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Frigidaire Side by Side Refrigerator Not Cooling or Working?

Electronic appliances have become such a part of our daily lives that it is impossible to imagine a day without them. Refrigerators are one such appliance that is responsible for keeping our food fresh and last for a long time.

Therefore, it is essential for us to know how to diagnose and troubleshoot our refrigerators – which has been discussed in the article below.

Frigidaire side by side refrigerator not cooling or working

There could be several reasons as to why your Frigidaire side by side refrigerator is not cooling or working. Damaged evaporator fan motor, faulty compressor, condenser fan motor or broken control boards are few of the common reasons that prevent the Frigidaire refrigerator from not cooling.

There are many components of the Frigidaire side by side refrigerator that is responsible for the cooling function, if any of these components fail or malfunction – the refrigerator may not cool effectively.

Below stated are some of the common issues that prevent the refrigerator from cooling:

Debris in the condenser coils:

Condenser coils keep the fridge cold since the coils absorb the heat from the interior – however, if they are covered in debris, then it will prevent them from effectively cooling the refrigerator.

Dirt and debris are good insulators, which prevent the transfer of heat from the refrigerator to the condenser coils. Cleaning the condenser coils can fix this problem quite easily.

Damaged Evaporator Fan Motor:

The evaporator fan in the refrigerator is used to circulate cold air inside the refrigerator and if it isn’t working – the refrigerators will have certain regions which are too cold and others too warm.

Faulty evaporator fan motors can be identified if there is no air coming out of the vents.

Damaged Condenser Fan Motor:

The condenser fan motor takes the air from the condenser coils and circulates air arounds the refrigerator so that is cools properly and does not overheat.

If you hear buzzing or rattling noises from the back of your fridge, your condenser fan motor is most likely not cooling evenly.

Malfunctioning Temperature Control Board:

The temperature control board is responsible for controlling the compressor and fan motors – therefore, if it is malfunctioning then the refrigerator will not properly work.

You can check whether the control board is faulty or not by checking for continuity using a multimeter. Hold the two receptors of the multimeter and check for continuity – if there’s none, you need to change the temperature control board.

Malfunctioning Main Control Board:

The main control board keeps track and control of all the refrigerator’s functions that includes cooling as well.

If the main control board is malfunctioning, it could cause your refrigerator to have problem with cooling – you can check it as well by testing for continuity using a multimeter.

Faulty Thermostat:

The thermostat is responsible for regulating temperature by reading the internal temperature.

If the thermostat is faulty, it will not prompt the refrigerator to start cooling or on the other hand, it may keep the refrigerator on even if the refrigerator is cold enough.

How do you know if your Frigidaire side by side refrigerator compressor is bad?

There are several obvious signs that can be identified to know whether the refrigerator compressor is bad or not. The most common sign is the compressor noise – if your compressor is bad, it will make a buzzing and humming noise.

It may also make a knocking sound whenever it turns on off which indicates that the compressor motor is not secured well within the compressor.

If you are noticing this, you might also notice that your compressor is struggling to stay on and might turn off prematurely while the refrigerator hasn’t cooled enough. This happens if the compressor’s start relay is not working properly.

Another sign that may not be obvious is the overheating of the compressor. Although compressors get hot up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit but if it gets any hotter than that, it will cause the internal components to get damaged.

Finally, one of the most noticeable signs is a spike in your electricity bills. Unless you are sure that you had a high electricity usage, you would notice your electricity bills are much higher than usual since the bad compressor needs to use more electricity to keep the refrigerator cooling and working.

How much does it cost to replace a Frigidaire side by side refrigerator compressor?

The cost to replace a Frigidaire side by side refrigerator depends on multiple factors ranging from the type of compressor you’re buying and the model of the refrigerator along with the labor cost to replace the compressor.

On average, the cost of used compressors is low and they can cost as low as $35 but if you choose to buy a new one, it may range from $100 to $500. However, the cost of compressor is quite low compared to labor fees which can range between $250 to $650.

The compressor is a component of the refrigerator that pumps the refrigerant throughout the refrigerator and is responsible for keeping the interior cool.

Therefore, you should leave it to a professional electrician to replace the compressor for you and it may be a lengthy process – taking a few hours.

However, if you have experience of working with electronics and refrigerators – you can significantly reduce the cost of labor by replacing the compressor yourself.

How do you fix a Frigidaire side by side refrigerator that is not cooling?

If your Frigidaire refrigerator is turned on but is not cooling, then most likely the compressor of your refrigerator is not working properly.

Below stated are some of the causes and solutions that you can implement to fix your Frigidaire side by side refrigerator at ease:

Broken Evaporator Fan Motor:

It is not possible to fix a broken evaporator fan motor by opening it, you need to purchase a new motor and replace it. However, before replacement – make sure the cooling issue is due to the evaporator fan motor.

To check the fan motor, you should first look for any clogs in the fan blades by turning the fan by hand and then check for continuity by using a multimeter.

Broken Thermostat:

To check whether your thermostat is working correctly or faulty, locate your thermostat and rotate it from lowest to highest or vice versa.

If you notice a ticking sound, the thermostat is working well – if not, the thermostat is damaged. You can further verify this by using a multimeter to check for continuity.

Broken Control Board:

Before checking whether your control board is damaged, you should check all other components of the refrigerator and make sure they are working as intended.

A broken control board cannot be fixed and requires replacement – this is fairly easy as you have to just remove the control board and attach a compatible control board onto the same location.

Malfunctioning Compressor:

The compressor is the most important component of the refrigerator since it is primarily responsible for keeping the refrigerator cool. If the compressor is faulty, you’ll hear rattling noises and the refrigerator will not be cold like it used to.

In case your refrigerator does not cool at all, the compressor has failed and you need to replace it with a new one.

How do you reset a Frigidaire side by side refrigerator?

After repair, it is necessary that you reset your Frigidaire side by side refrigerator – this can be done easily if you follow the steps below:

Unplug the power cord:

Unplug the power cord of the refrigerator to disconnect it from the power source and make sure that the fridge remains unplugged for several minutes so that all the power has been flushed out of the refrigerator’s electronic components.

This is necessary for the reset to work, therefore – do not skip this step.

Set all the settings to zero:

After a few minutes, set all the settings in the fridge to zero or turn them off so that the refrigerator is essentially switched off. Once done, you should plug the refrigerator back into the power source.

Adjust temperature settings of your refrigerator:

Once the refrigerator has turned on and all components are running, you need to set the temperature and other controls of the refrigerator from zero to your preferred settings. It is recommended to keep the temperature within 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wait till the temperature stabilizes:

After setting the temperature, it would take a while for the refrigerator to reach that temperature and stabilize. So, wait and observe for 24 hours and then check whether the temperature has reached a stable range.

Final Thoughts

Your Frigidaire side-by-side refrigerator may not be cooling or functioning for a number of reasons. The Frigidaire refrigerator frequently fails to cool due to problems with the evaporator fan motor, compressor, condenser fan motor, or control boards. Faulty thermostats may also prevent cooling.