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Why Your Fridge Isn't Cooling in Florida Heat

Every summer in Ocala, refrigerators that worked fine in March start running warm. Florida heat and humidity make a fridge work harder, and a small problem that didn't matter in spring shows up in July.

Why heat matters

A refrigerator moves heat out of the box and dumps it into your kitchen through the condenser coils. When the room is hot, or the coils are dusty, it can't shed heat fast enough. It runs longer, and parts that were already weak (fans, start relays, compressors) are more likely to fail. Fridges in garages, lanais and Florida rooms, where it can top 100°F, have it worst.

Humidity and the door

Every time the door opens, humid Florida air rushes in. That moisture turns to frost on the evaporator. A tired door seal lets it in nonstop, which can overload the defrost system and block airflow to the fresh side.

What you can safely check

1. Clean the coils. Unplug the fridge, find the coils (bottom front behind the grille, or back), and vacuum them with a brush attachment.
2. Give it room. Leave a couple of inches behind and above for air to move.
3. Check the fan near the compressor. On many fridges there's a small fan at the bottom back. If the compressor hums but the fan doesn't spin, that's a likely culprit.
4. Check the freezer back wall. Heavy frost there usually means a defrost problem.
5. Test the door seal with a dollar bill.
6. Check temperatures with a thermometer: 37°F fresh, 0°F freezer.

After a power outage or storm

After hurricanes and summer storms, power surges can damage control boards. If the fridge won't come back on after the power returns, check the breaker, then call.

Food safety

The USDA says perishable food that's been above 40°F for more than two hours should be thrown out. When in doubt, throw it out.

When to call

If the fridge is still warm after cleaning coils and checking settings, if you hear clicking every few minutes, or if the compressor isn't running at all, it's time for a technician. See typical costs or our refrigerator repair page.

Call (352) 320-0306

Ocala Appliance Pros is a free referral service. We do not perform appliance repairs. Calls and requests are passed to independent, third-party appliance repair technicians who set their own prices, do the work, and are solely responsible for it. Florida does not issue a state appliance repair license; ask any technician about their insurance, local business tax receipt, warranty on parts and labor, and EPA 608 certification for refrigerant work.