Fridge section not cooling but the freezer is fine — what's wrong?
The freezer on our café fridge is still freezing fine, but the fridge compartment has gone warm — drinks aren't cold anymore. Same appliance. What makes just the fridge side stop cooling?
2 answers
Freezer cold + fridge warm is a classic airflow problem, not low refrigerant. In most fridges the cold air is made in the freezer and blown into the fridge section — if that path is blocked, the freezer stays cold while the fridge warms up. Check:
- Frosted evaporator / blocked vents. Ice building up over the vents between freezer and fridge stops the airflow. Look for frost around the internal vents.
- Defrost system failure. If the auto-defrost (heater, timer or sensor) fails, frost accumulates and chokes airflow — the most common cause of this exact symptom.
- Evaporator fan. If the fan that pushes cold air into the fridge has failed, the fridge won't cool. Listen for it running.
- Damper stuck closed between the compartments.
A manual defrost (unplug 24h) often confirms it — if it works afterward, then warms up again in a day or two, it's the defrost system. Cheap technician fix.
Ours was exactly this — frost had built up over the vent. Defrosting worked temporarily, then the technician replaced the defrost thermostat and it's been fine since.
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