Kenmore Refrigerator Not Cooling

Try unplugging the plug from the outlet, counting to ten and then plugging it back in. I have to do this all the time with my refrigerator.

Amazing! Just unplugged for a few seconds and when I plugged it back in, the refrigerator section started running. Will see how long it lasts. Waiting for Spring until the new Samsung T9000 counter depth arrives on the market. Hopefully this will work till then even if I occasionally have to pull it out to reset. Thanks!

Try unplugging it from the wall for about ten seconds and plugging it back in. This happens to me all the time. But on mine the freezer stops as well.

If you don't know your way around fridges, I would call in a professional. Have you looked at your manual just in case it's an easy fix?

Your fridge has dual temperature controls. The top should be around 41-45 degrees. Perhaps it got bumped? Check it first. It's like calling a tow truck to find your car just wasn't in park.

Does your refrigerator compartment have a long white cable clipped to the underside of the freezer compartment?

If yes, check to make sure that you haven't blocked or dislodged it from its connection points-this is basically your thermostat and works to regulate the fridge compartment temp.

If that doesn't solve it (or you don't have a model with the cable thermostat), it's possible water seeped somewhere it shouldn't and shorted the temp controls to the fridge compartment-you may need to call in a repairman.

However. I replaced the lower thermostat on two older models and got a whole month more life each for my $100USD+ spent. Sigh.

So depending on the age of your fridge, it may be time to replace it. The problem you describe is usually the way a refrigerator warns it's in the process of dying on you. I had the two wheezers give up the ghost and this was how both gave the hint they were packing it in.

So finally both times I gave up and bought new-basic but frost-free, and as far as I know, both are still going strong 10 and 20+ years later (both appliances left when houses sold). But it was an 'ouchie' both times-it was money spent on replacements I really could have used elsewhere. Majour appliances never die at a convenient time, darn it!

It depends on how old your refrigerator is. My 14year old fridge had the same problem and it was an easy fix by a repairman. apparently the older types have two compressors at the back.

The "fridge" compressor had got low on the "gas"(or whatever it is that's in the compressor) needed for it to work but the "freezer" compressor was fine.

Make sure that you have the temperature controls set at exactly 1/2 way point. Too high on one or the other, causes the freezer to work very hard and the fridge not to cool as well as it should. I found out that when ours quit working and after calling a repairman, spending $$$ he was the one who told me the problem and how to fix it. Too many people want one or the other a lot colder than it needs to be and they end up replacing it because it doesn't "work" when all it needed was the controls put back the way they should be.

It is very difficult to answer your question without more information as there can be many reasons your fridge does not cool. Most problems will require a service company to resolve as you will not have the knowledge or be able to resolve on your own.

I am a great believer in repairpersons whenever possible, but a fridge that doesn't cool at all might be major problems. You should probably consult someone, but in my experience fridges work nearly forever until they die. Then you buy a new one.

Older types of refrigerators need to have top ups of gas (sorry I don't know what type) in the compressor tank. Could you try filling it up?

My husband fixed our fridge three times by typing in make/model # and the problem into google and youtube. There was tons of information and how-to videos! Good luck.

Years ago you could rent a freezer unit in a warehouse. I don't know if you still can, but probably. People rented them after hunting and fishing trips when they had a lot of meat to freeze. Otherwise, surely a couple of neighbors could let you have a little room in their freezers and refrigerators temporarily.

An appliance repairman told me that it is not good to set the thermostat on the coldest setting, since the coils can overwork, and collect ice. Start at mid-level; the frig/freezer will cool without ice-buildup. You might unplug the appliance for a few hours, then re-set at a lower temp.

I have found that sometimes things don't work properly if they are shut off for long periods of time. Goodness knows why that is, but that seems to be the case. My renter refused to use the dishwasher in our mobile home, and when she moved out, the thing wouldn't work any more. However, it seems strange to me that both appliances don't work. Could it be the outlets rather than the appliances? Is there some sort of shut off -- breaker or electrical switch that could be shut off? Do the outlets work for something else, like a lamp? Is there some sort of on/off switch in the appliances that you may have forgotten to turn on or a thermostat that you need to turn up (or down, depending on your point of view). For example, in my fridge there is a temp control from 0 to 9; if it is set at 0, the fridge doesn't actually cool down. Explore some of these possibilities, and if nothing works, I'd phone a repairperson.

Our super dooper, hoity toity french door, bottom freezer unit did the same thing...(our old fridge has been running for almost 40 years). We were told to turn it off for about 6 hours (don't open if you can help it) and then back on. We have done this twice now. It works. Then read where if you keep turning up the 'cold' setting it freezes something up inside. So I keep it right in the middle temp and have had no problems for quite a while now. Nothing is like it used to be in quality now-a-days! Good luck!

I doubt it. I do not know if refrigerators are economical to repair. When mine quit running, I bought a new one. Usually they run forever.

Could you be low on freon? My husband said that if the fridge is low on freon, it might not work.

I had the same problem and despite the fridge freezer being frost free, it was completely clogged with ice inside. It took four days to defrost but now works fine. Engineer said even if frost free, you should defrost them completely every 6 months or so. Hope this helps!

I had the same problem after laying new tile. When the guys moved the fridge back, a tile lifted and was stuck under the fridge keeping the fan from moving. Mine actually got hot.

I had a 'fridge do that to me (a GE) and I had a repairman in who said the thermostat was bad. It cost me $75USD in 2008 to replace.

The fridge ran for about another year and then started having the same problem again. I wasn't happy. The condenser kept cycling but the fridge got warmer. And warmer. And warmer.

I called the GE 800 phone number and talked to a living breathing repairman. The news wasn't good:

Apparently when a thermostat wears out the condenser should be replaced at the same time (wish the repairman had mentioned that little bit of info in '08!).

Considering the cost of replacing the condenser, it worked out to be a better decision to replace the old wheezer (it was about ten years old at the time) for a new more energy efficient model.

I just went through that with mine, and after calling and talking to a repairman who couldn't make it out to where we are located. He suggested checking the temperature controls. The freezer unit should never, ever be set more than 1/2 way point on the controls. If it is set higher then the fridge spends all the time trying to bring down the temp of the freezer, leaving no cold air for the fridge. He suggested raising the temp to at least the 1/2 way point or "warmer" to allow the fridge to cool down properly. Don't know if it will work for yours, but it saved us from having to buy a new fridge.