Refrigerators do a good job of keeping our food fresh for long. Nonetheless, over time, the refrigerator might fail. This might include the fridge being warm even though the freezer is cold. And when this happens, it might not be possible to wait for the repairperson to arrive (it may take days) without risking some food going bad.
As such, it is always good to have a few tricks up your sleeve. So, how do you fix a warm fridge and cold freezer issue?
Well, read on to know all the possible troubleshooting steps you might try…
How do you fix a warm fridge and cold freezer?
Of course, before you proceed, start by confirming that you have not set the fridge to the highest temperature.
If you haven’t, here’s how you can quickly troubleshoot and fix the problem…
Confirm you are not overfilling the fridge
Here’s the thing: Overfilling your fridge might result in some of the foodstuff blocking the air duct.
And as a result, the cold air being blown from the freezer will not find its way into the fridge.
Bearing that in mind, start by confirming that you are not overfilling the fridge. Of course, if you are, be sure to remove a few items.
Remember: Overfilling the refrigerator might also result in poor airflow around the refrigerator hence it might not get cold enough.
Clean the door gasket
Before I continue, let me first mention that this will mostly occur in bottom freezer and top freezer refrigerator models.
Now, if the door gasket is dirty, it is likely to create a gap between the doors after you close them.
As a result, warm room air will find its way into the fridge while the cold air from the fridge will be escaping through this gap.
In other words, it will prevent your fridge from getting cold even if it is getting cold air from the freezer.
So, how can you know if this is the case?
Well, simply put a thin sheet of paper on the gasket and close the door. Now, gently pull the paper.
Does it slide out?
If yes, chances are that the gasket is dirty.
What you can do to fix it
Using a soft rug, gently wipe the door gasket.
And, if the gunk is not coming out, you can use some mild detergent to clean it.
Pro tip: Do not use bleach or other abrasive cleaners as they might damage the gasket.
If the door gasket is bad, replace it
Now, there are times when cleaning the gasket might not do the trick.
Or, during the cleaning process, you notice that the gasket is bad.
In this case, your best bet is to swap out the old faulty door gasket.
Now, to point you in the right direction, here’s where you can shop door gaskets for the most common refrigerator brands:
| Refrigerator brand | Door gasket replacement |
| Samsung | Order on Amazon |
| LG | Order on Amazon |
| Whirlpool | Order on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | Order on Amazon |
| Kenmore | Order on Amazon |
| Maytag | Order on Amazon |
| GE | Order on Amazon |
Fix the damper control assembly
Other times, the damper control assembly might be to blame.
With that in mind, start by confirming that nothing is preventing it from opening. For the most part, this is due to ice formation on the damper.
So, if you note that some ice has formed on the damper assembly, be sure to defrost your refrigerator – this should fix it in no time.
Nonetheless, there are scenarios where the damper assembly might be bad.
And the best way to see if yours is good or bad is to set your fridge to the coldest setting and place your hand over the damper assembly.
If the assembly is good, you should feel some cold air blowing over your hand.
On the other hand, if cold air is not blowing over your hand, chances are that the damper assembly is bad. And here, your best bet is to swap it out.
Something else: You will mostly find a damper assembly on Frigidaire and GE refrigerators. And the good news is that you can order a Frigidaire damper assembly or GE damper assembly on Amazon.
But, before you decide to replace the assembly, first have a look at the evaporator fan.
This is because if the fan is not running, then no air will be blown through the damper control assembly. And here’s how to go about it…
How to fix a warm fridge – more fixes to try
The evaporator fan might be bad – have a look at it
Now, in most models, you can access the evaporator fan by removing the back panel inside the refrigerator.
But, if you are not sure how to go about it on your model, be sure to find an instructional video (on YouTube) to guide you along.
With that in mind, start by confirming that no ice has formed around the fan blades as it might prevent the blades from rotating.
Nonetheless, if you note that some ice has formed around the blades, be sure to defrost the refrigerator.
On the other hand, if nothing is obstructing the blades yet they are not rotating, chances are that the fan motor is bad.
And in this case, your best bet is to replace the fan assembly – they are not expensive considering that most are around 16-30 bucks and rarely go above 50 bucks.
Now, since different refrigerator brands require different evaporator fan assemblies, here’s a list to make shopping for your brand’s fan assembly easier:
| Refrigerator brand | Evaporator fan replacement |
| Samsung | Order on Amazon |
| LG | Order on Amazon |
| Whirlpool | Order on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | Order on Amazon |
| Kenmore | Order on Amazon |
| Maytag | Order on Amazon |
| GE | Order on Amazon |
Clean the evaporator coils
You see, dirty evaporator coils are likely to result in your refrigerator frosting frequently.
And when this occurs, the ice might find its way into the air duct connecting the freezer and fridge compartments thereby blocking it.
And as a result, cold air will not flow from the freezer to the fridge hence your fridge will remain warm even if the freezer is cold.
What you can do
To fix this, you will need to thaw out the ice by manually defrosting the unit using these steps:
- Unplug your refrigerator from the power outlet.
- Take out all the foodstuff.
- Open all the doors and put some dry towels inside the refrigerator to absorb the water.
- Leave your refrigerator like this for at least eight hours.
This way, you should be able to clear out all the ice including any that might have been trapped inside the air vent.
Now, if you note that the coils are frosting frequently, it could be a sign that something is not right.
In this case, do the following to troubleshoot what might be wrong:
- Test the defrost heater.
- Test the thermostat.
- Make sure that the refrigerator doors are closing fully – follow the door gasket testing and cleaning steps we have used above.
Now, if any of these parts is faulty, you should consider replacing it to fix the refrigerator defrost problems.
Check the control board for signs of damage
And the most common sign that you can spot is burn marks on the board.
In this case, your best bet is to replace the entire control board considering that they are not easy to fix.
But, if you can get a replacement for the burnt element, you can try to first solder it in to see if this fixes your fridge.
Pro tip: For the most part, the control board might be bad even if it appears fine. And as such, replacing it normally does the trick if the above troubleshooting steps do not fix your appliance.
| Refrigerator brand | Door gasket replacement |
| Samsung | Order on Amazon |
| LG | Order on Amazon |
| Whirlpool | Order on Amazon |
| Frigidaire | Order on Amazon |
| Kenmore | Order on Amazon |
| Maytag | Order on Amazon |
| GE | Order on Amazon |
How do you fix a warm fridge and cold freezer – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why the fridge is not cold but the freezer is?
For the most part, this is usually due to one of the following:
- Overfilling the refrigerator.
- A dirty or bad door gasket.
- A bad damper control assembly.
- Presence of ice in the evaporator fan (or it is bad).
- Frozen evaporator coils.
- Bad control board.
What to do if fridge is not cooling but freezer is?
You can quickly troubleshoot and fix the fridge by:
- Removing any excess foodstuff in the fridge.
- Cleaning the door gasket.
- Replacing the gasket if it is faulty.
- Thawing out any ice that might be preventing the damper assembly from opening.
- Replacing the damper control assembly if it is bad.
- Checking if the evaporator fan assembly is fine.
- Defrosting the evaporator coils.
- Swapping out the control board.
How do you fix a warm fridge and cold freezer – parting words
When replacing a faulty part, be sure to purchase one that is meant for your refrigerator brand and model.
This way, you are assured that the part will fit and last for long.
Something else: If you run into a problem replacing the part, be sure to search for an instructional video on YouTube to guide you along.