Why Isn't My Maytag Plus Refrigerator Getting Cold?

Temperature Settings

• The first place to check when you notice your Maytag Plus isn’t as cold as it should be is the temperature settings. Find the temperature dial inside the fresh food compartment, and make sure it is turned down at least to the recommended cooling level. If the setting is too high, the system may not cool enough to preserve your food. If adjusting the dial isn’t helping within an hour or so, you need to investigate further.

Gaskets or Open Doors

• If you have children -- or adults -- in the house who like to stare into the fridge to find something to eat, then you may have a very simple explanation for your cooling problems. If the refrigerator door is open too often, cold air escapes and the temperature rises. Cold air also could be escaping because you have a poor seal on the door gasket. If the rubber gasket that keeps the refrigerator airtight is torn, dirty or otherwise damaged, cold air can escape, raising the internal temperature. This also makes the compressor run too often, it wears out the refrigerator sooner, and it wastes electricity. Replace, repair or clean the gaskets if you suspect this could be the cause.

Compressor Problems

• Although a refrigerator’s compressor should last many years, it eventually wears out. This is the most important component of the cooling system because it compresses the refrigerant and makes it possible for the gas to expand and chill the evaporator coil in the freezer, creating the cold. If the compressor never runs, this is obviously the problem. Unfortunately it is very expensive to repair a compressor, and it might be time to look into a new refrigerator. If you hear clicking coming from the compressor every few minutes and it doesn’t start, the problem could be with the start relay, which is a much easier repair.

Condenser Problems

• The condenser coils on the bottom or backside of your Maytag Plus can get dusty and grimy. This affects the ability of the refrigerator to release heat from the refrigerant into the air around the unit, which then affects cooling capability. Clean these coils at least once a year -- more, if your home is unusually dusty.

Heavy Frost

• Heavy frosting on the evaporator coil in the freezer could be the result of a faulty automatic defrost system. When the frost builds up, it can interfere with the evaporator fan so that the air circulating throughout the unit may not be as cold as it needs to be for proper food storage.