TC Tri-Cities Appliance Pro
Kitchen, garage and shop units

Fridge and freezer repair that follows the cold air

A refrigerator makes its cold in one place, at the evaporator coil behind the freezer wall, and fans carry it everywhere else. When food starts warming, the job is to find where that chain broke: the compressor, the coils, the fans, the defrost system or the controls.

Book a visit(509) 890-7433

Mon–Sat 8 AM–7 PM · Sunday closed · same-day or next-day visits are often open; the office confirms when you call

Fridges, freezers and garage unitsDefrost and fan faults tracedWritten quote before any repair

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What needs fixing?
When suits you?

Arrival window

Where should we come?

The office calls to confirm the day and window. You see the price in writing and approve it before the repair starts.

  • Test first, then the priceOn paper, approved by you before work
  • Your day, your windowBook online or by phone; we confirm
  • Common parts on the truckOften fixed on that first trip
  • Written warrantyOn the repair we make
Short answer

A warm fresh-food section above a cold freezer usually means the evaporator fan has stopped or a defrost failure has iced over the coil; if both sections are warm, look to dusty condenser coils, a condenser fan that has quit, or a compressor that won't start. The office books a visit, our technician measures temperatures and tests each part in that chain, and the repair waits until you approve a single written price.

Symptoms we fix

Why your refrigerator or freezer isn't keeping cold

01

Why is my fridge warm but the freezer cold?

Usually: Most refrigerators cool the fresh-food side with freezer air pushed through a duct or damper. If the evaporator fan stops, the coil ices over because defrost failed, or the damper sticks shut, the fridge side slowly warms even though the freezer keeps its cold.

What we do: We take off the freezer's back panel to see the coil: an even light frost points to airflow or the damper, while a coil encased in ice means the defrost system has failed. Then we test the evaporator fan motor, the damper and the defrost heater, thermostat and control.

02

Thick frost building on the freezer's back wall

Usually: Self-defrosting units warm the evaporator coil on a schedule to melt frost away. When the defrost heater burns open, the defrost thermostat fails, or the control stops calling for defrost, frost keeps building until it blocks the air.

What we do: We melt the ice off the coil, check the heater and defrost thermostat for continuity, and test the timer or control. If the frost is gathered at the door edge instead, a leaking gasket is more likely, and we check it by shutting the door on a strip of paper at several points.

03

Both the fridge and the freezer are warm

Usually: When nothing is cold, the trouble is in the parts that carry heat out: condenser coils caked with dust, a condenser fan that has stopped, a compressor that won't start, or a sealed-system leak.

What we do: We clean and inspect the condenser, check its fan, and test the start relay and compressor windings. When the compressor is running yet nothing cools, the technician checks for evidence of a refrigerant leak and walks you through what sealed-system work would mean before you decide anything.

04

Clicks every few minutes but the compressor never runs

Usually: That click is usually the overload protector cutting out after the start relay tries and fails to get the compressor going. A bad relay is a small part; a compressor with shorted or stuck windings is a major one.

What we do: The start relay and overload get tested first, then the compressor windings and the current the compressor pulls. Knowing which one failed changes the repair decision completely, so we confirm it before writing a price.

05

Water on the floor or pooling under the crisper drawers

Usually: Meltwater from each defrost flows through a drain tube into a pan by the compressor and evaporates there. When that drain freezes or clogs, water backs up into the cabinet or onto the floor, and a water line dripping where it feeds the ice maker or dispenser accounts for most of the rest.

What we do: The technician thaws and flushes the drain, looks over the pan, and checks the water line, inlet valve and filter housing for drips. A drain that keeps refreezing sends us to the defrost heater and, where the model has one, the drain heater.

06

Runs all the time and still struggles to stay cold

Usually: A refrigerator that never cycles off is fighting something: dust on the condenser, a torn door gasket, a weak condenser fan or a very warm room. Low refrigerant looks much the same, typically with a patchy frost that covers just a section of the evaporator coil.

What we do: We compare air temperatures in several spots, clean the coils, check how the gaskets seal, and study how frost is spread across the coil. That pattern helps separate an airflow fault from a sealed-system one.

07

Garage or shop freezer won't keep food frozen

Usually: Units in unheated garages and shops face summer heat of 100°F or more and winter lows near 10°F. Plenty of fridge-freezers sense temperature only in the fresh-food compartment; in a cold garage that thermostat seldom asks for cooling, so the freezer thaws, while in summer heat the condenser can't shed heat fast enough.

What we do: We check the thermostat, the condenser and the unit's rated operating range, and whether the location is the real problem. Sometimes the answer is a repair, and sometimes it's a unit rated for garage use or a better spot for the old one, and we'll tell you which.

08

Buzzing, rattling or a fan that chirps

Usually: A tick or scrape from the freezer often means ice has built up far enough for the evaporator fan blade to hit it, a sign of defrost trouble. A rattle near the floor usually comes from the condenser fan or a drain pan that has worked loose, and a loud hum can be a compressor straining to start.

What we do: We find the sound with the panels off, look for ice around the fan shroud, and test the fan motors. Fan motors are usually in the technician's stock, so a noisy fan is often fixed on the first visit.

What to expect

From your call to cold food again

Booking with the food in mind

Book a day and window online or call the office. A warm refrigerator is time-sensitive, so ask for the soonest slot; same-day or next-day visits are often possible, and the office confirms availability on the phone. Until the technician gets there, leave the doors closed and shift what you can into a cooler or a spare freezer.

What the technician brings

Your technician calls on the way. Fan motors, door switches, water valves and other frequent refrigerator parts ride on the truck, so many fan and switch repairs are done that same day. Compressors, control boards and parts for built-in models such as Sub-Zero, Thermador or Viking are usually ordered, and you see that price in writing first.

