GE Refrigerator Won't Cool - Easy Ideas on how to Fix a Refrigerator Not Cooling

Do you have a GE Refrigerator that won't cool at all, or just isn't getting cool enough? Many times, people think they need to figure out how to add freon to a refrigerator, but many times, its a fix that a regular person can do, or at least troubleshoot themselves easily enough.

In this video, I want to show you some GE Refrigerator troubleshooting - what GE Refrigerator parts to look for that could cause the unit to not work as its intended. On this one, we find out pretty darn fast why it won't work! But I went ahead and went over other major parts we find that are responsible for causing a refrigerator like this to not work properly.

The goal of this video is to show you why a GE refrigerator won't cool, and the main, easy-to-fix culprits of why a GE fridge won't cool.

A few things we cover in the video:

- How to clean a refrigerator
- How to check a refrigerator compressor relay
- How to Repair a GE refrigerator defroster system
- Addressing a GE Refrigerator Not Cooling

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Video Timeline

Intro: (00:00)
Checking and Cleaning Condenser Coils: (01:25)
Comparing Clean and Dirty Coils - What They Look Like: (03:58)
Checking Condenser Fan Running: (05:18)
How to Check if Compressor is Running: (05:48)
How to Check a Relay: (06:22)
Defroster System: (07:27)
How to Test the Defrost Heater: (08:33)
Taking Apart System to Check Evaporator Fan: (09:34)
Outro / Things We Tested in System: (11:24)
How to Find Parts for Your Specific Refrigerator: (13:14)

[shoutatdaniel]

Thank you so You saved me $2000 because my repair guy was charging me $1000 for a repair and I had decided to just buy a new fridge. Then I stumbled on this, which led to replacing the relay (with an $80 part) and we are back in action. Thanks for taking the time. It helps us all!

[holywobbles]

Just wanted to send a major thank you. I got a call from my parents asking if I could help them pick up a new fridge. Their old one(25 years old) was cool but and wasnt freezing. So their instinct was to buy a new one. I watched your video and went over to look at their fridge and pulled off the rear panel to find a rat wedged in the condenser fan preventing any movement of air. Once removed and plugged back in. Fridge ran good as new, saved them about $400.

[keithrichards]

Hats off to you Ben. Not only are you skilled at fixing these appliances and making beyond professional videos but you also are a small business owner. You embody all of which is great in America. You should be proud of yourself 👍🏻

[rosewoodsteel]

Thanks, Ben. My GE Cafe unit had a bad condenser fan. The condenser coils were impacted with dust and fur (thanks to our two dogs and cats) and this most likely put undue stress on the fan. After cleaning the coils and seeing the problem was not yet solved, I placed a standard "box" fan behind the frig until the replacement fan I ordered came in. The box fan immediately dropped the temperatures back to normal, so it is a great, temporary fix for everyday homeowners.

[voyagertwoband]

Thank you for the fine video. Our fridge was working fine then yestertday morning, the fridge door was open ( I think the air inside got so warm it expaneded and pushed the doors open) and it was 74F inside the friidge (we keep our house at 65 in the winter). The freezer was fine (thankfully)
Found your video, cleaned the coil, checked the fan and compressor were running. Moved our food over to a cooler, and over the course of a few hours, the fridge temp came down.
I cancelled a call to our local applicance repair vendor.
You likely saved me a $200 service call, and extended the life of my Fridge. I'll be sure to clean it out every 6 months going forward.
Again, thank you so much!

Jack

[scottkelley]

Clear, concise, and right to it! No stupid music or long intros...thank you.

[numberoneduchess]

Thanks so much Ben. When you are a woman trying to fix something yourself that you can't afford to replace, it helps to have everything spelled out to the letter. I thought I was going to have to buy a new frig, but with your help I got it fixed. It took me a good portion of the day but it is now running like a new one. It just needed a good vacuuming. Thanks again. I am now a new subscriber.

[shermanlarsen]

I was just looking to clean the coils on a 3+ year old whirlpool bottom freezer/refrigerator.
I’m glad I watched the whole video.
Even if nothing is broken, I will see everything else with a more informed eye.
I was repair plumber for 30+ years and learned tons from all of the appliance guys that I would refer.
They were always very helpful to me and to my customers!

