The Short Answer
Check power and thermostat settings, clean the condenser coils, test the door seal, and make sure interior vents are not blocked — those four DIY checks resolve roughly a third of not-cooling calls before a technician is ever needed. If the freezer is cold but the fridge is warm, or the unit clicks and stays warm everywhere, the fault is internal and the checklist below tells you what it likely is.
The Seven-Point Not-Cooling Checklist
| Check | What You Are Looking For | Fix Level |
|---|---|---|
| Power and settings | Plug seated, breaker on, thermostat not bumped by a grocery bag | DIY |
| Condenser coils | Dust blanket on the coils underneath or behind the unit | DIY |
| Door seal | A paper bill slides out too easily when the door is closed on it | DIY |
| Blocked vents | Food stacked against the interior air vents | DIY |
| Evaporator fan | Freezer cold but fridge warm; no fan sound when the door switch is pressed | Professional |
| Start relay / compressor | Clicking every few minutes and the whole unit warm | Professional |
| Defrost system | Sheet of ice on the freezer back wall choking airflow | Professional |
Start With the Free Fixes
Unplug the refrigerator before touching anything mechanical. Vacuum the condenser coils (underneath behind the kick plate, or on the rear panel) — a dust-choked condenser cannot shed heat, and the fridge slowly loses ground all summer. Close the door on a paper bill: if it slides out with no resistance, the gasket is no longer sealing and warm, moist air is pouring in. Finally, pull food away from the interior vents; a single cereal box in the wrong spot can starve the fresh-food section of cold air.
Fridge Not Cold but Freezer Works?
This specific pattern points to air movement, not cooling capacity. Cold air is made in the freezer and pushed into the fridge by the evaporator fan through a motorized damper. When the fan dies, the damper sticks shut, or the airflow path ices over from a defrost failure, the freezer stays frozen while the fridge drifts warm. These are among the most routine professional repairs on any refrigerator — and none of them means the unit is done.
Clicking Sounds and a Warm Fridge
A click every few minutes is the compressor start relay trying and failing. The good news: the relay itself is an inexpensive part and a frequent impostor for “dead compressor.” The important part: stop-start cycling is hard on the compressor, so the longer a clicking fridge runs, the more expensive the eventual repair tends to be.
When to Stop DIY and Call
Anything involving the evaporator fan, damper, defrost system, start relay, compressor, or sealed refrigerant system is professional territory — the diagnosis requires meters and the parts require know-how. If the free fixes above have not restored cooling within a few hours, book a refrigerator repair in Sherwood Park — with food spoilage on the line, a same-day diagnosis usually costs less than a second grocery run.