Fridge not cooling?
Five checks that can fix the issue — no tools needed.
1. Check the temperature setting.
The dial can get nudged without you noticing. The fridge should be set near 3°C, the freezer near −18°C. If the setting was off, give the fridge a few hours to catch up.
2. Make sure the door actually closes.
Look for a shelf, drawer, or box holding the door open a crack. Check the rubber seal around the door — if it's cracked, loose, cold air may be leaking out.
3. Look for blocked vents inside.
Cold air moves through vents between the freezer and fridge. If they're obstructed by food, the cold can't circulate. Clear some space around the vents.
4. Clean the condenser coils.
Unplug the fridge first. The coils (black grille on the back, or behind the kick plate underneath) shed heat — a thick coat of dust makes the fridge run warm. Vacuum them gently.
5. Give it room, then give it a rest.
The fridge needs a couple of centimetres of breathing space on the sides and back. While it's unplugged from step 4, leave it off for ten minutes — a reset clears some electronic hiccups.
Still warm? Stop there.
If none of that worked, the likely causes — compressor, refrigerant, fan motor, control board — aren't do-it-yourself territory. A closed fridge keeps food safe for about four hours, so there's time to do this right.
Get connected with a local technician now.
Book a refrigerator repair near you: Vancouver · Burnaby · Richmond · Surrey · North Vancouver · West Vancouver · Coquitlam · Port Coquitlam · Port Moody · New Westminster · Delta · Langley · Maple Ridge · Pitt Meadows · White Rock
This guide is general reference, not repair instructions. Unplug any appliance before touching more than its controls. Repairs beyond these checks should be done by a qualified technician.