Refrigerator work is 34% of everything we do — 7,304 jobs, more than any other appliance. And most calls that come in as "it stopped cooling" are not what the homeowner expects.
The compressor is rarely the problem
People hear the fridge running, assume the compressor is failing, and brace for a replacement. In practice the compressor is one of the last things we condemn. Airflow and defrost faults produce the same symptom far more often, and both are inexpensive by comparison.
1. Airflow between the compartments
Almost every modern refrigerator cools the freezer and pushes chilled air forward to the fresh-food side. When the evaporator fan fails or the coil frosts over, the freezer still holds temperature while the fridge slowly warms. That uneven pair of compartments is the signature — and it points at airflow, not cooling capacity.
2. The defrost circuit
A defrost heater or thermostat that quits does not fail loudly. Ice sheets over the evaporator across a few weeks, airflow drops as it thickens, and by the time anyone calls, the symptoms have crept in so gradually they get blamed on a door left ajar. Pull the back panel of the freezer: a solid wall of frost where there should be finned coil is the answer.
3. Condenser coils
Coils packed with dust and pet hair stop rejecting heat. The compressor runs almost continuously, the unit never quite reaches temperature, and the failure looks like a dying sealed system. It is often a cleaning and a condenser fan motor.
4. Door seals
A gasket that no longer compresses lets warm room air in continuously. Close the door on a sheet of paper and pull: if it slides out with no resistance, the seal is done. In a Texas summer this alone can keep a healthy fridge from holding temperature.
Water under the crisper drawer
Different fault, common call. The defrost drain is blocked, meltwater cannot reach the evaporation pan, it freezes into a sheet and then leaks forward. Clearing the line fixes it.
Is a ten-year-old refrigerator worth repairing?
It depends entirely on the fault. A fan, thermostat, defrost heater or door gasket is worth fixing on almost any unit — the part is modest and the repair lasts. A failed compressor on a decade-old refrigerator usually is not, and we will say so on site rather than sell you the job.
Narrowing it down before we arrive
Two observations tell us most of what we need, and both take a minute.
Which compartment is warm?
Freezer cold, fridge warm points at airflow — the fan, the damper, or a frosted evaporator. Both warm points at the cooling system itself: compressor, condenser fan, or refrigerant charge. That single distinction separates a modest repair from a major one, and it is the first question we ask on the phone.
Is the compressor actually running?
Put a hand near the lower back of the unit. A low continuous hum and warmth means it is running. Silence, or a repeated click every few minutes, points at the start relay or the compressor itself. A relay is an inexpensive part; a compressor usually is not.
What we do on site
A refrigerator diagnosis is a sequence, not a guess:
- Read actual compartment temperatures against setpoint, rather than trusting the display
- Pull the freezer rear panel and look at the evaporator coil for frost
- Confirm the evaporator fan runs when it should, and that the damper opens
- Check condenser coil condition and condenser fan operation
- Test the defrost heater, thermostat and timer or control
- Check the door seals and the door switch
- Only then assess the sealed system
The order matters. Sealed-system faults are the expensive ones and the easiest to blame wrongly, so they are the last conclusion, not the first.
Faults that look identical but are not
Cooling in cycles
A fridge that is cold in the morning and warm by evening is usually a defrost fault building ice through the day, or a condenser fan that cuts out when hot. Both are repairable.
Freezer fine, fresh food freezing
Opposite complaint, related cause. A damper stuck open or a failed thermistor sends too much cold air forward. Lettuce freezing in the crisper is the usual first sign.
Running constantly but holding temperature
This is a warning, not yet a failure. Something is making the unit work harder than it should — dirty coils, a weak seal, a fan not running. Left alone it becomes a summer breakdown.
Common questions
How long should I wait before calling?
If the freezer is above 10°F, do not wait. Food safety aside, a fridge struggling for days is running its compressor continuously, and that is how a repairable fault becomes an unrepairable one.
Should I unplug it and let it defrost?
A 24-hour manual defrost will restore cooling temporarily if ice is the cause — which is useful diagnostically, because it confirms the defrost circuit is the fault. It will refreeze within a few weeks. Treat it as information, not a repair.
The fridge is full. Does that matter?
A reasonably full fridge holds temperature better. An overpacked one does not, because it blocks the vents that move air between the compartments. Leave the rear and upper vents clear.
Is a fridge past ten years worth repairing?
For a fan, thermostat, defrost heater, control board or door gasket — usually yes. For a compressor or sealed-system leak — usually not. We will tell you which one you have before you commit to anything.
Book a visit or call (832) 888-0875 and we will tell you what the fault is before any part is ordered.