Refrigerators have become a staple in our kitchens and ensure that our food stays fresh. Therefore, when we start noticing the doors getting hot, we start to panic and wonder whether the refrigerator is malfunctioning.
So, why is your refrigerator door hot? Your refrigerator door is hot because the sealed system is circulating warm liquid around the front edge and food compartments of the freezer to prevent condensation outside the freezer. The rise in temperature is therefore normal.
Experts technicians at Samsung also agree that your refrigerator door heating up is a result of the heat pipes along the edge of the fridge behind the front doors causing the rise in temperature. They explain that the heat carried in those pipes is meant to prevent condensation from the outside. According to these Samsung experts, your refrigerator can become much hotter during the summer because it has to work harder to keep temperatures low during hot weather.
Why is the refrigerator hot on the door seal?
Your refrigerator is hot on the door seal because of a hot line around the freezer and refrigerator compartments that radiates heat to prevent condensation. If the door seal was not heated, the cold air would encounter the warm air outside of the fridge, causing condensation to form.
Chances are you have started to notice your refrigerator getting hot on the door seal, and you are wondering whether it is malfunctioning. Fortunately, in most cases, the heating up of the region around the door seal is normal and useful in preventing condensation.
This is done by the hot line, which is installed around the freezer and refrigerator compartment. The hot line radiates heat which is used to prevent condensation. The heat generated heats the fridge door seals, which makes it feel hotter. The temperature on the door seal is also affected by the weather conditions. Under normal weather when the door seals are heated by the hot line, the temperature does not jump very high. However, during the summer, your door seal can become hot.
It is also possible that the heat on the door seal is a result of your refrigerator fan being damaged. This can cause the refrigerator to stop being able to regulate the heat inside, resulting in hot temperatures. In modern refrigerators, there are two fans, one is exterior and the second one is internal and moves air around the coils inside the refrigerator. This reduces the heat in the refrigerator, but when either is damaged, it can cause your door seals to overheat.
One of the biggest worries for many people, when they start noticing their fridges getting too hot, is whether it can catch fire. Unsurprisingly, if the heat around your door seal is a result of malfunction and not the normal refrigerator process that prevents condensation, your fridge can cause a fire. This is mostly caused by an overheated compressor or an electrical short.
How to fix refrigerator that is hot between the doors
You can fix a refrigerator that is getting hot between the doors by replacing or repairing the condenser fan/motor. You should also consider cleaning your condenser coils. If the two solutions fail, consider checking your door heater system.
Refrigerators can start getting hot between the doors, and for most users, and for most users, this can cause panic since refrigerators are meant to keep things cool. However, in the unfortunate event that you notice that your refrigerators are heating between the doors, below is a breakdown of the courses and how to fix the problem.
- Dirty condenser coils: It is recommended that we clean condenser coils every few months. Unfortunately, this is an instruction that most people take, and chances are you never cleaned your condenser coil. Uncleaned condenser coils become clogged and store the heat inside, causing the area between your refrigerator doors to become hot. Dirty condenser coils also causes less heat transfer, and high condensing temperature, which also causes the area between your refrigerator doors to become hot. To fix this, you are required to wash your condenser coils.
- Malfunctioning condenser fan: The condenser fan regulates the heat inside your refrigerator by cooling it. However, when the fans are damaged, malfunctioning or clogged, it can lead to heat accumulating inside the refrigerator, causing areas between your refrigerator doors to become hot. Fixing your condenser fan or replacing it can help fix this problem.
- Problem with your door heaters: Normally, the refrigerator door heater runs though the center panel, and it prevents condensation and rusting. If the heater is damaged or not working correctly, it fails to regulate the temperatures, and instead becomes the cause of the area between your refrigerator becoming hot. To fix this, contact a professional to check on your door heaters, repair them or replace them.
If you have gone through all three phases and the problem persists, you should consider getting professional help from the manufacturers. If you are tired of dealing with a fridge that is having problems, I recommend the RCA black apartment size fridge. Click here for current pricing on Amazon.
Is it normal for the sides of refrigerator to be hot?
It is normal for your refrigerator to become warm on the sides, and sometimes hot after a few hours of operating. This is because refrigerators work by transferring heat from inside their compartments to the exterior. However, getting too hot can be a sign of a malfunction.
Noticing warmth on the sides of your refrigerators should not concern you. In some instances, the sides of your refrigerator can also become hot, especially during the summer. This is because your refrigerator is working hard to prevent condensation on the outside while still trying to keep things stored inside cool.
However, there are some instances where you notice that the heat coming from the sides of your refrigerator is abnormally hot, to a point where you can feel the burn when you place your hand near it. In such instances, you should know that there is something wrong with your refrigerator. Below are some of the causes and how to fix your refrigerator becoming overly hot on the sides.
- No ventilation space around your refrigerator: If you store your refrigerator in a compact area, the heat coming from inside is reflected by walls to the sides. This makes it hard for it to lose heat. With time, this heat accumulates, becoming abnormally high. To fix this, place your refrigerator in an area that is well ventilated. According to Samsung, you should consider having a minimum of 50mm space around the sides of our refrigerator to allow for ventilation.