[psmith]

Thanks Ben! I opened up our garage fridge and the cold beers looked a little sweaty and not as cold as usual. Opened the Freezer door and the few things in there were still frozen, but thawing for sure. Popped off the back cover and blasted it with air to get the dust bunnies out. Checked the fan and it was turning fine, so I broke out the multi meter and tested the pins on the condenser and the run capacitor. Got continuity from pin to pin on the condenser but no continuity on the Cap. $19 on Amazon and I hope to have a few coldies toasting you in the next day or two. You the Man!

[danieldunn]

Thanks for the straightforward and easy to follow tips!! I was able to get my freezer going again because of this video. I did a thorough cleaning of the back (was almost as bad as the one you did), took off the back of the freezer compartment and melted the glacier on the coils. Although the defrost unit tested at 20 it seemed to be original equipment and showed wear so I replaced it and the defrost thermostat. So far so good and I even have water dispensing again!! It seems the glacier has been there since I moved in two 1/2 years ago!! Great job!!

[patrickkasmir]

Dude you are the man!!!! I almost spent over $100 dollars on a condenser fan but after watching your video, found out it was the defrost heater. Thank you 1000 times, would never been able to fix without you..thanks again

[pnwguy]

Thank you, Ben, for going over this in detail as you did. I repair appliances for a living and there are so many on here that speak to fast and expect some of these homeowners to automatically know certain information on repairs to appliance without going it over step by step.

[armoris]

I'm a multi skilled builder and this my friend (I feel like I know you already) is hands down one of the best tutorial videos I have EVER watched and I've watched many because of my occupation. Your careful explanation of the process involved in checking the various components combined with beautiful editing are going to help me diagnose the problem with my Whirlpool this weekend.
Not based in the US but will try that website if necessary as you may get a kickback.
Subscribed 👏🏿👍🏾.

[richjordan]

I had a different problem, but the step by step instruction helped me diagnose it. My water guide for the ice maker fell off and the water poured in and froze up the evaporator fan and coils. Once I found it, using your video - it was an easy defrost operation. Saved me a service call - thanks Ben!

[sandreawelch]

Ben. You are a lifesaver, my man. This video is so concise, thorough, and easy-to-follow. It cost us less than $30 to fix our refrigerator. I have no idea what made you decide to make this video but I sure am glad you did. It looks like plenty of other people appreciate it as well. I wish you nothing but the best!

[screamer]

I appreciate your video. I have a 33+ year old GE side by side that always served me well except I had to replace the ice maker once. My problem was the ice maker cube tray was not level and dripped water to the coils below. It took many years, but the coils finally got so iced up the refrigerator side quit cooling. Took the back off the freezer side and everything works great now. No problems. Most people would just scrap it and buy a new one which is designed to last 7 years.

[mikga]

Great vid, I'm a retired hvac guy and your vid goes over all the important parts. Should be very helpful to many.

[terrancepinkney]

You totally helped avert a disaster today! This video was awesome and I checked everything you checked and the relay switch was bad. I replaced that today and now my fridge is cooling again. Thank you for your time and knowledge!

[malimag]

Awesome Video!!! Was able to fix my refrigerator thanks to your instructions and cost me $0. Keep up the good work!!! You're making a difference in peoples life doing what you do.

[ScottGodsey]

Thank you my friend! I have to say that I found this video to be an excellent tutorial. You were simple, clear, concise, and thorough in your explanations, making it easy for me to follow along and understand the steps.

One thing that stood out to me was how you started by explaining the basic functioning of a refrigerator, which helped me to understand the problem at hand. And then proceeded to take me through the step-by-step process of checking various components of the refrigerator.

I appreciated how you used easy-to-understand language throughout the video, avoiding technical jargon that might have made it difficult for me to follow along. You also demonstrated a lot of patience and attention to detail, taking the time to explain each step carefully and answer any questions that I might have had.

Overall, I highly recommend this YouTube video to anyone who needs to check a refrigerator that's not cooling correctly. Ben did an excellent job of simplifying a potentially complicated process and making it accessible to viewers of all levels of expertise. I give kudos to Ben for creating such a helpful and informative tutorial!