A fridge that is too cold is a real fault, not a bonus. Frozen lettuce, milk with ice crystals and eggs that crack in the door all point to the same thing: cold air from the freezer is reaching the fridge compartment faster than it should. Here is what to check, in order.
The temperature setting
Start with the obvious. The fridge side should sit at about 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, or 37 to 40 Fahrenheit. If the control is a dial with numbers, a higher number usually means colder, which catches people out. Turn it one step warmer and give the fridge a full day before judging.
Where the frozen food is
Note where things freeze. The back wall of the fridge and the top shelf are closest to the cold air inlet, so food pushed hard against the back wall freezes first. Pull items a few centimetres forward and keep the vent at the back clear. Food freezing in the crisper drawers or the door points to a bigger problem.
A blocked or stuck damper
Most fridges with one compressor send freezer air into the fridge through a small flap called a damper. When the damper sticks open, cold air flows all the time and the fridge gets colder and colder, while the freezer may struggle. You cannot see the damper without taking panels off, but a fridge that will not warm up no matter how the control is set is a classic sign.
A faulty sensor
The fridge compartment has a temperature sensor, called a thermistor, that tells the control when to stop sending cold air. If it reads wrong, the control keeps cooling. LG shows rS or r2 when the refrigerator sensor has a fault, and Samsung lists 5E for its fridge defrost sensor. Our refrigerator error codes page lists the codes we have checked against the manufacturers’ own support pages.
How full is it?
A nearly empty fridge swings in temperature more than a full one, because there is less mass to hold the cold. Half a dozen bottles of water on a bare shelf steady it. Do not block the vents, though.
When to call
If a warmer setting and clear vents have not fixed it within a day or two, the damper, the sensor or the control board needs looking at. The same visit can check the freezer, because a damper or sensor fault often shows up there too. We repair Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, KitchenAid, Frigidaire, Electrolux and GE refrigerators at your home across Niagara and Hamilton, and the parts we fit carry a 3-month warranty.
If the problem is still there after these checks, book a refrigerator repair in Niagara Falls or contact us or call (437) 231-4954. Tell us the brand, the model number and what the appliance is doing. We come to homes across the Niagara Region and the Greater Hamilton Area, often the same day or the next day, seven days a week. The service call is just $79, and you get a clear written quote before any work starts.