GE Profile Refrigerator not cooling

"Hi @trimer ,

Please verify the model number as it is not showing any results?

If the refrigerator compartment is not getting cold enough it could be a sensor problem or a damper problem or even an evaporator fan or defrost problem as the freezer will always be nearly at the correct temp with a faulty defrost action (evap fan, defrost heater, defrost thermostat) as the evap unit is located there but if the fan is iced up or faulty or the damper is faulty, no cold air will be blown into the fridge compartment.

The freezer temp varying could be the auto defrost cycle in action. During the auto defrost cycle, the freezer temp is allowed to rise to ~0 C. This allows the ice build up on the evaporator unit to melt and drain away to the evaporator pan under the fridge.

The defrost cycle occurs once every 6-11 hours (depends on manufacturer) and lasts for about 15-25 minutes. During the defrost cycle the compressor and the evaporator fan are both turned off. The defrosting is sped up by turning on a defrost heater in the freezer under the evap unit as you don't want the food to even begin to thaw.

After the defrost cycle has been completed the compressor and fan are turned on again to drive the freezer temp back down to ~18-20 C and the refrigerator temp back down to ~3-5 C. This takes a bit of time depending on how often the freezer and fridge door are opened due to normal use as the evap fan is turned off when a door (any door) is opened to prevent the cold air being blown out of the compartments. Obviously warmer outside air gets in which may slow down the drop in temperature.

Do not confuse the evaporator fan which is inside the freezer compartment behind a panel with the condenser fan which is outside the compartments near the compressor unit. The condenser fan can run whether the doors are open or not."

"@allieb ,

The digital display not working along with the refrigerator not running is not a good sign.

Was there a power surge or outage just before the fridge stopped working?

Try to reset the refrigerator by disconnecting the power cord from the wall outlet and then wait 5 minutes before plugging it back in and check what happens.

If it still won’t start then there may be a problem with the control board"

"Hi @G Corpus

What is the make and model number of the refrigerator?

Are the condenser coils clean and free of dust.

Usually the condenser fan’s operation is controlled by a thermistor near (on?) the condenser that signals the control board to turn the fan on or off depending on the temp of the condenser.

Since the compressor is running hot, what are the fridge/freezer temps like?

If both warm, check for oil residues below the compressor and on condenser coils. If any this may indicate a leak of refrigerant.

What is the problem with the refrigerator?"