Hotpoint Refrigerator Not Cooling [What To Do]

Looking for ways to solve the problem of your Hotpoint refrigerator not cooling? This article will show you how to solve it easily and quickly.

Table of Contents

Hotpoint Refrigerator and Freezer Not Cooling – How to Fix

If your Hotpoint refrigerator and freezer sections are not cooling, check the following parts of the unit:

1. Condenser Fan Motor

First of all, check if anything is obstructing the blades of the fan. The fan is located close to the compressor, so it is easy to reach. If something is obstructing them, remove it and clean the blades. But if nothing obstructs the blades, turn them manually. If they turn without any hitch, the motor is fine, but if they don’t spin freely, it is bad and needs to be replaced.

However, if the blades are free of obstructions and turn without a hitch, test the motor of the fan with a multimeter for continuity. If there is none, replace the motor.

If the condenser fan cannot draw air through the condenser coils and over the compressor, the refrigerator will not be able to cool well.

2. Condenser Coils

Check how clean the condenser coils are. If they are dirty, they won’t be able to effectively release the heat from the refrigerator. They are usually in the open, close to where the compressor is, so they are prone to get dirty.

Vacuum them with low suction power using the soft brush head of your vacuum. Remove any remaining dust with a soft brush or cloth when you are done.

3. Evaporator Fan Motor

Test the motor of the fan by spinning the blades. If they don’t spin freely, the motor has a problem and should be replaced. And if the motor has a strange noise, it is bad. In addition, to be sure the motor has a problem, test its windings with a multimeter for continuity. If there is no continuity, change the motor.

If the evaporator fan does not draw air over the cooling coils and circulate it in the refrigerator, there will be no cold air in the unit. Therefore, it will not cool.

4. Evaporator Coils

The coils are behind the rear panel in the freezer section; you must remove the freezer contents, including the shelves and racks, to reach the panel. Unthread the screws holding them in place and inspect the coils. If there is a significant amount of frost on them, the appliance’s defrost system is unresponsive, and you must defrost the coils.

Unplug the refrigerator and leave the freezer door open to defrost the coils. This may take a few hours, depending on the ice level. Another method is using a hair dryer, but although it is faster, it is dangerous because of water and electricity. Afterward, troubleshoot the defrost system components to determine which is faulty.

The evaporator coils release cold air for the refrigerator to cool when the evaporator fan spreads the cold air. But if there is a large amount of ice on them, the air is restricted, and the freezer stops cooling.

The same applies to the refrigerator because the cold air flows to the refrigerator from the freezer, although the latter section requires more compressor run time to cool. The defrost system should ensure the coils never freeze, but they can if there is excessive ice buildup and the system cannot keep up, or the defrost components are defective.

5. Start Relay

The relay helps the compressor to run. To check if the relay is bad, remove it and shake it. If you hear a rattle, then the relay is bad. Additionally, if there is a burnt smell, it means the relay has burned and needs a replacement.

Without the relay, the compressor is likely not to run; if the compressor doesn’t run, the refrigerator will not work.

6. Thermistor

Test its resistance with a multimeter to check if the thermistor is defective. The resistance should change as the temperature of the refrigerator changes. If you don’t see this, the thermistor is bad and needs to be changed.

The thermistor keeps an eye on the refrigerator’s temperature and sends what it reads to the control board. The board sends power to the evaporator fan and compressor to run effectively. If the thermistor cannot do this, the fan and compressor won’t run and the refrigerator won’t cool.

7. Temperature Control Thermostat

When you turn the thermostat from the lowest to the highest setting, and you don’t hear a click, you know it is bad and needs to be replaced.

The thermostat moves voltage to the compressor and fans. These parts help the refrigerant to work properly. If they don’t get enough voltage, the refrigerant won’t work, and the refrigerator won’t cool.

8. Start Capacitor

Test the start capacitor with a multimeter to check for continuity. If you find no continuity, the capacitor is bad and should be replaced.

The start capacitor sends a power boost to the compressor when it is about to start up. If the capacitor is bad, it is highly unlikely the compressor will start.

You may also want to check the main control board because it controls the entire refrigerator function. If it becomes faulty, the cooling system can stop working. If nothing else seems to work, contact the Hotpoint Service Center to report the issue, request service, or hire an independent technician for further assistance.

The video below shows how to fix a Hotpoint fridge freezer that is not cooling visually…

Check out these other articles on refrigerators not cooling for other brands…

Hotpoint Refrigerator Not Cooling But Freezer Works – Solutions

If your Hotpoint fridge is not cooling, but you find that the freezer is cooling, take a look at the following parts and fix them accordingly if they are the problem:

1. Evaporator Fan Motor

Turn the fan’s blades or listen for any unusual noise from the motor. The motor is bad if the blades don’t turn freely or you hear a noise. But if the motor is not running, test its windings with a multimeter for continuity. And if you find none, change the motor.

If the motor is defective, the fan will not be able to draw cold air over the evaporator coils and circulate it in the unit. So while the freezer could remain cold, the refrigerator will grow warm as time goes by.

2. Air Damper

Check the damper between the fresh food section and the freezer to see if it is fully open. If it is not, then you should have it changed. This is because if the damper doesn’t open fully, cold air cannot pass from the freezer to the fridge. This will leave the fridge section warm.

3. Evaporator Coils

Take a look behind the rear panel of the freezer section. If the coils have frost on them, then the flow of air to the fridge section will be restricted, causing it not to cool. Thaw the frost by manually defrosting the refrigerator or using another safe heat source on the coils.

But get someone qualified to assess the defrost assembly because the frosted evaporator coils mean that one or more of the defrost assembly is bad.

4. Condenser Fan

Check the fan blades to see if they are free of obstruction. If they are obstructed, they won’t be able to cool the compressor, and the refrigerator’s temperature will increase. Clean the blades well and then spin them.

If they don’t spin well, the motor of the fan is bad and needs to be replaced. But if they spin well yet the fan is not working, test the motor with a multimeter for continuity. If you don’t find any continuity, replace the motor with a new one.

If the freezer section of your Hotpoint refrigerator is not cooling, you can also check the same parts above for faults.

In addition to the above, if your freezer is not cooling, check the start relay attached to the compressor. The relay is bad if you hear a rattle when you shake it. Replace it with a new one; it is affordable and easy to do.

And check the condenser coils for dirt if they are not located within the wall of the unit. Clean them with a vacuum brush head and dust them clean. Dirty condenser coils will not effectively release heat from the refrigerant, causing the unit to heat up and not cool.

Important Note

These steps apply to all models and types of Hotpoint refrigerators – bottom freezer, French door, side-by-side and so on.

If you find that fixing none of the above gets your Hotpoint refrigerator cooling again, contact the Hotpoint Service Center or call a trusted and qualified technician to find out what the problem is and fix it.

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