Magic Chef mini-fridges are known to be portable, durable, and efficient, but all that becomes obsolete when there’s a cooling problem.
If your Magic Chef mini fridge isn’t cooling, we understand that it could be annoying and frustrating, especially when you have foods and fruits you probably want to refrigerate. Don’t fret, neither should you start nursing thoughts of buying a new one.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the cooling problem in a Magic Chef Mini Fridge, its Causes, and how to fix it without the help of a technician.
Magic Chef Mini Fridge Not Cooling: Common Causes
Before delving into troubleshooting or how-to-fix tips, it’s crucial to establish the likely causes of the problem. Your Magic Chef Mini Fridge might not be cooling because of the following reasons
- Frozen Evaporator coils
- Dirty condenser coils
- Clogged air vents
- Faulty components
How To Fix the Problem
Your Magic Chef mini fridge might have a cooling problem because of one of the reasons stated above. However, this problem can easily be fixed. Highlighted below are troubleshooting tips to follow.
1. Check Evaporator coils
Your mini fridge has evaporator coils that are connected to the defrost heater. The coils serve as heat exchangers, release cold air into the refrigerator and change warm air into cold air. However, if the evaporator coils become frozen, airflow will be restricted, and warm air won’t cool down.
The evaporator coils become frozen when the defrost heater, which is designed to melt frost or ice accumulated on the coils, is faulty. If the defrost heater is defective, ice will continue accumulating on the evaporator coils, and the coils will be plugged with frost, thereby preventing the mini-fridge from cooling.
That being said, you can troubleshoot the evaporator coils as follows.
- Check the back of the mini-fridge.
- Search for the evaporator coils( metal lines that resemble a radiator).
- Check for frozen components. If they’re frozen, you should defrost them by changing the thermostat dial to O.
- If the mini-fridge is not defrosting, unplug it from the wall socket.
- Try using a hairdryer to melt the frost away.
The evaporator coils should defrost, and your mini-fridge should start cooling again. If otherwise, continue with the tips below.
2. Check Condenser Coils
The condenser coils work with the fridge compressor. They dissipate heat and turn hot air produced by the compressor into liquid or refrigerant. This refrigerant keeps the mini-fridge cool. However, condenser coils are prone to dirt, and too much dirt can cause malfunction.
When the condenser coils are dirty, it means they can’t dissipate heat, and the fridge won’t get cool. You’ll need to clean them to get your fridge cooling well again. Follow the steps below to clean them.
- Depending on your fridge model, the condenser coils are usually situated under the mini-fridge or at the toe grills behind the fridge( check the user manual to be sure)
- Check if the condenser coils are dirty or rusty.
- Clean the dirt away with a coil brush.
- You can try using a vacuum cleaner as well.
Is your mini-fridge still having cooling issues? Try the next troubleshooting tips.
3. Clear Air Vents
The air vents in your mini-fridge control airflow. They are small holes that run along the inside walls of the fridge.
Air vents keep the smooth airflow in your refrigerator. They help maintain the appropriate temperature so food can stay nice and cold. The air vents can be blocked because of an overstuffed fridge. This traps in warm air and prevents cold air from entering. If there’s too much stuff in your fridge, you’ll need to remove some or organize them properly. The tips below should help in organizing your fridge.
- Plan how, where and method your food items will be placed. But place big items within the middle area.
- Ensure you don’t push food items close when you want to put new things inside.
- Make sure no food item is obstructing the air vents so cold air can circulate in the fridge.
4. Check Defrost Thermometer
The defrost thermometer keeps track of the evaporator coil temperature. It also signals the contacts to close when the temperature falls behind a specific value. Therefore, voltage moves to defrost the heater to melt accumulated ice on the evaporator coils. However, if the defrost thermometer is faulty,
the contact won’t close. How do you check the defrost thermometer for fault?
- Use a thermometer to test for continuity, and if the reading is negative, the thermometer is faulty.
- Replace the thermometer.
5. Check Defrost Timer
The work of the defrost timer is to operate the defrost heater repeatedly to melt away all the frost on evaporator coils. When the timer stops working, ice will continue to accumulate on the coils. This can also cripple the heater power transmission, and the fridge might not give off heat and therefore overheat. You can check the defrost timer for fault with the steps below
- Activate the defrost mode to check if it’s working.
- The defrost timer works well If the compressor switches and the heater switches on.
- If power isn’t transmitted within 30 minutes, the defrost timer is faulty and needs to be replaced.
6. Check Evaporator Fan Motor
If your Magic chef mini fridge can’t cool well, the evaporator fan motor might be faulty. The evaporator fan motor collects cold air and circulates it all through the refrigerator. When the evaporator fan motor becomes defective, it won’t distribute cold air to the fridge compartment, so the fridge can’t get cold. You can check the evaporator fan motor for damages as follows
- Open the back of your fridge.
- Turn the fan blades with your hand.
- If the fan blade doesn’t rotate freely or produces noise while rotating, you’ll have to replace the fan motor.
- If the fan doesn’t rotate at all, check the motor windings for continuity by using a multimeter.
- If it doesn’t show continuity, replace it accordingly.
7. Check Condenser Fan Motor
Another essential part of your mini-fridge is the condenser fan motor. It draws air from the condenser coils and passes it to the compressor. If it’s faulty, the fridge won’t cool properly. You can check the condenser fan motor for damages the same way as the evaporator fan motor. If there’s any damage, you will have to replace it.
8. Check For Other Faulty Components
If your Magic Chef mini fridge still has a cooling problem, then either of the components below might have developed a fault and need to be replaced.
- Start Relay
- Temperature control thermostat
- Start Capacitor
- Temperature control board
- Thermistor
- Compressor
- Main control board.
You might need the help of a technician to check or replace the components as the case may be.
9. Contact Manufacturer Support
If the cooling problem persists after trying all the tips above, please don’t hesitate to contact your manufacturer’s support for further diagnosis.
