When a refrigerator stops cooling, most people assume the compressor has died and start pricing replacements. In our experience across Houston, the compressor is one of the least common causes. Far more often it's airflow, defrost, or a fan — all of them repairable for a fraction of a new unit.
Start with the condenser coils. In a Houston home, especially one with pets, the coils behind or beneath the refrigerator pack with dust and hair until the unit can't shed heat. The compressor then runs constantly and still loses the battle, particularly through summer. Pulling the unit out and vacuuming the coils costs nothing and fixes a surprising number of complaints.
Next, check whether the freezer is still cold while the fresh-food section is warm. That specific pattern almost always points to the evaporator fan or the defrost system, not the compressor. Most refrigerators cool the fresh-food compartment with air blown over from the freezer — if that fan stops, or if the evaporator coil ices into a solid block, the cold simply never arrives. You'll sometimes hear the fan straining or clicking before it quits entirely.
Frost buildup on the back wall of the freezer is the classic defrost failure. The defrost heater, thermostat, or control board has stopped running its cycle, so ice accumulates until it blocks airflow completely. Customers often report the refrigerator working intermittently — cold for a day after being unplugged, then warm again. That intermittent pattern is a defrost fault almost every time.
Then check the door seals. Run a hand around the gasket while the door is closed and feel for escaping cold. A torn or hardened gasket lets humid Houston air pour in continuously, which frosts up the evaporator and runs the compressor nonstop. Gaskets are inexpensive and straightforward to replace.
One Houston-specific note: garage refrigerators. A standard refrigerator is rated for a fairly narrow ambient temperature range, and a Houston garage in August is well outside it. When a garage unit can't hold temperature in summer but works fine in winter, the appliance usually isn't defective — it's simply being asked to do something it was never built for.
If none of that turns it around, it's time for a proper diagnosis — sealed-system pressures, compressor start components, and control board testing all need instruments rather than guesswork. Call RM Appliances Repair at (469) 350-1392 for a free estimate anywhere in the Houston area.