GE Refrigerator Not Cooling?

GE refrigerators should be set to 37°F for the fresh food section and 0°F for the freezer. On models with a turbo cool or turbo freeze button, press it to temporarily boost cooling. Check that the controls haven’t been bumped to the OFF position.

On most GE models, the condenser coils are behind a bottom front grille or on the back of the unit. Snap off the grille at the bottom, use a coil cleaning brush or vacuum with a crevice tool to remove dust and pet hair. GE recommends cleaning coils every 6–12 months, especially if you have pets.

GE refrigerators have a condenser fan next to the compressor at the back bottom. If it’s not running when the compressor is on, the fan motor may have failed or something may be blocking the blade. The fan must run for the condenser to cool the refrigerant.

Put your ear near the back bottom of the fridge. You should hear a low humming when the compressor runs. If you hear a click followed by a buzz every few minutes, the compressor is trying to start but can’t. This usually means the start relay or overload protector has failed.

If there's heavy ice buildup on the back wall inside the freezer, the defrost system has failed. GE refrigerators use a defrost heater, defrost thermostat, and defrost timer (or electronic defrost control). A failed defrost heater is the most common issue.