A fridge that runs non-stop and still will not hold 4 degrees Celsius is working too hard for the cooling it is producing. In most Hamilton homes the cause is one of five things: dirty condenser coils, a worn door seal, a failed condenser fan, an iced-up evaporator, or a compressor on its way out. The first two you can check tonight.
First, is it actually abnormal?
Fridges made in the last fifteen years run far more than older ones. In July, with a warm kitchen and a door that opens twenty times a day, 80 per cent runtime is normal. What is not normal is a compressor that never stops at all, combined with an interior that is warmer than the 4 degrees Celsius Health Canada recommends. Runtime on its own is not the symptom. Runtime plus a warm fridge is.
Dirty condenser coils
Pull the fridge out and look at the coils, usually at the back or behind a kick plate at the bottom. If they are furry, that is your answer. The coils shed heat, and a blanket of dust stops them doing it. Unplug the fridge, vacuum them with a brush attachment, and give it a day. Households with pets should be doing this twice a year.
A worn door gasket
Shut the door on a sheet of paper and pull it out. If there is no drag, warm room air is leaking in continuously and the fridge is trying to cool the kitchen. Check the whole perimeter, including the bottom corners where gaskets go first. Wiping the seal with warm soapy water sometimes restores enough flex to buy time, but a cracked gasket needs replacing.
A failed condenser fan
That fan sits by the compressor and pulls air across the coils. When it seizes, usually from dust or a failed bearing, the compressor gets no help at all. You will often hear a change: a buzz or rattle from the bottom rear, or nothing where there used to be airflow.
An iced-up evaporator
If the defrost heater or thermostat fails, frost builds on the evaporator behind the freezer wall until air cannot pass through it. The compressor keeps running because the fridge never gets cold, while the freezer packs itself in ice. Take the back panel off the freezer and you will see it straight away.
The compressor
Last on the list because it is last in likelihood. A compressor that has lost efficiency runs continuously and produces less and less cold. It usually runs hot to the touch and may click on and off through a start relay. This is the point where repair versus replace becomes a real conversation, and we will give you a straight answer rather than a sales pitch.
Book it before the food goes
A fridge in this state is using a lot of electricity and heading somewhere worse. We do fridge repair across Hamilton, usually the same day, and a no-cool call goes to the front of the queue. See the towns we cover or call (289) 768-1936.
Common questions
Is it normal for a fridge to run all the time?
A modern fridge runs a long time, often 80 per cent of the day in summer, but it should still cycle off. A compressor that never stops, paired with a fridge that is not reaching 4 degrees Celsius, means something is wrong.
Can dirty condenser coils really cause this?
Yes, and it is the single most common cause we find. Dust and pet hair insulate the coils so heat cannot escape, the compressor runs longer to compensate, and eventually it cannot keep up on a warm day.
Should I replace a fridge that runs constantly?
Not automatically. Coils, a door gasket, a condenser fan or a defrost thermostat are all repairs well under the cost of a new fridge. We diagnose first and tell you honestly if the compressor is the problem, because that is the point where replacing usually wins.
