In today’s article, I will take you through a comprehensive guide for your LG fridge not cooling but light is on problem.
Here, I shall show you what causes this problem, and how you can troubleshoot and fix it.
LG fridge not cooling but light is on [ LG refrigerator not cooling but running] problem – causes and fixes
When this occurs, it usually means that your refrigerator is getting power. And as such, we already know that electricity is not the problem…
Of course, before we proceed, we are assuming that you have already checked the basics – you have not set high refrigerator temperatures.
Now, if your thermostat settings are okay, here’s what else you should check…
Confirm that the door seals/gasket are closing properly
You see, if they are not closing fully, warm room air might enter the refrigerator while the cold air from the refrigerator flows out.
How to test and fix the door gasket/seals
To test if the refrigerator door gaskets are closing fully, put a thin sheet of paper on the gasket and close the refrigerator doors.
Now, try to pull out the sheet of paper.
If the paper slides out, it means that the door is not closing fully.
To fix this, start by rearranging the foodstuff such that no foodstuff will be preventing the door from closing fully.
Next, use a soft rag (and some mild detergent) to wipe off any gunk that might be on the door seals.
If the door still won’t close fully, high chances are that the door gasket is bad. And in this case, your best bet is to replace it – shop for LG refrigerator door gasket on Amazon.
Confirm that you are not overloading your refrigerator
This is because overloading might result in some foodstuff blocking the air vents.
And as a result, the cold air being blown by the evaporator fan will not find its way around the refrigerator.
So, be sure to rearrange your foodstuff in a manner that they won’t be blocking the air vents.
Have you installed your refrigerator properly?
As a rule of thumb, refrigerators need some space for them to dissipate their internal heat to the environment.
Having that in mind, make sure that your refrigerator is well-spaced from the walls on all sides… For efficient cooling, the space should be at least 2” on all sides.
Make sure that you do not have your refrigerator in a hot environment
As you might know, refrigerators work by dissipating heat to the environment via the condenser coils.
Now, if your refrigerator is near a heat source, the heat source might impede the cooling mechanism of your refrigerator.
What you can do (possible solution)
Make sure that your refrigerator is not near a heat source such as a range or dryer.
Additionally, make sure that you have not installed the refrigerator in direct sunlight.
Does the refrigerator display OF F or O FF?
If yes, it means that it is in Demo Mode (display mode).
And in this case, you will need to first deactivate the Demo Mode for your refrigerator to resume cooling.
To deactivate LG refrigerator Demo mode, do the following:
- Press the Refrigerator and Ice Plus buttons together and while still pressing the Refrigerator button, tap the Ice Plus button three times (for 2019 and newer models).
- Press the Refrigerator and Ice Plus buttons together for five seconds (for 2018 and prior models).
Check if there is ice/frost on the evaporator coils
As this might be reducing the cooling performance of the coils. Moreover, there might also be some ice trapped inside the air vents and this might be preventing proper airflow.
Now, the easiest way to solve this is by manually defrosting the refrigerator.
To do so, start by unplugging the appliance.
Next, remove all the foodstuffs, open the refrigerator doors, and let it sit like that for at least eight hours.
And something else: You might want to put some dry towels in there to absorb the water from the melted ice.
LG refrigerator not cooling but light is on – more troubleshooting steps to try
The condenser coils might be dirty
And if they are, they will lower the efficiency with which the refrigerant will dissipate heat from the refrigerator to the environment.
In other words, the refrigerant will flow back to the refrigerator while it’s still ‘warm’. As a result, it won’t absorb any heat from the refrigerator.
How to clean the condenser coils
- Unplug your refrigerator.
- Vacuum the condenser coils to remove any debris that might be in there.
- Gently scrub the coils using a refrigerator coil brush – shop for condenser coil cleaning brushes on Amazon.
- Alternate steps 2 and 3 above until the coils are clean.
- Reconnect your refrigerator to the power outlet.
Maintenance tip: To keep your refrigerator running efficiently, try to clean the condenser coils at least once every 6 months. However, if you have pets or your house gets dusty quickly, you might consider cleaning the coils more often.
Pro tip: Be careful not to damage the coils. This is because a slight damage might result in a refrigerant leak which might be toxic.
The condenser fan assembly could be faulty
And this might be impeding the dissipation of heat from the refrigerator to the outside.
So, start by checking the condenser fan blades… Confirm that they are rotating freely.
If they are not rotating freely, be sure to remove any foreign objects that might be impeding their rotation.
On the other hand, if the blades are not rotating, there is a high possibility that the fan motor is bad.
In this case, your best bet will be to swap out the fan motor with a new one – order a replacement condenser fan motor on Amazon.
The evaporator fan assembly might be bad
In turn, the cold air from the evaporator coils will not be blown into the freezer and fridge compartments.
And for the most part, this is usually due to the presence of ice near the fan blades preventing the blades from rotating.
How you can troubleshoot and fix the evaporator fan assembly
First things first: If the fan is frosted, be sure to thaw out the ice.
Nonetheless, if the fan still won’t rotate after this, chances are that the fan motor might be bad.
And in this case, you should consider replacing it – see current prices of LG evaporator fan motors.
LG fridge not cooling but light is on – what else to check
There is a possibility that the start relay has gone
For the most part, this might be accompanied by frequent clicking noises originating from the bottom back of your refrigerator.
Another common sign of a bad start relay is the compressor not starting at all.
Having that in mind, there are two ways in which you can test if the start relay is bad:
- Remove the start relay and test it for continuity – a good start relay should have continuity.
- Remove the start relay and gently shake it – if it is bad, it will produce some rattling noise.
Now, if your start relay is bad, it won’t start the compressor hence no cooling will take place.
And as a result, your best bet in such a scenario is to swap out the relay with a new one – order a replacement relay on Amazon.
But, what if your start relay is good yet the compressor won’t start? Well…
It could be that the compressor is bad
And if it is fully gone, it might not start at all. And as a result, your refrigerator will not cool even though the lights will still be on.
In this case, your best bet will be to replace the compressor – see LG compressor prices on Amazon.
A word of caution: You will want an EPA-licensed technician to do the replacement. You see, the refrigerant that flows through the compressor is toxic and it might harm you if not properly handled.
There might be a refrigerant leak
And as a result, the remaining refrigerant is not enough to cool your refrigerator.
The good news is that you can easily tell if the refrigerant is leaking… If your LG refrigerator displays any of these codes, it is likely that the refrigerant is leaking:
- E CH
- E CL
- CL E
- CH E
Unfortunately, since the refrigerant is toxic, it is advisable that you let an EPA-licensed technician to service and recharge your refrigerator.
The control board might be to blame
A bad control board is usually the final part that might result in your LG fridge not cooling but light is on problem.
And, in some cases, you can spot some burn marks on the board.
However, in some other scenarios, the control board will not have any marks indicating that it is bad.
Nonetheless, if you have tried all the above steps and yet the refrigerator is not cooling, high chances are that the board is gone.
And in this case, your best possible solution is to replace it – see control board prices on Amazon.
LG fridge not cooling but light is on – parting words
A word of caution: Before purchasing a replacement part, it is advisable that you first confirm its part number matches the one on your refrigerator.
This is because a wrong part might lead to more problems down the line.
ALSO READ
How do you fix a warm fridge and cold freezer? [Step-by-step instructions]