The short answer
On the TAW line a cabinet that runs but will not get cold is usually an environmental or supply problem rather than a failed compressor: what went into the cabinet and when explains more cooling complaints than any component does. The expensive cause is the least likely and the last to be tested. The order below puts a warm load or an overfilled cabinet first and a loss of refrigerant charge last, and that order is the point of the page.
What the owner actually sees
- 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.
- A hum or a click every few minutes and no sustained run — Something attempts to start and drops out, and the machinery end never warms.
- The panel is lit and nothing ever starts — The electronics are alive but no cooling is ever called for.
- 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
- A warm load or an overfilled cabinet — Ranked first on this line: a cabinet packed to the walls has no room for air to move, and a large warm load takes far longer to pull down than owners expect. Both produce a warm cabinet and a compressor that will not stop.
- 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.
- An ambient temperature outside what the unit can handle — Then: the unit is not faulty and will behave normally when the room does, but the complaint is real and persists all summer if the position is not changed.
- A loss of refrigerant charge — Last, and the reason the order matters: a system that has lost its charge runs continuously, stays quiet, and produces little or no cold at the plate. It is the least likely cause and the only one that decides whether the unit is worth keeping.
Working order, and the reason for it
- Judge the load and then leave it alone — Unload to leave clear space around the cold plate and at the air paths, keep the door shut, and give it several hours. A cabinet that comes down was overloaded rather than faulty.
- Give the condenser air and a clean grille — Feel the machinery end while it runs: it should be warm. A unit running continuously with a cool condenser has a different problem from one running continuously with a hot one.
- Measure the room, not just the cabinet — Measure the room temperature where the unit actually stands, not in the middle of the house, and look for sun on the case during the day.
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 TAW family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| TAW35 | alpicool:refrigerator:taw |
| TAW45 | alpicool:refrigerator:taw |
| TAW55 | alpicool:refrigerator:taw |
Where owner work ends
Call once the supply, the clearance, the seal, the setting, the load and the frost are all clean and the cabinet still makes no cold: what is left is the machinery. Call immediately if you find oil at the machinery end, or if a breaker trips when the unit starts.
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.
