Common causes
- Fridge warm, freezer cold — evaporator fan or an iced-over coil.
- Nothing gets cold — dirty condenser, condenser fan, compressor or start relay.
- Frost on the back wall — defrost heater, sensor or timer.
- Water on the floor — clogged defrost drain or a leaking water line.
- No ice — old filter, scale from hard water, frozen fill tube or water valve.
What Central Florida does to a refrigerator
- Heat. A kitchen at 80°F and a garage at 100°F make the compressor run almost nonstop. Dusty condenser coils are the first thing to go.
- Humidity. Damp air means more frost on the coil and more water in the drain pan — a weak door gasket shows up fast here.
- Lightning and outages. Summer storms send surges through the house; control boards and start relays are the usual casualties. A surge protector is cheap insurance.
- Hard water. Scale from the aquifer clogs ice makers and water valves. Change the filter every six months.
Try first
- Check the temperature setting and that the door seals all the way round.
- Vacuum the condenser coil (behind the kick plate or at the back).
- Give it 24 hours after a power outage before you decide it is broken.
- Replace a water filter older than six months.
Call when
- Food is warming up, or the compressor clicks on and off.
- Frost comes back after a defrost.
- You smell burning or see water under the unit.
- It stopped right after a storm — surge damage gets worse, not better.
Repair or replace?
Under 12 years old and the repair costs less than half of a new one — repair. Built-in and commercial units are almost always worth fixing. We quote before any work.
RepairPro FL: same day if booked by 2 PM · diagnostic $49–129 · 6-month warranty on parts & labor · senior & military discounts · financing available.
