Not Cooling
Frigidaire Refrigerator
Severity: CriticalWhat Does This Error Mean?
If your Frigidaire refrigerator is not cooling, clean the condenser coils under or behind the fridge first. Dirty coils are the most common and easiest to fix cause of cooling failures on Frigidaire refrigerators.
Affected Models
- Frigidaire French Door Refrigerator
- Frigidaire Side-by-Side Refrigerator
- Frigidaire Top Freezer Refrigerator
- Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator
- Frigidaire Professional Refrigerator
Common Causes
- Dirty condenser coils under the fridge restricting heat dissipation
- Evaporator fan motor failed — SY EF error
- Defrost system failed — evaporator iced over
- Condenser fan motor failed — SY CF error
- Compressor start relay failed
- Door gasket worn allowing warm air in
How to Fix It
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Clean the condenser coils.
Unplug the fridge. Locate the condenser coils — on most Frigidaire models they are underneath the fridge behind the front kick plate. Remove the kick plate and use a condenser cleaning brush or vacuum to clear all dust and debris. Dirty coils reduce cooling efficiency dramatically.
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Check the evaporator fan.
Open the freezer and press the door switch to simulate a closed door. The evaporator fan behind the rear panel should start. If the compressor runs but the fan does not, see the Frigidaire SY EF error guide.
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Manually defrost the evaporator.
Remove the rear panel in the freezer. If a heavy sheet of ice covers the evaporator coils, the defrost system has failed. Unplug the fridge for 24 hours with all doors open, then restart.
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Check the temperature settings.
Confirm the fridge is set to 37°F (3°C) and the freezer to 0°F (-18°C). Adjust if the settings were accidentally changed.
When to Call a Professional
If cleaning the coils and manually defrosting the evaporator do not restore cooling, the compressor start relay, defrost heater, or compressor itself has failed — call a Frigidaire-authorised service technician.