April 25, 2023

Refrigerator symptoms

A refrigerator that’s not cold enough, has water beneath the crisper drawers or has too much frost in the freezer are three common refrigerator problems. If your side-by-side, bottom-freezer or top-freezer fridge isn’t working like it should be, use our symptom and troubleshooting advice to pinpoint the problem. Put your appliance’s model number in the model finder at the top of every Sears PartsDirect page to find your part. Then use our repair guides for step-by-step instructions to fix your refrigerator.

refrigerator

Symptoms common to all refrigerators

Choose a symptom to see related refrigerator repairs.

Main causes: jammed ice cubes, broken ice maker assembly, dirty water filter, kinked water line, bad water valve, freezer not cold enough
Main causes: damaged door seal, faulty defrost sensor or bi-metal thermostat, broken defrost heater, bad defrost timer or control board
Main causes: leaky door gasket, defrost system failure, evaporator fan not running, dirty condenser coils, condenser fan not running
Main causes: control board or cold control failure, broken compressor start relay, compressor motor failure, defrost timer problems
Main causes: water valve leaking, frozen or broken defrost drain tube, overflowing drain pan, cracked water system tubing, leaking door seal
Things to do: clean condenser coils, replace the water filter, clean the interior, adjust doors to prevent air leaks, clean the drain pan
Main causes: blocked air vents, compressor problems, condenser or evaporator fan not working, control system failure, sensor problems
Main causes: blocked vents, defrost system problems, evaporator fan failure, dirty condenser coils, bad sensors, condenser fan not working

Symptoms for top-mount refrigerators

Choose a symptom to see related refrigerator repairs.

Main causes: frozen or clogged defrost drain tube, cracked water system tubing

Repair guides common to all refrigerators

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your refrigerator.

How to clean refrigerator condenser coils

Help your refrigerator run more efficiently by cleaning the condenser coils. It's easy and takes just a few minutes.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a refrigerator water valve

Replace the water valve that feeds water to the ice maker and water dispenser if it no longer controls the flow of water.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a refrigerator temperature control board

If the temperature in your refrigerator doesn't match the temperature you set, the problem could be the temperature control board—a service technician can give you a definite diagnosis. If the board is at fault, follow these steps to replace it yourself.

Repair difficulty
Time required
 30 minutes or less

Articles and videos common to all refrigerators

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your refrigerator.

June 2, 2022

How to Remove a GE French Door Refrigerator Flipper Mullion

How to Remove a GE French Door Refrigerator Flipper Mullion

Learn how to replace the flipper mullion on a GE French door refrigerator.

April 19, 2022

How to change the water filter in an LG refrigerator

How to change the water filter in an LG refrigerator

Get tips and advice on replacing the water filter in your LG refrigerator.

December 30, 2021

How to fix your evaporator cooling fan

How to fix your evaporator cooling fan

Learn how to fix a broken evaporator fan