The short answer
When the AQU refrigerators runs without cooling, the part owners suspect first — the compressor — is the part that fails last on this platform. On these models a stopped evaporator fan is the first thing this page would have you rule out. The list below ends with the one cause on it that is not owner work.
What you observe on these models
- The freezer still works and the fresh-food side does not — A split like that points at air movement rather than at cooling.
- The back of the appliance is hot and the box is not cold — Heat is being made and it is not being rejected.
- Ice production has fallen off at the same time — A maker needs the freezer at harvest temperature, so the two complaints share a cause.
- NEAR MISS — only the ice maker has stopped — Start with the ice page for this family; the cooling may be fine.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Evaporator fan motor stopped — A failed evaporator fan gives a warm fresh-food compartment with a freezer that still makes ice for a while, and that split is the tell. First, because it accounts for every observable above without needing a second fault. One design carries every cabinet size in this family, so it holds across the line.
- Condenser fan not turning — Debris caught in the fan shroud is as common here as a failed motor, so look before you order a part. It ranks second — the fault the first check leaves standing.
- Air damper between the compartments stuck — The damper meters cold air from the freezer into the fresh-food side; stuck shut, the freezer runs cold and the refrigerator never does. Third: a real cause on these cabinets, but a less frequent one.
- Sealed-system or compressor fault — A sealed-system fault gives a compressor that runs without pause, a condenser that never gets properly hot and frost on only part of the evaporator face. Last, which is exactly why the checks above are worth spending first.
- Body: The departure here is airflow, up: one design stretched across several cabinet sizes asks most of the air path in the biggest of them, so airflow faults lead on this family.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the freezer and hold the door switch closed: a healthy evaporator fan is audible the moment the switch makes. — First, because it settles the top of the ranking before anything else is touched.
- With the compressor running, check from the back that the condenser fan blade is turning, and turning freely. — Next, once the check above has come back clean.
- Find the diffuser vent on the fresh-food side and feel for air moving out of it while the appliance runs. — Last, so that nothing further is spent until the cheaper checks are exhausted.
Power down first, then work
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Nothing on the sealed system is owner work; those lines are under pressure. Keep the doors shut meanwhile and move perishables to a cooler: a refrigerator holds food safely at 40 °F (4 °C) or below, a freezer at 0 °F (−18 °C) or below.
Models in the AQU family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AQU1203TRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1223BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1501TRW* | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1525AEW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1613TEW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1613TEW* | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1626BEW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1627BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1824BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU1827BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU2003TRW* | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU2024BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
| AQU2027BRW | amana:refrigerator:aqu |
When to call a technician
The line is the rear panel. Everything in front of it is an owner check; the evaporator, the defrost circuit and the sealed system behind it are not. Call straight away if the compressor is hot enough to smell.
The other faults covered for this family
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