Measuring before guessing

We check temperatures in both compartments, look at the evaporator frost pattern, listen to the compressor and fans, and test parts with a meter. If the coil is iced solid, melting it is part of the diagnosis, because the parts behind it can't be tested through ice.

Approval comes before the repair

One repair price goes on paper, and we hold off until you say yes. The diagnostic fee the office named is credited into that price if you proceed. If the figure doesn't make sense for an older unit, you can stop there, pay only the diagnostic and keep our findings. The repair we make carries a written warranty.

Heat, wind-blown dust and second fridges in the Tri-Cities

Condenser coils work like a radiator, and in a high-desert climate with frequent wind they gather fine dust faster than in wetter places. With the coil coated, the compressor runs longer and hotter and wears out sooner, and summer kitchens that already push the unit hard make it worse. Most refrigerators keep the coil either low down behind the front grille or on the back; built-ins often put it on top. We clean it during refrigerator visits, and it's worth vacuuming yourself every so often, especially after a dusty windstorm.

Second refrigerators and chest freezers are common here, in garages, in detached shops on larger lots around West Richland, and in outbuildings on rural properties. Summer heat of 100°F or more and winter nights near 10°F push these units outside the conditions they were designed for, so a failing garage freezer can be a repair, a placement problem or both. Inside the house, remodeled kitchens in older homes such as Richland's alphabet houses often have a modern fridge pushed tight into an older opening, which limits airflow around the condenser, and we point that out when we see it. Town-specific notes are on our West Richland refrigerator repair and Kennewick refrigerator repair pages.

When a refrigerator repair makes sense

Fans, defrost parts, start relays, door switches, dampers and water valves are moderate repairs that bring a refrigerator back to normal, and they're worth doing on nearly any unit with nothing else wrong. Built-in refrigerators are designed for a long service life with repairs along the way, and they are usually worth fixing.

The real decision comes with a failed compressor or a sealed-system leak. That work involves refrigerant handling and more time, and on an older freestanding unit the price can approach the cost of a replacement. Our technician confirms which category you're in, so the diagnostic is all you've committed to at that point, and the written price gives you a firm figure to compare. More on that at how pricing works.

Service area

Refrigerator / freezer repair by town

Refrigerator / freezer repair in Kennewick

99336 · 99337 · 99338

Refrigerator / freezer repair in Pasco

99301

Refrigerator / freezer repair in Richland

99352 · 99354

Refrigerator / freezer repair in West Richland

99353

Refrigerator / freezer repair in Benton City

99320

Brands we see on these calls

LGGEWhirlpoolKitchenAidFrigidaireMaytagBoschKenmoreSub-ZeroThermadorViking
Guides

Repair guides for this appliance

LG · Refrigerator Repair Guide

LG Refrigerator Not Cooling? Causes, Error Codes & Fixes

LG fridge warm but lights on? Learn what Er FF, Er dH and OF F mean, the checks you can do in 10 minutes, and when the linear compressor is the problem.

Read the guide →GE · Refrigerator Repair Guide

GE Refrigerator Warm, Freezer Cold? Why It Happens and How to Fix It

GE fridge warm but freezer freezing? The usual causes — frozen evaporator, fan motor, air damper, control board relay — plus the checks you can do yourself.

Read the guide →Whirlpool · Refrigerator Repair Guide

Whirlpool Refrigerator Leaking Water? Inside, Under the Drawers or on the Floor

Water under the crisper drawers or on the floor by your Whirlpool fridge? Where it leaks tells you the cause — defrost drain, filter, supply line or ice maker.

Read the guide →
FAQ

Questions we hear

How long will food stay safe if the fridge stops cooling?

Avoid opening the doors: a refrigerator left shut keeps its cold for a while, and food in a full freezer stays frozen longer than in a half-empty one. Use a thermometer to check the food, and when in doubt, follow food safety guidance and discard it. If the repair can't happen right away, pack perishables in a cooler with ice, and book the soonest visit the office can confirm.

Is a garage freezer worth fixing?

Often, yes, when the failed part is a fan, a defrost component, a relay or a door gasket. Before writing a price, our technician also checks whether the freezer is built to handle the heat and cold your garage sees. If it isn't, a repair alone won't stop the trouble from returning in the next heat wave or cold snap, and we'll tell you that plainly.

Can your technicians fix a built-in Sub-Zero, Thermador or Viking?

Yes. Built-in and column refrigerators are part of our work, as are freestanding models from Whirlpool, LG, GE, Frigidaire, KitchenAid, Electrolux, Maytag, Bosch and Kenmore. Parts for built-ins generally have to be ordered, so the first visit covers the diagnosis and written price, and the repair follows once the part arrives.

Should an iced-up refrigerator be unplugged?

Unplugging it with the doors open will melt the frost, and cooling may come back for a few days, a good hint that the defrost system is at fault. The ice will return, though, because the failed part is still there. Put towels down for the meltwater, and keep in mind that our technician needs the coil clear of ice to test parts anyway.

Why is the freezer cold but ice cream soft?

That usually means the freezer is running warmer than it should, even if it still feels cold to the hand. Early defrost trouble, a slowing evaporator fan, a dusty condenser or a door that doesn't seal can all cause it. Check the setting and the door gasket first. If those look right, book a visit before the problem spreads to the fresh-food side.

Can the ice maker be checked during the same visit?

Usually, yes, if you mention it when you book. Ice makers share the water valve, supply line and freezer temperature with the rest of the refrigerator, so it makes sense to test them together. Our ice maker repair page covers the problems specific to ice production and dispensers if you want to read up first.

Ready to get it running again?

Book a refrigerator or freezer visit online or call (509) 890-7433, and tell us whether it's in the kitchen, garage or shop.

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