Frigidaire Refrigerator runs constantly

If your Frigidaire refrigerator runs constantly or your fridge is running constantly, it usually points to a few common issues you can check yourself before calling a pro. Start with the room: refrigerators work best between about 60 and 95°F, and hot, humid air makes the unit run longer. If the ambient temp is fine, verify the condenser and evaporator fans and the thermistor are working; once those are ruled out the refrigerator compressor running continuously can indicate a weak compressor. Also check the freezer temperature — if the freezer is above about 10°F the fridge will struggle to cool the fresh food compartment — and make sure the doors are closing fully and seals are intact. Frost buildup from a faulty defrost heater assembly or a bad defrost thermostat can also block airflow and force the refrigerator to run nonstop; those parts can be checked for continuity with a multimeter. Enter your model number on RepairClinic.com to find the exact replacement part and step-by-step repair guidance for your fridge.

01 - Room Temperature is Hot

Normal operating temperatures for a refrigerator are between 60 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit (16 and 35 degrees Celsius). The hotter and more humid the air is the less efficient the refrigerator will be, causing it to run more. If possible, keep the refrigerator within the recommended operating temperatures and as cool as possible.

02 - Frigidaire Refrigerator Compressor

The compressor is the component that pumps refrigerant through the sealed system to cool the appliance. If you've determined the fan motors are all working and the thermistor is accurately monitoring the air temperature, it's possible the compressor itself is inefficient, resulting in it running continuously, although this is not a common problem.

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Highly Likely

03 - Freezer Temperature is Above 10 Degrees F (-12C)

Since the refrigerator compartment gets its cold air from the freezer compartment for many model types ("Top Freezer", "Bottom Freezer", and "Side by Side" models, for example), the refrigerator compartment will take longer to cool down if the freezer is not cold enough. As a result, the compressor may run constantly. The freezer temperature should be set between 0 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 to -15 Celsius).

Highly Likely

04 - Door Not Fully Closing

Check to see that the doors are closing properly. If a door bin or food item is keeping the door open slightly the refrigerator may not cool properly, which can cause the refrigerator to run constantly.

Highly Likely

05 - Frigidaire Refrigerator Defrost Heater Assembly

The defrost heater assembly turns on several times throughout the day to melt away any frost that may have accumulated on the evaporator coils. If the defrost heater assembly is defective, the refrigerator will not defrost, and frost will continue to accumulate on the evaporator coils. If the evaporator coils are frosted over, the refrigerator will work harder to remove the heat. As a result, the refrigerator will run constantly in an effort to cool down. To determine if the defrost heater is defective, use a multimeter to test it for continuity. If the defrost heater does not have continuity, replace it.

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Common

06 - Frigidaire Refrigerator Defrost Thermostat

If the refrigerator runs constantly, the defrost thermostat might be defective. Several times a day the defrost heater turns on for a few minutes to melt away any frost that may have accumulated on the freezer or refrigerator evaporator coils. In order for this to work, the defrost thermostat has to sense that the coils are cold enough. If the coils are cold enough the defrost heater will turn on. If the thermostat is defective it may not be able to sense the temperature of the coils and then won't turn on the defrost heater. If the defrost heater doesn't turn on, the frost will build up on the coils and eventually no air ...will be able to travel through the coils to provide cooling . The defrost thermostat can be checked for continuity. It should have continuity when it reaches the low temperature of its operating range.

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Common

07 - Frigidaire Refrigerator Control Board

If the refrigerator runs constantly, the control board might be defective. A few times a day the control board is supposed to turn off the cooling system and turn on the defrost heater to melt away any frost that may have accumulated on the freezer evaporator coils. If the control board is defective it could cause the system to never cycle into defrost.

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Common