Q&A for How to Diagnose Refrigerator Problems

No, probably not. If your fridge is newer and there isn't ice building up, it's likely that you've got a fridge with automatic defrosting. Many of the newer fridges on the market today will sense when there's ice building up and melt it automatically.

Just unplug it and wait. It'll melt on its own over a day or two. You can use hot water to speed up the process, but you're really just better off letting it melt naturally.

If it costs more to repair the refrigerator than it would be to just buy a new one, there's really no point to fixing the fridge. You may also want to just get a new fridge if your current one is super old or cheap.

The thermostat is usually located on the inside of the freezer and/or fridge.

If your refrigerator has separate compressors for the freezer and refrigerator, at least one of the compressors could be the issue. It could also be the power supply not giving enough power.

Set the thermostat to cool. If that doesn't work, replace the freon on the fridge itself. Ask a repair person for the freon replacement -- it's not for amateurs.

This could happen if you constantly open your refrigerator for long periods of time. Try turning down the temperature inside the fridge slightly, and not opening it as often.

If the upper part is the actual fridge, then the cooling system may not be active. If the upper part is the freezer, then the actual part that cools and powers the freezer may not be active. Either way, you may need it checked out.

Something may be off or you just need to clean it out by taking everything out and let the freezer melt and wipe it all with a clean cloth.

Diagnose what is wrong with your fridge -- first check your power supply/ circuit breaker (make sure power is getting to the fridge). If power is getting to the fridge, then the next step is to make sure that the power supply on your fridge is functional, as well as checking for blown fuses (if you have no expertise in electrical engineering/circuits, you should not mess around with this). If this is the case, call an electrician or your energy provider/fridge manufacturer.

This may be a sign of an insect infestation or a collection of uncleaned gunk. Get a professional to check it out.

The condenser fan my not be working, or you may have blocked vents or dirty coils. Try unplugging it for awhile, then plug it back in and see if it runs. If it does, try to clean everything of any dust, gunk, etc.

The freezer may have water leaking from something and may be running down the inside of the refrigerator. Check for anything that spilled in the freezer and check the connections on the back of the fridge where the water input is (if you have an fridge with a water dispenser).

You probably just need to replace the light bulb.

Because electricity is used to keep the freezer and the refrigerator cold.

Call a certified AC appliance technician out to handle the problem. They know how to find leaks and correctly refill the toxic refrigerant gas so the environment and your health are not damaged.

Try a lower wattage bulb, and make sure the bulb is specifically made for refrigerators.

It may have been doing a normal function such as defrosting itself automatically. Don’t worry until you have a failure or a noise that gets increasingly more annoying or loud.

It leaks down on the first shelf in the back. Replace the evaporator fan.

This could be a control issue, whether a defrost control, or main control. Have an appliance technician check this for you before intermittent becomes consistent.

The vent is part of the sealed system, and heat exchange for the unit. Contact a professional appliance company repair this for you.

There's not a reset switch, but it could be a faulty door switch that is causing the bulb not to turn on any longer. You can test this with a multi-meter, and replace it if you feel comfortable or have an appliance professional do this for you to save some time.

Depending on where your climate keeps vents are, this could be from a defrost problem, a leaky water filter, or a water tube. If it's one of these 3 and you cannot resolve it on your own, it's best to have an appliance professional resolve this issue for you.

It sounds like you had a power outage, and the unit received a surge. If the control won't program back to set temperatures, contact an appliance technician to help resolve this problem for you.

The clicking noise could be coming from different places, as there are several components that might make that sound. If you can't determine the precise spot on your unit where the sound is coming from, contact a professional appliance company to service this for you.

Simple answer is no. Frost is the result from the freezer functioning correctly.

This could be air pockets built up in the line. Purge 2 gallons of water out of the dispenser and see if this resolves the issue.

Your specific make and model could make a big difference here in the diagnosis. However, generally speaking, there is a damper system (door) that cools the fresh food section, from the freezer section. It sounds like something is causing this to close. Have a professional appliance technician resolve this issue for you.

Refrigerators often come with a mullion heater (a heating coil) near the door for various reasons. With the multi-layered problems you are having, you should call an appliance professional to test this component and give you an estimate to repair.

You could have dead insects or a dead rat underneath the fridge trapped in the area around the coils. Remove covers and inspect hidden areas under front and back of fridge for dead things.