Domakihub Fridge Not Cooling? Here Is How to Fix It Yourself
Diagnose and solve the most common refrigerator cooling failures before calling a technician.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
A warm fridge is one of the most stressful appliance failures you can face — especially in a Greek summer, when ambient temperatures can push well above 35 °C and food spoils fast. The video above walks through the key diagnostic checks step by step; this guide translates those checks into a clear action plan you can follow in your home, rental apartment, or hotel room. Most causes are straightforward and require no special tools, so start here before booking a repair call.
Why Fridges Stop Cooling in Hot Climates
In Greece, refrigerators work harder than their rated specifications were designed for. When an apartment sits at 30 °C or above, the compressor runs almost continuously, and any small blockage or component wear gets amplified. Holiday rentals are particularly vulnerable because the fridge is often switched off between guests, then restarted and immediately packed with warm food and drinks — a combination that stresses the cooling circuit.
Understanding the most common failure points — dirty condenser coils, blocked airflow, a seized condenser fan, a failed door seal, or a defrost system fault — lets you target your checks in order of likelihood rather than guessing.
Before You Touch Anything: Safety and Quick Wins
Unplug the fridge before inspecting any internal components or touching the coils at the back. Give it at least two minutes after unplugging before opening any panels. Check first whether the problem is truly a lack of cooling or simply that the fridge is overloaded: a fridge packed so tightly that air cannot circulate between shelves will feel warm even when the compressor is running perfectly.
Also confirm the temperature dial has not been accidentally turned down — a common issue in rentals where guests adjust settings — and make sure the fridge is not positioned directly against a wall or in an enclosed cabinet without ventilation clearance on the sides and back.
5 Steps to Diagnose and Fix a Fridge That Is Not Cooling
- 1
Clean the condenser coils
The condenser coils release heat from the refrigerant. When they are coated in dust and pet hair — which accumulates quickly in dry Greek climates — the fridge cannot shed heat and the interior warms up. Pull the fridge away from the wall, locate the coils (usually at the back or underneath behind a kick plate), and vacuum them thoroughly with a brush attachment. This single step resolves a large share of cooling complaints, especially in fridges that are two or more years old and have never been cleaned.
- 2
Check and clear the condenser fan
On most modern fridges, a small fan forces air across the condenser coils. If this fan is blocked by debris or its motor has seized, the coils overheat and cooling drops. With the fridge unplugged, locate the fan near the compressor at the back bottom of the unit. Spin the blade by hand — it should turn freely. If it wobbles, grinds, or does not move, the fan motor needs replacing, which is an inexpensive part available from most appliance suppliers.
- 3
Test the door seals
A damaged or warped door gasket lets warm air in continuously, forcing the compressor to run non-stop without ever reaching the set temperature. Close the door on a sheet of paper: if you can pull the paper out with little resistance, the seal is failing. Run your hand along the full perimeter of both doors while the fridge is running — any draft of cold air escaping confirms a gap. Clean the gasket with warm soapy water first (dirt prevents a proper seal); if the rubber is cracked or torn, replace the gasket.
- 4
Defrost the evaporator coils
Inside the freezer compartment, a set of evaporator coils absorbs heat from the interior. If the automatic defrost system fails, ice builds up on these coils until airflow is completely blocked and neither compartment cools. Signs include a freezer that frosts over heavily while the fridge section stays warm, or an unusual amount of ice on the back wall. Unplug the fridge for 24-48 hours with both doors open and towels on the floor to catch melt water. If the fridge cools normally after defrosting but the problem returns within days, the defrost heater, thermostat, or timer needs replacement.
- 5
Listen to the compressor and call a technician if needed
With the fridge plugged back in and set to a normal temperature, stand behind it and listen. The compressor should start with a soft hum and run steadily. A compressor that clicks on and then immediately clicks off, or one that is completely silent with no vibration at all, points to an electrical or refrigerant fault — a start relay failure, a dead compressor, or a refrigerant leak. Replace the start relay yourself (a small, inexpensive component that clips onto the compressor) or, if the compressor or refrigerant circuit is at fault, contact a certified refrigeration technician as refrigerant handling requires a licence.
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FAQ
- How long should I wait after plugging in a fridge before it reaches temperature?
- A refrigerator that has been unplugged or moved needs between two and four hours to reach its set temperature under normal load. If the ambient temperature is above 30 °C or the fridge has been packed immediately with warm food, allow up to six hours before concluding it has a fault.
- My freezer is cold but the fridge section is warm — what does that mean?
- This is a classic sign of a blocked evaporator airflow path, usually caused by ice build-up on the evaporator coils or a failed evaporator fan that circulates cold air from the freezer into the fridge compartment. Try the manual defrost step first; if the problem returns within a week, the automatic defrost system needs a repair.
- Can a fridge be too old to fix economically?
- As a general rule, if the repair cost exceeds half the price of a comparable new model and the fridge is over ten years old, replacement is usually the better investment. Compressor replacements on older units are rarely worthwhile; coil cleaning, fan motors, door gaskets, and defrost components are all cost-effective repairs at any age.