A built-in refrigerator is the centerpiece of many Anaheim Hills kitchens. Sub-Zero, KitchenAid, Thermador, GE Monogram and Viking built-ins are made to last for decades, but they still need care, and when one stops cooling, the food inside is at risk within hours. Before you call, here are six things you can safely check yourself. Some of them fix the problem on the spot.
Safety first: built-in refrigerators are heavy and are fastened to the cabinets. Never try to pull one out of its opening. If you need to remove a grille or a panel, turn the power off at the control panel or the breaker first.
1. Check the controls and the display
Built-in refrigerators have electronic controls, and they can be changed by accident while cleaning or by a curious child. Make sure the unit is not in Showroom, Demo or Sabbath mode: in these modes the lights and display work, but the compressor does not run. Check that the temperature is set to about 37°F for the fresh-food section and 0°F for the freezer. If the display shows an error code, write it down. It helps our technician bring the right parts.
2. Clean the condenser coil
This is the most common cause we find. On most built-ins the condenser is at the top, behind the grille above the doors, not at the back like a regular refrigerator. Dust, lint and pet hair build up on the coil, the refrigerator cannot get rid of heat, and cooling slowly gets worse. With the power off, remove the top grille and gently vacuum the coil with a brush attachment. Do not bend the fins. Hot summers make this worse, so cleaning the coil once or twice a year is good maintenance.
3. Listen to the fans
A built-in has a condenser fan at the top and one or more evaporator fans inside. Open the freezer door and press the door switch with your finger: in most models you should hear a fan running inside. At the top you should hear the condenser fan when the compressor runs. If the compressor hums but a fan is silent or grinding, the fan motor has likely failed. That is a common and fairly simple repair.
4. Look for frost on the back wall
Take a look at the back wall of the freezer, or behind the panel if your model lets you see the evaporator. A thick layer of white frost or ice means the defrost system is not working: a heater, a sensor or a defrost control has failed. The coil turns into a block of ice, and cold air can no longer move into the fresh-food section. A sign of this is a freezer that still feels cold while the refrigerator side gets warm. You can unplug the refrigerator for a day to melt the ice as a temporary fix, but the problem will come back until the failed part is replaced.
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Talk to a local technician or pick a time online. Service calls from $65, waived if you go ahead with the repair.
5. Check the door gaskets and the doors
Built-in doors are wide and heavy, and over time the hinges can sag or the gaskets can tear. Close the door on a dollar bill in a few spots: if it slides out with no resistance, the seal is weak. Check that the doors close on their own and that nothing inside, such as a tall bottle or a drawer, is keeping them open. A small air leak makes the refrigerator run all the time and can also cause frost and water on the floor.
6. Give it time after a power outage
After a power outage or after the refrigerator was turned off, a built-in can take several hours to come back to temperature, especially if it is full of warm food. Keep the doors closed and check the temperature again in four to six hours before deciding something is wrong.
When it is a sealed-system problem
If the compressor runs, the fans run, the coil is clean and there is no frost, but the refrigerator still does not cool, the problem may be in the sealed system: the compressor, a refrigerant leak or a restriction in the lines. These repairs need special tools and training. The good news is that a built-in is usually worth repairing. Our technicians recently rebuilt the full sealed system on a built-in KitchenAid side-by-side in about four hours, and it costs far less than a new built-in plus new cabinet work.
When you call, it helps to have the brand, the model number (usually on a label inside the fresh-food section or behind the top grille) and any error code on the display.
Built-in refrigerator repair in Anaheim Hills
Call us if your built-in refrigerator is warm but the freezer still works, the compressor runs but nothing gets cold, you see heavy frost on the back wall, or the refrigerator is leaking water. Our technicians repair all major brands, including built-in models like Sub-Zero, KitchenAid, Thermador and GE Monogram.
Service calls for built-in refrigerators are $85, and the fee is waived when you go ahead with the repair. Same-day and next-day visits are available.
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