the compressor. If the start relay gets burnt, the compressor will fail to start or stop working.
The compressor helps the fridge to keep its temperature settings because it circulates the refrigerant throughout the refrigerator.
12- Defective Thermostat
The temperature thermostat helps the fridge to circulate the refrigerant; if the thermostat stops working, the refrigerant will stop circulating.
The refrigerant is the working fluid responsible for cooling your groceries and items; therefore, it must be circulating at all times.
13- Defective Start Capacitor
The capacitor is considered an essential part of the compressor; it provides the compressor with the required power to start up.
If the capacitor is defective, the compressor loses the boost needed to power up, which may result in the compressor not working.
14- Malfunctioning Temperature Control Board
The temperature control board is responsible for sending the required voltage to the cooling system to operate. The whole board may be defective or a certain part of the board.
It’s advised to check the board’s parts before deciding it’s the whole board; you will save a lot of money by replacing the defective part instead of buying a whole new board.
15- Malfunctioning Thermistor
The thermistor is responsible for the functionality of your evaporator fan and compressor. If the thermistor is defective, the mentioned parts will stop working.
As a result, a significant loss in your cooling process will result in your Samsung refrigerator not cooling.
How to Fix Samsung Refrigerator Not Cooling
I have discussed the reasons or the causes of your Samsung refrigerator not cooling. Now, I will explain how to fix nearly every cause and get your refrigerator back to work.
1- How to Fix a Bad Electrical Connection?
The first thing to suspect is that your fridge’s plug is not connected correctly to the outlet or socket. If, after checking the plug and the fridge is still not cooling, you will need to try another switch.
If the other switch doesn’t help fix the problem, you will need to check the circuit breaker in the breaker box assigned to the area the refrigerator is located. If the circuit breaker is toggled off, you will need to toggle it on and try plugging the fridge again.
2 – How to Fix the Refrigerator Set to Demo Mode?
If you have set your refrigerator to demo mode on purpose or accidentally, your refrigerator will stop cooling. Therefore, you must switch off the demo mode to get it cooling again.
To do so, you must head to the refrigerator display and locate the buttons for “Power Freeze” and “Energy Saver.” Push and hold the two buttons for 3 seconds until you hear a sound.
The demo mode is now off, and you can see the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer on the refrigerator display again.
An important notice, the procedures for turning off the demo mode are different for different refrigerator models; therefore, you need to check the right way for your model in the user manual.
3- How to Fix Direct Heat or Sunlight?
The surrounding temperature affects the refrigerator; therefore, you will need to move the fridge away from any heat source nearby, like your stove.
If the fridge is in direct sunlight, you will need to either move it or block the sunlight from it. Another common solution is to lower the fridge temperature settings; if your freezer settings are separated from the fridge, you will need to lower the freezer settings as well.
4- How to Fix the Refrigerator Too Close to the Wall?
If there is no room for the air to circulate, your refrigerator will not cool properly. Therefore, it’s recommended that you leave at least 1-inch space between the fridge and the wall.
5- How to Fix Blocked Ducts and Vents?
The air need spaces between your items and groceries to circulate through the refrigerator compartment. So, you must ensure that your refrigerator is not overloaded with items.
When putting the groceries into your fridge, remember to make tiny spaces between them to make a path for airflow.
6- How to Fix a Defective Door Seal?
It’s recommended to replace the door seals of your refrigerator every 12 months. If your seal starts to show signs of damage and cracks, you will need to replace it.
You can check if your seal is in proper condition by putting a piece of paper between the fridge and the door. Close the fridge door and pull the paper; if it slips without effort, you need to replace the door seal.
7- How to Fix the Wrong Temperature Settings?
You need to ensure that the temperature of your refrigerator compartment is 38 degrees Fahrenheit or below; meanwhile, the temperature of the freezer compartment is -2 degrees Fahrenheit.
8- How to Fix Grimy Condenser Coils?
If your condenser coils are grimy or dusty, you will need to clean them to get them working again. The recommended method by Samsung to clean the dirty condenser coils is to use either a crevice tool or a vacuum cleaner.
After removing the excess dust, get a piece of cloth and damp it in warm water, then use it to remove any remaining debris on the coils.
9- How to Fix a Faulty Condenser Fan Motor?
The fan can be faulty and needs to be replaced, or it’s blocked by something. So, you will need to check the fan and remove any obstacle.
Of course, when checking the condenser fan, you must power off the fridge for your safety. If the fan is not blocked, but the blades don’t spin freely, you must replace the fan.
If the fan blades spin freely, you will need to check it using a multimeter, grab it, and set it to continuity settings. You will need to power on the fridge to do the test; therefore, you will need to be very careful and keep your hands away from the fan.
Place the probes of the multimeter on the fan; if the multimeter shows no signals of electrical continuity, you will need to replace the fan. If there is continuity, but the fan doesn’t spin, you must hire a technician to fix it.
10- How to Fix a Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor?
If the evaporator fan stops working, no air will flow through the evaporator coils; therefore, you will need to replace it to have a proper temperature.
You will find the evaporator fan at the back of the fridge or the freezer; one or more panels can cover it. After locating the fan, follow the next steps to check them:
- Power off the refrigerator.
- Try to spin the fan blades using your hand.
- If the blades don’t spin freely, you will need to replace the fan.
- If the blades spin freely, you will need to check the fan using a multimeter.
- Grab the multimeter and set it to continuity.
- Power on the refrigerator.
- Keep your hands away from the blades as much as possible.
- Use the multimeter probes to test the fan.
- If the multimeter shows no signals of electrical continuity, you will need to replace the fan motor.
11- How to Fix Burnt Start Relay?
To fix the start relay, you will need to check it using a multimeter. This will let you know whether the start relay can be fixed or it’s burnt.
Set the multimeter to continuity, then touch one of the probes to the “Start” terminal and the other to the “Run” terminal. If there is continuity, the start relay is not burnt, and you can fix it.
If there is a burnt odor or no continuity, you must replace the start relay.
12- How to Fix a Defective Thermostat?
The thermostat is considered the temperature sensor for the cooling refrigerator. You can tell if it’s working by listening to the clicking sound when you change the settings.
If there is no clicking sound, you will need to use a multimeter to check if it’s faulty. Set the multimeter to continuity and check it; if it shows no signals of electrical continuity, you will need to replace the thermostat.
13- How to Fix a Defective Start Capacitor?
The same goes for the capacitor; you will need to check it using a multimeter to determine if it’s faulty and should be replaced. Set the multimeter to continuity and check the capacitor.
If the multimeter shows no signals of electrical continuity, you will need to replace the capacitor because it’s defective and will affect the compressor.
14- How to Fix a Malfunctioning Temperature Control Board?
Unfortunately, if the control board is malfunctioning, you will need to replace it as it can not be fixed. The good news is that if only a part of the board is defective, you can fix it.
To know which part is defective, you must check the board; you can do it yourself if you have experience in electronics or head to the Samsung retailer in your area.
15- How to Fix a Malfunctioning Thermistor?
The thermistor can be checked through its changing resistance; a faulty thermistor will have constant resistance, which means a constant temperature setting.
To check the resistance of your thermistor, you will need to use a multimeter. Set the multimeter to the resistance setting and start measuring the resistance for every temperature setting.
If the resistance changes, the thermistor is working correctly; meanwhile, if the resistance is fixed or there is no electrical continuity, you will need to replace the thermistor.
Adrian is an ISCET licensed professional that has completed the National Appliance Service Technician Certification Exam and has the expertise to diagnose and repair any appliance. He is well-versed in the latest technologies and techniques and is always up-to-date on the latest industry standards.
