If your Samsung refrigerator stops cooling, the cause is usually one of five things. Our Memphis-based techs see this almost daily, and most fixes are quick once you know what to look for.
1. The condenser coils are caked with dust
Samsung fridges are particularly picky about airflow over the condenser coils (the black grid behind or beneath the unit). When dust builds up, the fridge can't dump heat efficiently and cooling fails. Pull the kick-plate or roll the unit out, vacuum the coils, and let it run for 24 hours. About a third of Memphis "fridge not cooling" calls fix themselves this way.
2. The evaporator fan motor failed
The freezer is cold but the fridge is warm? That's a classic evaporator-fan symptom. The fan inside the freezer compartment pushes cold air into the fridge section. If you don't hear it spinning when the door is open and the door switch is pressed, the motor is likely dead.
3. Defrost system has iced over
If you see frost building up on the back wall of the freezer, the defrost heater, defrost thermostat, or defrost timer has failed. The fridge can't transfer cold air past the iced-over coils. You can manually defrost by unplugging the unit for 24 hours — but the underlying part still needs replacement.
4. Inverter compressor is failing (Samsung specific)
Many Samsung fridges from 2014-2020 use linear inverter compressors that are known to fail. If the compressor isn't running at all (no hum, no click), or runs constantly without cooling, this is often the culprit. Samsung extended the compressor warranty to 10 years on many models — worth checking before paying out of pocket.
5. Sealed-system leak
The least-common but most expensive cause. A refrigerant leak means the system can't move heat. Symptoms: compressor running constantly, partial cooling, oily residue near connections. This requires a sealed-system repair from a certified tech.
When to call us
If the dust-the-coils trick didn't work, or you hear no fan/compressor sounds, give us a call at (901) 562-9437. We'll diagnose for free over the phone and quote the repair up front.