One of the most confusing fridge faults is a freezer that's working perfectly while the fridge above or beside it slowly warms up. It makes sense once you know how most fridge-freezers work: the fridge section has no cooling plate of its own. Cold air is made in the freezer and blown into the fridge through a vent, and a small damper decides how much gets through. When the fan stops, the damper sticks or ice blocks the channel, the freezer stays cold and the fridge doesn't.
At the other end of the scale are brand-new fridges that hum, crackle or feel warm on the sides, and leave their owners wondering if something is wrong. Usually nothing is. The technician comes to you anywhere in Edenvale, tests the fridge where it stands, and tells you what's normal, what isn't, and what any repair will cost before work starts.
Our guide to a fridge not cooling has safe checks to try first.
Suburbs we cover in Edenvale
Fridge-freezers with a warm fridge and a cold freezer, new fridges that don't seem right, and older fridges in Eastleigh, Dowerglen and Greenstone Hill. We cover:
- Eastleigh
- Dowerglen
- Edenglen
- Hurlyvale
- Greenstone Hill
- Illiondale
Fridge faults we fix in Edenvale
Fridge warm, freezer cold
The fan that blows cold air from the freezer has stopped, the air damper is stuck closed, or ice has blocked the channel between the two. Food packed against the vent can do it too.
Freezer warm, fridge cold
Less common, and usually a sign the freezer fan or the defrost system has failed, or the freezer door isn't sealing.
Both sections warm
The compressor isn't running or isn't cooling: a start relay, a control board, a compressor fault or a gas leak.
New fridge, warm sides
Many fridges get rid of heat through pipes in their side walls. Warm sides are normal and a sign the fridge is working.
New fridge, odd noises
Gurgling, crackling and a soft hum are normal sounds of refrigerant moving and plastic expanding. A loud buzz, a rattle or repeated clicking are not.
Not cold yet after delivery
A new fridge takes hours to cool down and up to a day to reach its normal temperature when full. If it was laid down in transport, it should have stood upright for a few hours before switching on.
Door alarm going off
A door that doesn't close fully, a seal catching on a drawer, or a faulty door switch.
How cold gets into your fridge
In most fridge-freezers, the cold is made in one place: an evaporator behind the back panel of the freezer. A fan pushes cold air around the freezer and up through a channel into the fridge, through a vent usually high on the back wall. A damper, either a simple flap or a motorised one, opens and closes the vent to hold the fridge at the right temperature.
So if the fridge is warm and the freezer is fine, look first at the vent: is food pushed against it? If not, the fan, the damper or ice in the channel is the likely fault. Every few hours, a frost-free fridge heats the evaporator to melt its ice. If that defrost system fails, ice can block the channel within days.
New fridge? What's normal
Before you worry about a new fridge, check these:
- Give it a full day to reach temperature, and don't load it with warm food straight away.
- Warm sides and a warm strip around the freezer door are normal.
- Gurgles, crackles and a gentle hum are normal. Loud buzzing or rattling isn't.
- Check that it stands level, with a slight lean back so the doors close by themselves.
- If it's still under the manufacturer's warranty and something is wrong, contact the manufacturer or the shop first.
Older fridges in established homes
If your fridge in Eastleigh, Dowerglen or Edenglen has a few years behind it, thermostats, relays, fans, seals and defrost parts are still worth replacing, as long as it's otherwise sound. If the compressor has failed, the technician will give you the price and help you decide.
After you book
Once you've booked, we confirm the visit with you. Typically at your door within 60 minutes for same-day bookings. Track your technician live: when they leave, you get a live tracking link on your phone.
The technician checks both sections, the fans, the damper and the defrost system, then explains the fault and the repair price before any work starts.
No call-out fee when we repair it.If no repair is done, a R500 call-out applies. The technician finds the fault and explains the repair before any work starts, so you decide whether to go ahead.
Book a repairFridge repairs in Edenvale: your questions
Why is my fridge warm but my freezer is cold?
Cold air from the freezer isn't reaching the fridge. Clear any food away from the vent first. If it's still warm, the fan, the damper or ice in the air channel needs a technician.
Is it normal for a new fridge to make noise?
Gurgling, crackling and a soft hum are normal. Loud buzzing, rattling, grinding or repeated clicking are worth having checked.
How long should a new fridge take to get cold?
A few hours to feel cold and up to a day to reach its normal temperature when full. Don't load it with warm food on the first day.
What temperature should my fridge be?
Around 3 to 5 °C in the fridge and about -18 °C in the freezer. A fridge thermometer on the middle shelf tells you whether yours is in range.
What does a fridge repair cost in Edenvale?
A fan, a damper or a defrost part is a modest repair. A compressor or a gas leak is the expensive end. The technician tells you which it is, and the price, before any work starts.