The short answer
A Blomberg that runs constantly but will not get cold is usually suffering an airflow failure rather than a sealed-system failure: frost on the evaporator, a blocked duct, or a condenser that cannot shed heat. A cold freezer with a warm fridge points firmly at airflow. Compressor faults are last for a reason.
What you observe
- The fridge is warm and the freezer still frozen — The classic single-evaporator symptom, and the most useful thing to report.
- The compressor runs continuously without reaching temperature — Long runs with a warm cabinet mean heat is not leaving or air is not moving.
- A sheet of frost on the freezer rear wall — Not a light dusting but a layer that closes the air path.
- The back of the cabinet is very hot — Heat that cannot escape the condenser returns to the kitchen instead.
- NEAR MISS - the unit is silent and nothing is cold — No power or a thermostat that never calls: a different fault and a different page.
Causes, most likely first on this brand
- Frost blocking the evaporator or its duct — First here. With one evaporator serving both compartments, ice on the coil starves the fridge long before the freezer notices, producing exactly the split symptom owners describe. Behind it is a defrost cycle falling behind.
- A stalled or failed evaporator fan — Second. No fan means no air reaches the fresh-food compartment even with a cold coil. The signature is the same split symptom without a frost sheet, and a freezer colder than usual.
- A condenser that cannot reject heat — Third, and likelier here than on a free-standing unit because of the shallow recess. Dust on the coil, a blocked plinth vent or a cabinet jammed against the wall all lengthen the compressor run for less cooling.
- Door seals not closing, or a door left ajar — Fourth. Warm humid air entering continuously both warms the cabinet and feeds the frost that causes the first item on this list.
- A sealed-system or compressor fault — Last, and the only one that is not an owner check. Diagnosed by eliminating the rest, never by guessing first.
Check in this order, and why
- Compare the two compartments — A cold freezer with a warm fridge is airflow. Both warm together points at heat rejection or the sealed system.
- Look at the rear wall inside the freezer — A solid frost sheet answers the question immediately.
- Listen for the evaporator fan with the door held shut — Most doors cut the fan when open, so use the door switch rather than your eyes.
- Inspect the condenser at the back — Hot is expected. Buried in dust, or with no air gap, is not.
What an owner can safely check
- Move perishable food to a cool box — Do this before any test that switches the cabinet off. A refrigerator holds food safely at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, a freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
Tools: cool box, iceAbout 20 min
- Empty the appliance and defrost it with the doors open — Cooling that returns after a full defrost proves the fault is defrost rather than the compressor.
Tools: towelsAbout 90 min
- Clean the condenser and restore the air gap — Vacuum the coil, clear the plinth vent, and pull the unit forward enough for air to move behind it.
Tools: vacuum, soft brushAbout 30 min
- Test each door seal with a sheet of paper — Close the door on the paper and pull; it should drag. Repeat at several points.
Tools: paperAbout 15 min
- STOP HERE if cooling does not return after a full defrost — That diagnosis needs gauges rather than hands.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the refrigerator before removing any panel; a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Never speed a defrost with a heat gun against the liner, and never chip the ice with a metal tool - a punctured evaporator cannot be repaired and ends the appliance. Get a second person to move the cabinet out, because a loaded counter-depth unit tips forward when the doors swing.
When to call a technician
Call when a full defrost restores cooling and the frost returns within a week or two, because that is a defrost component rather than a one-off. Call as well when both compartments stay warm with a clean condenser and a running compressor - that is the sealed system, which is licensed work. Call immediately if you smell burning, and stop running the unit.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page is written for Blomberg refrigerators - the brand often searched as Bloomberg - as an appliance class, not for one model family; where a family-specific page exists it is linked below and is the better answer. Not covered on purpose: defrost heater and thermistor part identifiers, temperature set points, refrigerant charge and clearance dimensions, which differ between the built-in, counter-depth and compact families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
