It’s not often you experience issues with refrigerators. They usually last for a while, with the average age of refrigerators being 12 years.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ll never experience issues. But instead of giving up and buying a new refrigerator at the first sign of trouble, it’s often wiser to try and fix the problem yourself.
Do you want to learn about common refrigerator problems and how to fix them? Check out the four refrigerator issues below to learn what you need to do to handle common issues.
1. Water Leaking
Water leakage is one of the most common issues you’ll experience when dealing with refrigerator issues. While this issue isn’t always hard to fix, it can be tricky to identify the problem. Here are two of the main causes of this problem.
Blocked Defrost Drain
One common problem that causes leaking is a blocked defrost drain. As time passes, dirt and debris will build up in this drain. It’s from food particles that break loose from the food in your refrigerator and freezer.
When this happens, ice will build up and block the drain. Ice and water will eventually build up and spill over to the ground.
There are a couple of options to fix this. The first is to get a cup of hot water and send it to the drain. You can also use a long object to break any ice buildup in the drain, allowing it to fall to the ground.
Blocked Water Supply
A blocked water supply is another thing that can cause water to leak on your floor. This can happen when the line gets clogged or frozen.
Of course, this may not be the only issue you notice when your water supply gets blocked. It can also cause your ice maker not to produce ice and your water dispenser not to produce water.
You’ll need to unplug your refrigerator and turn off the water valve to begin fixing this problem. Once you take those two actions, check the supply line to see if you can find any blockages.
In some cases, you’ll find damage to your water line. When this happens, you’ll need to take off your current supply line and replace it with a new one.
2. Freezer Isn’t Cold
As time goes on, you may experience issues with a freezer. It used to keep everything frozen well. But over time, it will become harder for your freezer to do this.
A freezer works by running an evaporator fan on your freezer vent. Cold air gets pushed into your freezer to keep things cool and exits through the evaporator vent to cool the fridge.
Check the fan exhaust to see if you feel any air flowing. If you don’t feel any air, you’ll need to check the fan to see why it isn’t working.
If the fan is running fine, it’s likely a problem with your refrigerator compressor coil. These coils are what release warm air from your refrigerator into your room. If they don’t work correctly, your freezer won’t remain cool.
The good news is that this is usually a simple fix. Look at your coils to see if there is any dirt on them. Cleaning this dirt will likely return your coils to working order.
You have more significant problems if cleaning your coils doesn’t work. You’ll either need to go to a refrigerator pro to get help or invest in a new refrigerator.
3. Ice Buildup in the Freezer
Yes, your freezer is supposed to be cold and keep things frozen. But that doesn’t mean there should be a buildup of ice in your freezer. This happens when too much air enters the freezer and turns into ice.
One of the most common reasons this happens is a door that doesn’t get shut all the way. A seal doesn’t form when you close the door and allows air to enter the freezer. This can happen because of not shutting the door all the way or packing your freezer too full.
Another common issue that results in ice buildup is a faulty seal. A defective seal also means that the outside atmosphere can enter the freezer and create ice buildup. You can solve the issue by investing in refrigerator repairs that replace the seal with a good one.
4. Too Many Refrigerator Cycles
Your refrigerator shouldn’t cycle all the time. It should work well enough to maintain a cool climate for extended periods without constantly running the fans. However, that won’t always happen.
There will be times when you hear your refrigerator activate more than it should. That’s a sign that something is wrong.
In many cases, this problem is your compressor coils. As mentioned above, remove the back of your refrigerator plate to access your coils and clean them. This will fix the issue in most situations.
However, this problem can also be the result of user error. Your refrigerator will have to work harder if you expect it to keep food at a lower temperature. Check your internal thermostat to see what it’s set to, and set it to a higher temperature if it is too low.
Don’t Let Common Refrigerator Problems Defeat You
The last thing you need is your refrigerator to stop working when you need it the most. You likely have a lot of food in your refrigerator and freezer, so you can’t afford things to stop working and end up losing all your food.
Luckily, there are many refrigerator problems you can fix yourself instead of waiting for a professional to deal with the situation. Remember the guide above the next time you need refrigerator repairs to solve the problem yourself.
Head back to the blog if you want to read more tips that will help you care for other things in your home.