The freezer is cold but the fridge is warm — what does that mean?

Almost always airflow rather than cooling. The cold is being generated but not delivered: the evaporator behind the freezer back panel has iced over, or the fan that moves that air into the fridge has failed. Both are repairable, which is why this is the good version of the fault.

Should I just get it regassed?

Be cautious. A sealed system does not lose refrigerant in normal use, so a genuine loss means a leak that has to be found and repaired, not just topped up. Working with F gas without the correct qualifications is against the law, and on many domestic fridges the economics point at replacement.

Is the food still safe?

Judge it on temperature and time, not appearance. Chilled food needs to be kept cold, and anything high-risk that has sat warm for hours should be thrown away rather than risked. Move what you can to another fridge or a cool box while the fault is diagnosed.

Is it worth repairing or should I replace it?

Fans, defrost heaters, thermostats and sensors are usually worth repairing. A failed compressor or a refrigerant leak on a domestic fridge freezer often is not. Also check whether the appliance is still within its warranty or the six-year window for a claim over goods that were not of satisfactory quality.

Caution

Updated 30 August 2026

Fridge Not Cooling But The Light Is On

The fridge has power and the interior light works, but the food is warm — which rules out the obvious and narrows it to four things.

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Appliance repair work, illustrative image

What's happening?

A working light proves the appliance has power, so the fault is inside the cooling system rather than at the socket. On a fridge freezer, the most common cause is not the compressor at all: the evaporator behind the back panel of the freezer ices up, the fan that pushes cold air into the fridge compartment either fails or gets blocked by that ice, and the fridge warms while the freezer stays cold. Next most likely is a defrost fault, which is what allowed the ice to build up in the first place. Then there are the thermostat and the control board. A failed compressor or a refrigerant leak is the least common and the most serious, because sealed system work is regulated and often uneconomic. That is why the pattern of which compartment is warm matters so much.

What usually causes it?

A frosted-over evaporator behind the freezer back panel, blocking airflow to the fridge
A failed evaporator fan — no airflow into the fridge when the door switch is held closed
A defrost fault, meaning the heater, defrost thermostat or timer is not clearing frost
Condenser coils or the compressor compartment choked with dust at the back or underneath
A faulty thermostat or temperature sensor, so the compressor never runs long enough
Door seals not sealing, letting warm moist air in and driving continuous frosting
Overpacking, or vents inside the cabinet blocked by food pushed against the back wall
A refrigerant leak or failed compressor — the sealed system fault, and the least common

Is it dangerous?

The food is the immediate issue: chilled food held above 8°C is a food safety problem, and a fridge that has been warm for hours needs its contents assessed rather than assumed. Electrically, a fridge that trips the RCD or smells hot should be unplugged. The bigger point is about repairs: the sealed system holds refrigerant, and modern domestic fridges commonly use isobutane, which is flammable. Never puncture the pipework, and understand that F gas work is qualification-controlled — GOV.UK states it is against the law to work with F gas without the correct qualifications.

Can I fix it myself?

The useful checks are all external. Note which compartment is warm and whether the freezer is still cold, since that single fact points at airflow rather than the compressor. Pull the appliance out and vacuum the condenser coils and the compressor area — dust here is a real and common cause. Check the door seals by closing the door on a sheet of paper and seeing whether it drags when pulled. Make sure the cabinet is not overpacked and the internal vents are clear, and check the temperature dial has not been knocked. Take everything out and leave the doors open for a full defrost, then see whether it cools again — if it does, you have a defrost fault, not a dead compressor.

When should you call an appliance repair engineer?

Call an appliance engineer when a full defrost restores cooling only temporarily, when the fridge is warm but the freezer is fine, when you can hear no fan with the door switch held in, or when the compressor is running constantly without cooling. Call urgently if the appliance trips the electrics or smells hot. Sealed system work needs the right qualifications, so ask about that specifically rather than accepting a general offer to regas a domestic fridge.

What will the appliance repair engineer actually do?

Establish which compartments are warm and take actual temperatures rather than working from the dial
Remove the freezer back panel to inspect the evaporator for frosting and test the fan and door switch
Test the defrost circuit — heater, defrost thermostat and timer or board control
Check the condenser, compressor and thermostat, and measure running current at the compressor
Test the door seals and check for a cabinet or hinge problem driving continuous frosting
Repair the fan, defrost or thermostat fault, or advise replacement where the sealed system has failed

Which compartment is warm tells you the cost

Before anyone quotes, work out the pattern. It separates the repairs that are worth doing from the ones that usually end an appliance, and it stops a fan fault being sold as a dead compressor.

Fridge warm, freezer cold — airflow: iced evaporator, failed fan or a defrost fault. Repairable.
Both warm, compressor silent — thermostat, sensor, board or a start relay. Usually repairable.
Both warm, compressor running constantly — refrigerant loss or a blocked system. Often uneconomic.
Cools after a full manual defrost, then fails again — a defrost circuit fault. Repairable.
Trips the RCD or smells hot — unplug it and treat it as electrical before anything else.

Frequently asked questions

We’re happy to answer all your questions.

Sources & References

Freezer Iced Up At The BackLow risk Dishwasher Not Draining Or Leaving Dishes DirtyLow risk Fridge Or Freezer To Dispose OfCaution

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