# Fridge Problems **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 28, 2021, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084 "2021-05-28T12:35:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/62 "2021-06-21T20:28:14Z")
Buy a small dorm refrigerator during the Prime Day sales and make do with it til you get in a better apt/location/situation. A dorm fridge is small enough that it can be easily delivered by Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, etc and you should be able to find one around a hundred dollars and then just take it with you when you move. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/63 "2021-06-21T20:29:03Z")
I am sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I forget about jerks like that. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2021, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/64 "2021-06-21T20:44:49Z")
The fridge/food thing is not even in the Top 10 list of my problems, but I appreciate you and everyone else, because some suggestions could have worked. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/65 "2021-06-28T18:33:34Z")
Usually not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/66 "2021-06-28T18:39:37Z")
How long has the fridge been plugged back in? I’d let it run over night and check it again. If it’s still too warm, maybe a condenser fan motor is bad. If the condenser is clean and the fan is blowing ok, it’s probably low on coolant or a bad compressor. If it’s either of those, fridge should be replaced. ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/67 "2021-06-29T06:29:14Z")
If I understand correctly, the refrigerator was only unplugged for 10 hours. If this is so, time was wasted. It needs at least 24 hours. Big blocks of ice take a while to melt. I would expect at least 5 gallons of water after the melting of the ice, so be prepared to mop up quite a few times. Were the coils in the front of the fridge ever vacuumed out? If not, now is a good time to do this important step. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/68 "2021-06-29T10:07:13Z")
10 hrs? No wonder it didn’t work. Too bad, it totally sounds like the issue is in fact fixable via this technique. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/69 "2021-06-29T13:23:15Z")
For days now… I have food in the freezer. I’m still upset about the food I threw out last night. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/70 "2021-06-29T13:24:59Z")
I don’t know how or why people are reading those who misread. I turned it off for 24 hours… Then I did it again for 10 hours or so. ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/71 "2021-06-29T17:15:43Z")
Better wasting some food than being attacked from the inside by a bad hot wing. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/72 "2021-06-29T17:40:04Z")
I’m wondering if that’s what got me sick throughout the night/morning… I typed this out already, but I’m guessing some misread. I did throw out some food to expedite the unplugging, and tried it twice… Every penny counts, and I don’t want to be in a situation where I can’t afford food. If I was rich, I still think I’d be unable to throw food, or maybe only as a last resort. I also vacuumed out the dust bunnies before I unplugged it, and have done it regularly, but the fridge won’t get any colder than 57… I removed EVERYTHING that was on top of it. I also made sure there was nothing right next to it. I’m just using the fridge for bottled water, and might use it for storage, because I have no space here… I thought having less items in the fridge (and freezer) might have helped, but I think this has been slowly going bad. I remember some REALLY loud growling sounds it would make, and because it was so damn loud and annoying, I would bang on it, and it would sometimes stop. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/73 "2021-06-29T17:47:20Z")
Loud sounds are often the evaporator fan hitting something, before it comes off the shaft. Once it does that, it will be quiet, and your fridge will be warm. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/74 "2021-06-29T18:37:41Z")
I haven’t heard those noises in months. I hope I didn’t screw it up by hitting the fridge, but it was so damn loud. Sounds like a monster growling. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/75 "2021-06-29T18:49:15Z")
A fan hitting its plastic shroud could possibly make that noise. Hail Mary idea: > **[How to Reset the Compressor on a Fridge | Hunker](https://www.hunker.com/12607594/how-to-reset-the-compressor-on-a-fridge)** > > The compressor of a fridge utilizes a gaseous refrigerant that is in a low-pressure state. When the fridge thermostat requests more cold air, the compressor kicks on and the refrigerant becomes high-pressure, moving through the cooling coils while... Not necessarily the first option (recharging the freon) – unless you can make it happen (which would be worthwhile, if it’s possible). More the second idea – resetting the thermostat/compressor. I think this is materially different from what you already tried. Like I said … Hail Mary. Can’t hurt, might help. Good luck ! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/76 "2021-06-29T19:55:16Z")
I’d put money on the evaporator fan blade having come off it’s shaft. It’s a trivial thing to fix, but you need to take the access plate off. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084/77 "2021-06-29T23:19:27Z")
I just put money in anything. I gotta worry about my main bills, like my utility bills. While food is important, I can always eat dry food, and I can put stuff I’d put in the fridge in the freezer and then just microwave it. Thank you all for helping. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fridge-problems/943084.md?page=3)