Hitachi Refrigerator Not Cooling [How to Fix]

Is your Hitachi refrigerator not cooling? Read our guide to learn quick and easy ways to fix a Hitachi refrigerator with cooling problems…

Hitachi refrigerator not cooling
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Why Is My Hitachi Refrigerator Not Cooling?

If your Hitachi refrigerator is not cooling, check the following:

1. Doors

Check the doors of the refrigerator to ensure they close properly. If they don’t close properly, check the gaskets to be sure they are still functioning. Open refrigerator doors will let in too much warm or humid air and that will reduce the coolness within the refrigerator.

Also, curtail the number of times you open the refrigerator daily. If you often open it or hold it open for too long, it will affect how cool the refrigerator gets or how quickly it cools.

In light of the above, clean the door gasket if it is dirty. Use warm soapy water and a soft brush to remove the stubborn and old stains. If cleaning the gasket does not work, replace it and see if it fixes the problem. Ensure you use the refrigerator’s model number to buy a replacement gasket.

You may also want to check the door hinge, especially if you recently removed or replaced the door. Incorrect installation can keep the door from fully closing, which affects its cooling capacity. Also, age or too much items in the door bins may weaken the hinge and cause the door to sag. Consequetly, the refrigerator loses cold air.

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Therefore, remove and reinstall the door, ensuring to fix the hinge correct. Follow the instructions in the installation manual to install it. If it is weak, get a replacement hinge or contact the Hitachi Service Center for further assistance.

2. Location

Check where you placed the refrigerator. If it is getting hit by sunlight at all times of the day, it will affect the speed at which it cools. This is especially true if it is summertime. The same applies for other heat sources, such as a radiator. You may have to move the refrigerator to another part of the house.

However, if that is not possible, use curtais to reduce the heat from the sun or use the radiator less often. Be mindful of its proximity to the refrigerator if it applies.

Every refrigerator functions best at a specific room temperature. If the room is too cold, it may have the same effect on the appliance as when it is too hot. Therefore, you must keep the room conducive for the refrigerator to function optimally.

3. Temperature Control

Check the temperature control of the refrigerator to ensure you set the temperature at the right place. If the temperature is too high, it will explain the lack of coolness in the unit. Set the temperatures of both the freezer and the fridge to standard points.

4. Air Vents

Check the air vents to be sure they are properly open. Also, be sure nothing is blocking them. Blocked air vents mean that the cool air flowing within the refrigerator reduces. This, in turn, reduces the coolness in the refrigerator.

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There are components that could be faulty, causing a reduction in the coolness in the refrigerator. They are:

5. Evaporator Fan

If the fan, which is behind the rear panel of the freezer, is not working properly, check the motor. Open the panel, remove the clip that mounts the fan assembly, remove the blades and wire harness.

Remove the motor from behind the blades and put the new one in its place. Remount the blades and the clip to hold it up.

The evaporator fan blows air over the evaporator coil to cool it. Then, it pushes air through the freezer and fridge compartments to keep them cool.

6. Evaporator Coils

If there is ice on the coils, thaw them by manually defrosting the refrigerator. But you should know that this means the defrost system is not functioning properly if the model has an automatic defrost system.

Test each component to determine the faulty one: defrost timer, defrost heater, and defrost thermostat. If everything seems to be in good working condition, test the defrost control board.

7. Condenser Fan

Check the functionality of the fan by checking if the blades are spinning well. Debris can clog them and make them not spin well. If they are, change the motor because it is bad.

A condenser fan keeps the refrigerator cool by keeping the compressor from overheating. But if your model has the coils on the back of the refrigerator, then it won’t have a fan.

Learn how to fix a Hitachi refrigerator that is not cooling by watching this video…

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Hitachi Refrigerator Freezer Not Cooling – Quick Fix

If the fridge section of your Hitachi refrigerator is cooling but the freezer section is not, check if freon is leaking. Remove the rear panel inside your freezer and check the coils. If they are not evenly frosted over, freon is leaking.

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Contact Hitachi to report the issue or call a qualified service agent to check this problem and advise you on what to do.

But most modern refrigerators don’t use freon anymore. So the most plausible problem is an overheated compressor. You will hear a clicking sound and if you touch the compressor, it will feel hot. It could also mean the compressor start relay or capacitor is faulty.

If the compressor is hot, this means the condenser fan is not operating well and needs replacement.

Then, check the relay and capacitor. With a multimeter, check the 3 pins on the compressor that connect it to the relay. If the pins’ continuity is good, then the relay is the problem.  You need to change it.

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