Refrigerator repair in Montgomery & Howard County
A refrigerator that stops cooling usually has dirty condenser coils, a failed fan, a defrost fault or a bad start relay. AFZ Appliance Repair fixes major-brand refrigerators at your home in Montgomery and Howard County, MD. Call (240) 758-5566 and tell us what it is doing.
Common refrigerator problems
| What you notice | Usual causes |
|---|---|
| Not cooling, but the light works | Dirty condenser coils, failed condenser or evaporator fan, bad start relay, or a compressor problem |
| Freezer is fine, fresh food side is warm | Frost blocking the air channel from a defrost fault, or a failed evaporator fan |
| Water on the floor or under the crisper drawers | Clogged defrost drain, or a leaking water line or inlet valve |
| Loud buzzing, rattling or squealing | Worn fan motor, ice touching a fan blade, or a struggling compressor |
| Runs all the time | Dirty coils, a door gasket that no longer seals, or a faulty temperature sensor |
| Frost building up on the back wall | Defrost heater, defrost thermostat or control fault |
Check these before you call
- Set the fresh food side to 40°F or below and the freezer to 0°F, the temperatures the FDA recommends.
- Pull the base grille or check behind the unit and vacuum the condenser coils if they are matted with dust.
- Close a dollar bill in the door. If it slides out easily, the gasket is not sealing there.
- Make sure nothing is blocking the vents inside the fresh food compartment.
Types of refrigerators we repair
- French-door refrigerators
- Side-by-side refrigerators
- Top-freezer refrigerators
- Bottom-freezer refrigerators
- Counter-depth refrigerators
- Garage and basement refrigerators
Refrigerator repair by brand
We handle refrigerator repair for Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, GE, KitchenAid, Maytag, Frigidaire and Kenmore, plus Thermador and Viking. Fan motors, defrost parts, control boards and water valves differ between these makers, so the model number tells us which parts fit before we open anything up.
See the full brand list. Our repairs carry a 30-day warranty on labor and parts.
Finding the model number
On refrigerators, the model and serial number are usually on a sticker inside the fresh food compartment, usually on a side wall or the ceiling. Read it to us when you call.
Refrigerator repair near you
Refrigerator repair in Montgomery County
Tight condo kitchens around Silver Spring and North Bethesda often have slim counter-depth refrigerators with little room to breathe, and restricted airflow makes them run warm. Larger homes in Potomac and Olney often keep a second unit in the garage, where dust clogs the coils and summer heat works the compressor harder.
Montgomery County communities
AshtonAspen HillBarnesvilleBeallsvilleBethesdaBoydsBrookevilleBurtonsvilleCabin JohnChevy ChaseClarksburgCloverlyColesvilleDamascusDarnestownDerwoodDickersonFairlandForest GlenFour CornersGaithersburgGarrett ParkGermantownGlen EchoGlenmontHillandaleKensingtonLaytonsvilleMontgomery VillageNorth BethesdaOlneyPoolesvillePotomacRedlandRockvilleSandy SpringSilver SpringSpencervilleTakoma ParkWashington GroveWheatonWhite Oak
Refrigerator repair in Howard County
Many Columbia kitchens have been updated in stages, so a newer refrigerator may be connected to an older water line and saddle valve. In western Howard County, including Glenelg and Woodbine, well water can clog filters and inlet valves, so tell us if your refrigerator's water and ice problems started along with changes in water quality.
Common questions
How long is food safe if my refrigerator stops cooling?
The USDA says a refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours if the door stays closed. After that, move perishables to a cooler with ice.
Is it worth repairing a refrigerator?
Fan, relay, defrost and valve repairs are usually worth doing. A failed sealed system on an old refrigerator often is not. A common rule of thumb is to replace when the repair costs more than half the price of a new unit.
Why is my refrigerator warm when the freezer is cold?
Cold air reaches the fresh food side from the freezer through a channel. Frost in that channel or a dead evaporator fan stops the air, so the freezer stays cold while the refrigerator warms up.
Other repairs
Freezer repairWasher repairDryer repairDishwasher repairOven repairRange and stove repairCooktop repairMicrowave repairIce maker repair
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