Top 7 Reasons Your Refrigerator Runs All the Time
Is your refrigerator a marathoner: it runs constantly?
If so, that’s an obvious waste of energy, and causes lots of needless wear and tear to accumulate on your refrigerator. A refrigerator that runs constantly can be distracting and annoying, too.
When your service tech tackles the problem, it’s likely that one of 7 common causes will be found to be the culprit.
#1. Can’t Maintain Proper Freezer Temperature
Your refrigerator is designed to keep the freezer compartment at or below 10 degrees F. And sometimes a problem may prevent the refrigerator from maintaining that temperature. But it will nevertheless work tirelessly (run continuously!) to achieve the desired temperature.
Common problems that may prevent the unit from maintaining proper freezer temp include:
- Evaporator coil frosted over
- Refrigerant leak
- Dirty condenser coils
- Bad door seals
#2. Faulty Heater Assembly
The defrost heater assembly is designed to cycle on periodically to melt any frost that may be accumulating on the evaporator coils. But if the heater unit fails, frost that continues to accumulate on coils may prevent proper cooling.
#3. Failed Defrost Thermostat
The defrost thermostat controls the cycle of melting frost that’s accumulating on the evaporator coils. If the thermostat fails, the heater assembly will not be activated when needed. The resulting buildup of frost will eventually inhibit proper cooling.
#4. Leaky Door
A very common cause of refrigerators running constantly is leaky door gaskets. Gaps in the door seal permit warm, humid air to enter the refrigerator. This creates a domino effect of problems, including evaporator coils that accumulate frost faster than the heater can remove.
#5. Failed Evaporator Fan Motor
It’s the job of the evaporator fan motor to move cold air generated in the evaporator coils into the interior of the refrigerator. If this fan fails, the unit may still be generating cold air, but the air can’t be moved into the refrigerator.
A telltale sign of this problem is a unit that has a cold freezer department with a warm refrigerator department.
#6. Failed Condenser Fan Motor
The condenser fan cools the condenser coils. If the fan stops running the condenser will eventually fail to perform properly. Occasionally the fix may be as simple as clearing debris that has accumulated around the fan blades.
#7. Dirty Condenser Coils
The condenser coils must be kept clean to work most efficiently. If dirt and dust accumulates on the coils, the refrigerator will have to work harder to maintain proper temperatures. Very dirty coils can cause the refrigerator to run constantly.