Fridge problems
Fridge Running Constantly and Never Switching Off
A healthy fridge runs for a while, reaches temperature, and rests. One that runs from morning to night, with the sides hot to touch and the electricity bill climbing, is either unable to reach temperature or unable to tell that it has. Both wear out the compressor fast. Harare Fridge Repairs finds the cause at your home and stops the fridge working itself to death.
- Dirty condensers and poor airflow around the fridge
- Door gaskets letting warm air in all day
- Thermostats and sensors that never switch off
- Low gas charges and weak compressors confirmed with gauges
- Fridges and freezers only, nothing else
- Mobile across Harare, no need to transport the unit
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Price agreed before any work starts
Why does my fridge run all the time?
A fridge runs constantly for one of two reasons. Either it cannot reach the set temperature, so the thermostat never switches it off, or it reaches temperature but the thermostat or sensor does not notice. The first group includes a gasket that is letting warm air in, a condenser so dusty that the fridge cannot shed heat, a fridge jammed against a wall with no airflow, a low gas charge, an iced evaporator on a frost free model, and a compressor that has lost its pumping capacity. The second group is a thermostat with contacts stuck closed or a sensor that reads warm.
You can often tell which group you are in from the food. If the fridge is running constantly and everything is freezing, the control has failed. If it is running constantly and the food is only just cold, or warm, the fridge is struggling to cool. Hot cabinet sides are normal on many fridges, where the condenser is built into the walls, but sides that are too hot to touch comfortably for long mean the fridge is working very hard.
Our technician measures the cabinet temperature, the compressor running current, the condenser condition and, if needed, the system pressures, and repairs the actual cause. Often that is a clean condenser and a new gasket, the two cheapest repairs a fridge can have.
Common causes of a fridge running constantly
These are the faults behind this symptom, roughly in the order we find them in Harare.
- 1
Condenser blocked with dust
The coils behind or under the fridge are furred up, so heat cannot escape and the fridge cools slowly and runs continuously.
- 2
No airflow around the fridge
Pushed hard against a wall or boxed into a cupboard, the fridge recycles its own hot air.
- 3
Gasket letting warm air in
A tired door seal means the fridge is cooling the kitchen. Also causes frost and condensation.
- 4
Thermostat stuck closed or sensor drift
The fridge reaches temperature but the control never switches the compressor off. Food freezes.
- 5
Low refrigerant charge
A leak has left the system short of gas. The compressor runs hot and non stop and only part of the evaporator frosts.
- 6
Evaporator iced over
On a frost free fridge, ice blocks the airflow so the cabinet never reaches temperature despite constant running.
- 7
Compressor worn
The compressor runs but pumps weakly. Confirmed with gauges and a current reading.
Quick checks before you call
None of these need tools, and the answers help us arrive with the right parts.
- Is the food too cold, or not cold enough?
- Are the condenser coils at the back visibly dusty?
- Is there at least a hand's width of space behind and above the fridge?
- Does a strip of paper closed in the door gasket pull out easily?
- Is the fridge in direct sun or next to a stove?
Please do not
Things that make it worse
Do not ignore it; a compressor that never rests fails early and the electricity cost adds up.
Do not turn the thermostat to its warmest setting as a fix; if the food is warm it will get warmer.
Do not spray water on a dusty condenser while the fridge is plugged in.
How we fix it
The services that deal with this problem, each explained on its own page.
FAQ
Fridge running constantly: your questions answered
Is it normal for a fridge to run all the time?+
No. A fridge in good condition cycles on and off. Running for hours without stopping means it is either struggling to cool or its control has failed, and both are worth repairing before the compressor fails.
Why are the sides of my fridge so hot?+
Many fridges have the condenser built into the side walls, so warm sides are normal. Sides that are uncomfortably hot, together with constant running, mean the fridge is working too hard, often because of a dirty condenser or a gasket leak.
Will cleaning the condenser fix a fridge that runs constantly?+
Often it helps a great deal, and it is the first thing we do. If the fridge still runs constantly afterwards, the gasket, thermostat, gas charge or compressor is tested next.
Fridge running constantly? We can be there today.
Call 0782 886 252 or WhatsApp a photo of the fault with your suburb. Harare Fridge Repairs attends homes and businesses across Harare, 24 hours a day.