- Your condenser coils are dirty: It is recommended that you wash your condenser coils after every few months. However, many owners do not clean their condenser coils, resulting in it becoming clogged, and causing heat to not be properly dissipated. To fix this, ensure you have regular cleaning of your condenser coils.
- Your condenser fan is malfunctioning: If your condenser fan is malfunctioning, the heat inside your refrigerator is not regulated. This causes the heat to accumulate inside, causing your refrigerator to overheat. To fix this, repair or replace your condenser fans.
If after going through all the above steps, and the sides of your refrigerator are still hot, you should consider contacting a professional to look at your refrigerator. The problem may be much more complex and not within the scope of what we have discussed here.
Why is my Whirlpool refrigerator hot between the doors?
Your Whirlpool refrigerator is hot between the doors because it has dirty condensers which are clogged, trapping the heat inside. It may also be having a malfunctioning condenser fan.
Whirlpool refrigerators are some of the highly regarded in the market for their durability and quality. This is why when they start getting hot in areas between the doors, it becomes worrying for owners, regardless of the type of refrigerators they own. This includes their French door fridges (I recommend the French Door side by side Refrigerator that is available on Amazon, click here to read the reviews), side by side refrigerators, bottom freezer and top freezers. Below are some of the reasons why your Whirlpool refrigerator is overheating.
- Dirty condenser coils: When your condenser coils become clogged due to lack of cleaning, your refrigerators fail to dissipate the heat, resulting in areas between the door becoming hot. This problem can be corrected by cleaning your condensers according to Whirlpool refrigerator manufacturers. They recommend that if you find your condenser is greasy or dusty or there is significant pet traffic in the home, you should consider cleaning your condenser coils every 2 to 3 months.
- Your Whirlpool condenser fan is malfunctioning: If your condenser fan is malfunctioning, it means that they are not able to regulate the heat. This results in your refrigerator becoming hot in areas between the doors.
- Door heaters malfunctioning: Door heaters are responsible for preventing rust and condensation. However, when they are damaged, they can result in your Whirlpool refrigerators becoming hot between the doors.
Why is my GE refrigerator hot between the doors?
Your GE refrigerator is hot between the doors because of dirty condenser coils, malfunctioning condenser fan, or a problem with your door heaters that is preventing heat from escaping.
You may start having problems with your GE refrigerators, whereby you start noticing that they are overheating on areas between the doors. This is regardless of whether you have the GE French door refrigerators, bottom freezers, side by side refrigerators, or the top freezer refrigerators. Fortunately, the overheating of your refrigerator on areas between your door is easy to diagnose and is mostly caused by three main factors listed below:
- Problem with your door heater: Door heaters run through the center panel and are used to prevent condensation and rusting. When the door heaters are damaged or malfunctioning, they stop regulating the heat around the area between the doors. This results in the area becoming abnormally hot. To fix this, you should consider repairing your door heater. In the unfortunate cases where your door heater is damaged beyond repair, then you should replace it.
- Condenser coils may be dirty: GE Refrigerator owners are instructed to clean their condenser coils after every few months. However, few owners clean, resulting in these condenser coils becoming dirty and clogging the heating system. This interacts with the natural way of maintaining heat balance inside the fridge resulting in areas between your refrigerator doors becoming extremely hot. To avoid this, you should clean the condenser coils, and ensure that they are always clean every time you are using the refrigerator.
- Condenser fan is not working: Your condenser fan may have stopped working. When this happens, your refrigerator has no way of regulating the temperature inside. This can lead to an increase in temperature between the doors of your GE refrigerator. The solution to this problem is to replace the fan. Alternatively, you can try to repair the fan, or fix it correctly to see if the heat between your refrigerator doors will stop or reduce.
If the heat between the doors of your refrigerators is not a result of the three reasons listed above, you should consider consulting a professional to help fix it. You should also consider unplugging the refrigerator. This will help you prevent it from catching fire.
Why is the wall between the freezer and refrigerator hot?
The wall between your freezer and refrigerator is hot because your condenser fan is not working. This results in your refrigerator is unable to control the temperature inside, resulting in the divide between freezer and refrigerator being hot.
If you notice that the wall between your freezer and refrigerator is becoming hot, there is a chance you have implemented a poor ventilation method. This is making it hard for both your freezers and refrigerator to lose heat because it is reflected. It is also a signal that the freezer and your refrigerator are in a compact area, and this is preventing the heat from escaping resulting in the rise in temperature. To correct this, you need to create more space between the wall and your freezer and refrigerator. You will also need to keep your freezer and refrigerator at a distance.
Condenser fans may also be damaged, causing a rise in temperature on the sides of your fridge. This increase in temperature is then dissipated to the walls causing them to become hot. You should consider checking both your freezer and refrigerator to see if the fans are working correctly. If any of the condenser fans are not working properly, consider repair or replacement.
Another possibility is your condenser coils are dirty and are causing the rise in temperature inside your freezer and refrigerators. The heat from the freezer and refrigerator then causes walls to become hot. To correct this, you need to clean the condenser coils.
