Your refrigerator should keep your food at a safe, cool temperature—usually between 36°–38°—but it should never freeze your food. If that happens, something in the fridge’s system isn’t working correctly.

The good news is that many issues with a too-low fridge temperature can be addressed through some thorough DIY maintenance. If there’s a problem with a component or sensor, though, you may need refrigerator repair service. Read on to find out how to troubleshoot an overly chilly fridge so that you can keep your food cool, but not too cool!

Check Your Temperature Settings

If your refrigerator is freezing your salad greens or making your morning yogurt into frozen yogurt, the first thing to do is to check the temperature setting. There’s typically a dial near the top of the fridge that you can adjust so that your refrigerator cools to the correct temperature. Sometimes that dial gets turned accidentally, resulting in an unintentionally icy interior.

If you adjust the temperature setting and your fridge is still too cold, there might be an issue with the interior temperature sensor. You can check the accuracy of the sensor with a simple overnight test:

• Place a glass of water in the fridge
• Leave it for 24 hours
• Use a cooking thermometer to test the temperature

If the water temperature and the setting temperature don’t match up, you may have a sensor problem. In that case, it’s time to call your local refrigerator repair pro for help. They’ll be able to test the sensor and replace it if necessary.

 

Clear Your Refrigerator Air Vents

Part of your fridge’s cooling process includes cycling air through the interior of the refrigerator. To this end, there are air vents inside your fridge. If those vents are blocked, the cycling process—and therefore the cooling process—can’t take place properly.

If you’re experiencing an extra cold fridge, make sure that no food items are blocking the air vents. This is a simple fix that can, in some cases, solve the problem of an overly cold fridge!

 

Give Your Gasket Some TLC

The gasket, or seal, around the door of your fridge is also an area to check out if you’re having cooling problems. This is the element of your refrigerator that keeps the cold air inside. If that seal is compromised, then the cold air leaks out and your refrigerator has to work extra hard to maintain the interior temperature. In some cases, that extra effort results in over-cooling the fridge interior. 

Doing a quick inspection of your fridge’s door gasket can help you identify any trouble areas. If there’s a broken section or even a section that’s brittle or misshapen, that could be the culprit.

If you find any gasket issues, it’s advisable to call your local appliance repair professionals to assess the best way to repair or replace that element. There’s no sense risking more cooling problems when you’re already trying to solve a cooling issue!

 

Stumped? Call a Refrigerator Repair Pro

If you go through the above steps and you still can’t determine why your fridge is on an overzealous cooling streak, it’s time to call in the experts. Contact your local appliance specialist for refrigerator repair service.

These professionals will have the experience and the equipment to diagnose and solve your refrigerator issue. With their help, you can get back to enjoying your food and beverages at the correct, cool temperature without worrying about items freezing before you have a chance to use them.

If you need refrigerator repairs in Rockaway, Chatham, Hopatcong, and the surrounding area, call Morris County Appliance Repair today. We are licensed and insured and we have over 50 years of experience providing expert appliance service. Morris County Appliance Repair—you can count on us!