Side by Side Refrigerator Not Cooling: DIY Repair

Quick Answer

In most side by side refrigerators, the cooling issue usually stems from restricted airflow due to dust-clogged condenser coils or a failed evaporator fan motor. Start by cleaning the coils underneath the unit and checking if the fan inside the freezer is spinning and moving air.

Look, I see this every week. Usually it's filthy condenser coils or a dead fan motor, and both are totally fixable without calling a tech. But if you ignore it, your compressor's going to work overtime and burn itself out, and that's a $400-plus repair instead of a $20 fan. The freezer and fridge share the same cold air, so one broken part kills both sections fast.

GenericRefrigeratorSeverity: highDifficulty: intermediate88% DIY Success

Time to Fix

45–120 min

Difficulty

intermediate

Parts Cost

$25 – $95

Tools Needed

Phillips #2 screwdriver, 1/4 inch nut driver

Side by Side Refrigerator Not Cooling: DIY Repair

OK so here's the deal. Nine times out of ten when I show up for a not-cooling call, it's one of two things: coils so caked with dust they look like a shag carpet, or a fan motor that gave up. Both are maybe $30 in parts if you do it yourself. Before you start pricing out a new fridge, spend 20 minutes actually looking at the thing. You might save yourself $800.

Most Likely Causes

Based on aggregated repair data, here is the probability breakdown for this error code:

Dirty or clogged condenser coils35%

Failed evaporator fan motor25%

Defrost system failure (heater or thermostat)20%

Failed condenser fan motor15%

Stuck or broken air damper control5%

Symptoms You May Notice

Freezer is rock solid cold but the fridge side feels like a cool room, not a refrigerator, and your butter's starting to soften.
Clicking or clunking sound from the bottom rear of the unit every 3-4 minutes, like the compressor's trying to start but keeps giving up.
Thick white frost or a solid sheet of ice covering the entire back wall of the freezer, sometimes so bad the back panel is visibly pushed outward.
The motor runs constantly, that low hum going all day and night, but the temperature just keeps climbing no matter what you set it to.
Ice maker stopped making cubes completely and your fridge thermometer reads 45-55 degrees instead of 37.

Can you reset a Generic refrigerator to clear the NOT-COOLING code?

Unplug the fridge from the wall and leave it for at least 10 minutes, not just 30 seconds. You want those control board capacitors to fully discharge. When you plug it back in, you'll probably hear the damper door clicking a few times as it finds its home position, that's totally normal. Give it a full 24 hours before you judge the temperature. And this won't fix a dead fan motor or a burned-out heater, so don't stop troubleshooting if temps don't recover.

Tools Required for Diagnosis

Phillips #2 screwdriver1/4 inch nut driverDigital multimeterVacuum with brush attachment or condenser coil cleaning brushHair dryer (for manual defrosting)FlashlightWork gloves (those coil fins are sharp)

Diagnostic Checklist

Follow these steps in order. We start with the easiest external fixes before opening up the machine.

ComponentComponent Under Test

Expected Range10–200 ohms

ConditionIf Open (OL) or infinite, replace component.

Replacement Parts

If your diagnostic testing proves the component has failed, you will need a replacement. We recommend OEM parts over aftermarket for water-handling components.

Part Name	OEM Number	Estimated Price
Evaporator Fan MotorWR60X10185 · $45–$95	WR60X10185	$45 – $95
Defrost Heater AssemblyWR51X10055 · $25–$60	WR51X10055	$25 – $60

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my freezer cold but my refrigerator side is warm?

This is the most common call I get. It's almost always an airflow problem, not a refrigerant leak. Either the evaporator fan motor gave up, the air damper's stuck closed, or the evaporator coils are buried in ice because the defrost heater failed. The freezer stays cold because cold air naturally sinks and pools down there. But the fridge section depends entirely on that fan blowing air through the vent. No fan or no airflow, and the fridge warms up to 50-60 degrees while the freezer stays just fine.

How do I know if my compressor is bad?

Hear clicking from the bottom rear every few minutes? That's the start relay trying to kick the compressor on and failing. Could be just a bad start relay. Shake it, if it rattles it's dead, and it's about an $8 part. But if both fans are running, the compressor's humming steady, and there's still no cooling in either section, you probably have a refrigerant leak or a dead compressor. That's $400-800 in repairs minimum. At that point you've got to weigh whether the fridge is actually worth fixing.

Can I fix a cooling issue by just unplugging the fridge?

Sometimes, yeah. If someone left a door open and ice jammed up the air vents, unplugging it for 24 hours can let everything melt and you're back in business. But if the actual defrost heater or thermostat has failed, that ice is just going to build right back up within 3-5 days and you'll be right back where you started. Worth trying, but watch the temps over the following week. If it cools down then slowly gets warm again, the defrost circuit's the problem.

Where are the condenser coils on a side by side refrigerator?

On pretty much every modern side by side, they're underneath the unit. Pull off that plastic toe kick panel at the very bottom front and you'll find them. On older models from the 90s, they might be that large black grid on the back. If you're not sure, check both. Either way, cleaning those coils once a year is the single best maintenance thing you can do to keep a fridge running long-term. Takes 15 minutes and a vacuum.

How much does it usually cost to fix a side by side that's not cooling?

Depends on the part. Cleaning the coils yourself? Free. Start relay? About $8-15. Evaporator fan motor? $20-50 in parts and maybe an hour of your time. Defrost heater kit? $30-60. Air damper actuator? $15-40. Main control board is $100-200, and if it's the sealed refrigerant system you're looking at $400-800 or just buying a new fridge. Most of the time when I show up it's a fan or the coils, so don't panic and assume the worst before you check the cheap stuff first.

Same Fix on Other Brands

Samsung refrigerator22E: Samsung Refrigerator 22E: Fan Error Whirlpool refrigeratorPO: Whirlpool Refrigerator PO Code: Power Outage Fault

Models Known to Experience NOT-COOLING Errors

This repair applies to most Generic refrigerators with this error code. Common model numbers include:

GSS25GSHSS, WRS325SDHZ, RS25J500DSR, FFSS2615TS, MSF25D4XEM, KRSF505ESS, LFX25978ST, PYE22KSKSS

Written by

Mike Sullivan

Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 20 years experience

Last verified for technical accuracy on May 20, 2024