The answer first
A refrigerator that is running but not holding temperature has almost always lost airflow rather than refrigeration: the evaporator ices over, the fan can no longer push cold air into the fresh-food side, and the cabinet warms while the compressor runs continuously. A condenser coil blanketed in dust is the first thing to suspect on a Criterion, because a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. Coil cleaning, door checks and a manual defrost are owner work; the defrost circuit, the fan and anything sealed are not.
What you observe
- A sheet of frost on the freezer back wall — Not the usual light dusting — a solid build-up over the evaporator.
- The compressor runs without ever cycling off — It is trying to reach a temperature it can no longer deliver.
- Food spoils in the fridge while ice cream stays firm — The same fault seen from the food side.
- NEAR MISS — Only the ice maker has stopped — That is the ice page — the cabinet temperature is fine.
Why it happens, in order
- A condenser coil blanketed in dust — Most likely here: a value-tier build puts the cheap wearing parts — filters, hoses, seals, screens — in the path of everything the machine does, so they are where the fault usually is. The condenser rejects the heat the cabinet removes; under a dust blanket it cannot, so the compressor runs constantly and the cabinet slowly loses ground.
- Vents blocked by food or the cabinet packed too tightly — Second on the list: The transfer vents between freezer and fresh-food compartments are easily blocked by a tall container, and the compartment starves.
- A door left ajar or a gasket no longer sealing — Third on the list: Warm moist air entering continuously both raises the cabinet temperature and feeds the frost that eventually blocks the evaporator.
- A defrost system that has stopped clearing the evaporator — Fourth on the list, and the least likely: A failed heater, sensor or timer lets frost build across the evaporator until air can no longer pass, and the fresh-food side warms first. The drivetrain is simple, which makes it durable — it is a real cause but rarely the first one.
Check in this order, and why
- Pull the cabinet out and look at the coil at the back or behind the lower grille — A felt of dust and pet hair on the fins is visible immediately and explains a great many warm refrigerators. Start here: on this platform it is both the most likely finding and the quickest to confirm.
- Find the vents at the back of each compartment and clear a hand-space around them — A box pressed against the rear vent is a complete explanation and costs nothing to correct.
- Close the door on a banknote and pull it out — If it slides freely anywhere round the door, the gasket is not sealing at that point.
Do these, in this order
- Unplug the cabinet, then vacuum and brush the condenser coil and the fan area — Work from the clean side out.
Tools: vacuum, coil brushAbout 30 min
- Unpack the rear of both compartments and leave the vents clear — Give the cabinet a few hours to recover before judging the result.
About 15 min
- Stop here if the next move needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
What to do before a panel comes off
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. Refrigerant is licensed work: oil or a hiss at the compressor means stop and call, and two people move a cabinet this size.
The line between DIY and a callout
Call when the coils are clean, the gaskets seal, the vents are clear and a full manual defrost restored cooling only temporarily — the defrost circuit, the evaporator fan and the sealed system all need the cabinet opened. One line to keep in mind while you wait: A refrigerator holds food safely at 40 °F (4 °C) or below.
Other faults on this machine
Scope of this page
Everything above is generalized across the Criterion refrigerator range rather than tied to a model. No family- or model-specific page exists beneath it yet; when one is published it will be linked here and it will outrank this page for a named model. Deliberately not here: wiring colours, resistance values, torque figures and part numbers, which differ between families.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
