My fridge is warm but the freezer is still freezing. Is that the same problem?

No, that is a different fault. When the freezer works and the fridge does not, the cooling system is running and the cold air is not reaching the fridge section. Check the evaporator fan and look for a frosted-over evaporator coil behind the freezer back panel.

The lights and display still work, so why is nothing cold?

The lights and the display run on a low-voltage circuit that is separate from the cooling system. They tell you the fridge has power, nothing more. A silent compressor with working lights points at the start relay, the overload or the control board.

Is a fridge under 5 years old worth repairing?

Yes. Most brands, including Whirlpool, carry 5 or 10 years on the sealed system, so a failed compressor or relay may cost you only the labor. Get the model number and check the warranty before you agree to any repair.

How long should I wait before deciding the food is unsafe?

Treat refrigerated food as unsafe after 4 hours above 40 degrees. A fridge that has been warm for more than a week, as homeowners often report, needs emptying and cleaning before any repair. Move anything you want to keep to a cooler with ice now.

Should I keep unplugging it and plugging it back in?

No. Repeated restart attempts on a stalled compressor heat the windings and can turn a cheap relay failure into a dead compressor. Try it once after cleaning the coils, then leave it off and book a tech.

Fridge and freezer both warm and the compressor is silent

Reviewed by Josh Arneson, Handyman and Property ManagerPublished October 21, 2026

Both sides warm while the light and display still work means the fridge has power but the cooling system has stopped. Put your hand on the black compressor at the back bottom. If it is silent and room temperature, the compressor is not starting, and the usual cause is a failed start relay or a bad control board. If it is running hot and loud but nothing gets cold, the sealed system has lost refrigerant and that is a different, more expensive repair.

Tell a dead compressor from a dead fan in five minutes

Open the freezer and listen for 30 seconds. A working fridge makes a low hum from the back and a faint whoosh inside.
Look at the back bottom of the cabinet. Find the black, football-sized compressor.
Touch the metal housing carefully. Hot means it is running. Room temperature after hours of warm food means it never started.
Pull the fridge out and unplug it. Pull off the rear access panel at the bottom.
Look at the condenser coils behind that panel. Thick dust and pet hair cause overheating shutdowns.
Vacuum the coils, plug the fridge back in, and listen again.
Check that the condenser fan next to the compressor spins when the fridge calls for cooling.
Set both temperature controls to their coldest setting and wait 4 hours.

If the compressor runs and the fridge starts cooling after you clean the coils, you are done. If the compressor stays silent and room temperature, a sealed-system tech needs to test the start relay, the overload and the windings. Do not keep plugging it in and out to retry it.

Repair or replace

Situation	What to do
Coils packed with dust, compressor silent after a shutdown	Clean the coils and retry. An overheat shutdown often clears once airflow returns.
Under 5 years old, compressor silent, relay suspected	Repair. A start relay is a cheap part and the sealed system is still under the 5 or 10 year warranty on most brands.
Under 5 years old, control board not calling for cooling	Repair. Board swaps are a bench-level job and the cabinet has years of life left.
Compressor runs hot and loud, nothing gets cold	Hire for this. That is a refrigerant or sealed-system fault and needs EPA-certified recovery gear.
Over 10 years old, compressor confirmed dead	Replace. A compressor swap on an old cabinet costs more than a new fridge.
Both sides warm but the compressor cycles normally	Repair. Check the evaporator fan and a frosted-over evaporator coil before condemning anything.

Can I do it myself?

Partly. Cleaning the condenser coils and checking that the condenser fan spins are both safe homeowner jobs once the fridge is unplugged, and they fix a real share of no-cooling calls. Swapping a start relay is also within reach on many models if you unplug the unit first and photograph the wiring.

Hire for anything past that. The compressor runs on mains voltage through a capacitor that holds a charge after unplugging, and any work on the sealed refrigerant loop is illegal without EPA certification. If the compressor runs hot and the fridge still will not cool, stop and call a tech.

What a contractor will ask you

Have these ready and you skip the back-and-forth.

The brand and the model number. The label is usually inside the fridge on a side wall or behind the crisper drawer.
The age of the unit, or the install date off that same label.
Whether the fridge section alone is warm or both the fridge and the freezer are warm.
Whether the interior light and the control panel still come on when you open the door.
Whether you hear the usual humming from the back, or whether it has gone mostly quiet.
Whether the compressor housing at the back bottom feels hot, warm or room temperature.
When you first noticed it was not getting cold.
A wide photo of the whole fridge with the doors closed, and one of the rear access panel if you can reach it.

Common questions

My fridge is warm but the freezer is still freezing. Is that the same problem?: No, that is a different fault. When the freezer works and the fridge does not, the cooling system is running and the cold air is not reaching the fridge section. Check the evaporator fan and look for a frosted-over evaporator coil behind the freezer back panel.
The lights and display still work, so why is nothing cold?: The lights and the display run on a low-voltage circuit that is separate from the cooling system. They tell you the fridge has power, nothing more. A silent compressor with working lights points at the start relay, the overload or the control board.
Is a fridge under 5 years old worth repairing?: Yes. Most brands, including Whirlpool, carry 5 or 10 years on the sealed system, so a failed compressor or relay may cost you only the labor. Get the model number and check the warranty before you agree to any repair.
How long should I wait before deciding the food is unsafe?: Treat refrigerated food as unsafe after 4 hours above 40 degrees. A fridge that has been warm for more than a week, as homeowners often report, needs emptying and cleaning before any repair. Move anything you want to keep to a cooler with ice now.
Should I keep unplugging it and plugging it back in?: No. Repeated restart attempts on a stalled compressor heat the windings and can turn a cheap relay failure into a dead compressor. Try it once after cleaning the coils, then leave it off and book a tech.