My freezer is working, but not my fridge. What’s going on?

1. Thermostat is set incorrectly.

Ideally, your refrigerator's temperature should be between 32 to 40°F to perform its best. Sometimes, you may accidentally knock your fridge's thermostat up when food or other items accidentally bump into it.

If your refrigerator remains warm even if your freezer works properly, make sure your fridge's thermostat is still within that range. If it isn’t, and you notice it has gone down, try to set it again.

If you encounter that same problem several times, hire an appliance repair professional to look at your fridge. There may be a bigger problem with the thermostat.

2. Malfunctioning defrost system.

Some older refrigerators need a defrost system to work properly. It consists of a thermostat, a timer, and a heater.

When the refrigerator coils become too cold, the defrost timer signals the heater to melt excess ice buildup. The thermostat should prompt the heater to turn off when the coils return to their usual temperature. If it doesn't, your entire fridge will get too hot.

Once you confirm you have a faulty defrost system, it’s best to call a professional. They will have the instruments needed to test the thermostat.

3. Dirty condenser coils.

This can be a common problem with fridges. Your refrigerator needs the help of condenser coils to cool it properly. If you live in a particularly dusty place (or if you have pets at home), you should clean the coils every 2-3 months.

Check the condenser coils to see if they're covered with dust, spiderwebs, grease, and other debris. If so, your condenser coils may be having a hard time trying to cool your fridge.

Consult your owner's manual for instructions on how to clean your refrigerator coils. Each refrigerator may have different cleaning methods, depending on the brand and model of your refrigerator.

Related: How to clean your refrigerator coils.

4. Broken evaporator fan.

Aside from the condenser coils, your refrigerator has another set called evaporator coils located in a panel behind the freezer.

Refrigerant, which runs through the coils and turns into gas, keeps the refrigerator cool. An evaporator fan draws air from these coils and spreads them through the entire unit.

If the evaporator fan is broken, cool air won’t get blown through the coils and circulate. As a result, your refrigerator won’t work properly. The coils are near the freezer, so it can be pretty cold there — even if your fridge isn’t cool at all.

If you think there could be a problem with your fan, call a fridge repair professional immediately. They'll check and replace the evaporator fan motor if needed.

5. Frosted evaporator coils.

If your refrigerator fan stops working, your evaporator coils could also end up frosting over, resulting in your refrigerator not cooling. To troubleshoot this problem, do the following:

• Remove the back panel of your freezer.
• Look inside to see if your coils are frosted.
• If they're frosted, empty out your freezer.
• Unplug the unit, and let the coils defrost for a couple of days.

If this happens again, you may need to call a technician to check your coils. Sometimes, your coils are frosting over because of a malfunctioning defrost heater assembly or a broken defrost thermostat.

6. Temperature control board issues.

Several more modern refrigerator models have a temperature control board (also called the main control board or PCB board) instead of evaporator coils. It monitors your fridge's temperature and prompts the fan motors and compressor to cool the fridge when the temperature rises. It's also the one that controls the defrost cycle.

When the temperature control board has a problem, like misreading the temperature sensors, it could lead to your refrigerator malfunctioning.

Diagnosing and repairing the temperature control board requires an expert's knowledge. Consider hiring a professional near you to diagnose, repair, or replace your faulty temperature control board.

7. Faulty damper control assembly.

A refrigerator damper allows cold air to flow from your freezer to the refrigerator. Refrigerator dampers are usually triggered by thermostats or timers. The damper opens or closes depending on the temperature of the air in the fridge or when the timer prompts it to. Sometimes, it could be a combination of both those things.

When the damper control assembly is faulty or stuck, it could restrict airflow, preventing cool air from reaching your refrigerator.

To fix this issue, first locate the damper (which is a small flap). Look for the vent where the circulation fan blows air over the evaporator coils into the refrigerator. It's usually located at the top of the fridge or the back panel near the top.

Next, hold your hand in front of the vent. If you can’t feel any air flowing from the freezer to the fridge, then the damper may be stuck in a closed position.

You can try removing the vent opening damper. If you can't access this part of your fridge, contact a pro for help.

Hire a pro to repair your refrigerator.

If you still can't figure out why your freezer is cold, but your refrigerator isn't, you need to hire a professional. Download the Thumbtack app, where you can see top-rated refrigerator repair pros near you and get free cost estimates.