Why Your Refrigerator Keeps Running [Plus Solution]

 

There are several reasons why your refrigerator will keep running. And except you’re using one of those trendy commercial refrigerators that only stop running once or twice in a day, then there’s a fair chance that all isn’t well with a fridge that keeps running.

That being said, your refrigerator may be running continuously because of a pet fur on the condenser coils, a fading compressor, a leaky gasket, or a faulty fan or thermostat.

In this article, we will help you identify the reason why your fridge keeps running and will also suggest likely solutions to correct these issues.

Simple Reasons Why Your Refrigerator Keeps Running

Many people begin to think of all the possible technical reasons when their refrigerator doesn’t stop running. But, in some cases, the cause may be quite simple.

For instance, your refrigerator may keep running because it is being exposed to or it is under direct sunlight.

Moreover, fridges tend to run frequently in areas that have warm climates than areas than in colder climates. This is because fridges tend to do more work in cooling items when it is in a climate with higher ambient temperature than otherwise.

Also, if you have a habit of keeping warm foods in your refrigerator, then you clearly have been contributing to why your fridge keeps running.

In addition to this, if you love opening your fridge every minute to grab a snack or a bowl of vegetables, it won’t stop running. When you open the door, you let some cool air out. If you keep doing this often, your refrigerator would keep trying to keep the fridge cold.

In short, it always helps to keep your refrigerator away from warm environments both internally and externally. And you should grab everything you need just once or twice.

Technical Reasons Why Your Refrigerator Keeps Running

1. Dirty condenser coils

If the condenser coil of your refrigerator has a buildup of dust and dirt, your refrigerator won’t cool down properly. The function of the condenser coils is to remove heat from the fridge. As mentioned above, when it becomes difficult to get heat out, your refrigerator doesn’t stop cooling.

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2. Faulty defrost timer

The defrost timer is responsible for telling the refrigerator when to start the defrost cycle. So, if your timer is faulty, ice will buildup in the refrigerator. When this happens, the refrigerator constantly runs. So, you should check your defrost timer if you notice that your refrigerator is constantly running.

3. Damaged door gasket

The main function of the gasket is to seal the refrigerator. So, if the door gasket of your refrigerator is broken, your refrigerator would lose air. As mentioned above, the longer and more frequently you open your refrigerator door, the faster it loses cool air. When this happens, your refrigerator tries to keep things cold, and never stops running.

4. There’s an issue with the freezer temperature

So, your freezer has stopped getting cold and your refrigerator is always running. If your freezer is above 10⁰F, your freezer would keep running. In this case, check the condenser coils and also change the temperature settings.

5. Faulty defrost heater

The heater is responsible for melting ice that gets on the evaporator coils. Ice will buildup on the evaporator coils of your refrigerator is the defrost heater is bad. As a result, your refrigerator won’t stop running.

Other technical reasons why your refrigerator keeps running include faulty evaporator fan motor, damaged main control board, faulty evaporator fan motor, and a bad defrost control board.

 

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How to Fix a Refrigerator That Keeps Running

Now that you know why your refrigerator is always running, you have to know how to fix it.

Listed below is what you should do when you notice that your refrigerator keeps running:

1. Clean the condenser coils with a condenser coil cleaning brush and/or a condenser coil cleaning liquid periodically. This should be done when there’s an issue with your freezer temperature and when the coils are dirty.
2. Manually adjust your faulty defrost timer by turning a screw in the center using a screwdriver.
3. Using a meter, test the refrigerator defrost heater. This would tell you if it’s faulty and needs a change.
4. Test the thermostat of your refrigerator regularly. So, you’ll know when it stops working. You can do this by setting it to the low-temperature settings and observing the results.

Note: If there’s no technical problem, get your fridge out of the sun. Also, don’t keep hot items in your refrigerator. Instead, leave them outside to cool before placing them in the refrigerator.

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A Quick Recap!

To answer your question ‘why does my refrigerator keep running?’ in a few words.

There are various reasons your refrigerator may be running all the time. Immediately you notice, observe the internal and external environment of your refrigerator. If there are no problems there, then check for technical causes.

In conclusion, getting your refrigerator away from heat and ensuring it stays as cold as it should be would keep your refrigerator functioning properly.