The short answer
On the RTW line a cabinet that runs but will not get cold is usually an environmental or supply problem rather than a failed compressor: a cabinet that runs without stopping and never gets cold is a heat problem until the condenser is proven clear. The expensive cause is the least likely and the last to be tested. Start with the condenser unable to shed heat and leave a loss of refrigerant charge until everything cheaper has been excluded.
What the owner actually sees
- The compressor runs constantly and the cabinet stays warm — Never reaches temperature, never stops trying, and the machinery end is hot to the touch.
- It runs for a few minutes, stops, and starts again — The same short cycle repeated all day, with the cabinet never coming down.
- Cold at the plate, warm at the far end of the cabinet — Cooling is being made but not distributed, which points at air rather than at the system.
- NEAR MISS - cold enough but noisy — Noise with normal temperatures is a mounting or contact problem, not a cooling problem, and it has its own page.
What it usually turns out to be, in order
- The condenser unable to shed heat — It ranks high because it is both the commonest cause of continuous running and the one an owner can fix completely in ten minutes.
- A frosted plate blocking airflow — Second: the frost is a consequence of humid air getting in, so this cause usually sits downstream of a seal or a door problem and returns if only the ice is dealt with.
- A door or lid that is not sealing — Third, and worth excluding before going further: a gasket that has taken a set, a door held ajar by contents, or a hinge that has dropped lets the cabinet exchange air continuously. The compressor never stops and the cabinet never gets down, so it reads as a cooling failure.
- A loss of refrigerant charge — It ranks last deliberately: every cause above it produces the same warm cabinet for a fraction of the cost.
Working order, and the reason for it
- Give the condenser air and a clean grille — Pull the unit a hand-width clear on every side, brush the grille and the coil clean with the unit isolated, and give it a few hours. A cabinet that recovers had a heat problem.
- Look at the plate before concluding anything — Note where the frost is heaviest, since that is where the warm air is arriving.
- Test the seal at several points — Close the door on a strip of paper at the top, the middle and the bottom of each side and pull. Anywhere it slides out freely is a leak, and the coldest part of the cabinet will be furthest from it.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel - a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Do not defeat a door switch to keep the cabinet running with the door open while you test; use a thermometer instead.
Models in the RTW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| RTW20 | alpicool:refrigerator:rtw |
| RTW25 | alpicool:refrigerator:rtw |
Where owner work ends
Everything reachable without a panel is owner work. Repeated failed starts, a fan motor, a sensor disagreement or anything on the sealed system is not, because those need measurement and refrigerant work is licensed work.
Nearest pages of this class
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
