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Fridge freezer not cooling? Check these first

Five checks before you call anyone — including us.

A warm fridge feels like an emergency, and sometimes it is. But a surprising share of "broken" fridge freezers are nothing of the sort. Run through these five checks first — they cost nothing and take about ten minutes.

1. Is it actually getting power?

Check the interior light comes on. If not: is the plug loose, has the socket switch been knocked, has a trip gone in the fuse box? Fridges share kitchens with kettles and toasters — sockets get bumped and switched more often than you'd think.

2. Has the thermostat been knocked?

The temperature dial or digital control sits exactly where bottles and boxes get shoved. A dial nudged to its warmest setting — or a "holiday mode" switched on accidentally — is one of the most common phantom breakdowns there is. Aim for roughly 3–4°C in the fridge and −18°C in the freezer.

3. Are the vents inside blocked?

Cold air moves between freezer and fridge through small internal vents. A fridge packed solid — especially with something pressed against the back wall or the vents — can't circulate air, and warm patches appear even though the machine is working perfectly. Leave some breathing room and give it a few hours.

4. Check the door seals

Close the door on a strip of paper: if it slides out easily, the seal isn't gripping there. Dirty or perished seals let warm air leak in constantly, so the machine runs hot and hard. Clean the seals with warm soapy water first — a genuinely worn seal is a cheap, quick repair.

5. Is it iced up or dusty underneath?

Heavy frost inside a frost-free freezer suggests the defrost system is struggling — and a thick coat of dust on the coils at the back or underneath makes any fridge work far harder than it should. Unplug it and give the coils a careful vacuum; you'd be amazed what this fixes.

Still warm after all five?

Then something real is going on — commonly the compressor, a fan, or the defrost system — and it needs someone qualified. Tell us what you've found (mentioning you've done these checks genuinely helps us quote accurately) and we'll confirm a fixed price before anything is booked. More guides here.