In one paragraph
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. Vents blocked by food or the cabinet packed too tightly is the first thing to suspect on a Criterion, because a machine that has just been installed or moved is far more likely to be reporting its setup than its age, and setup faults appear immediately rather than gradually. Coil cleaning, door checks and a manual defrost are owner work; the defrost circuit, the fan and anything sealed are not. The order below is written for a unit that is new, newly installed or recently moved; a machine that has run in the same spot for years ranks differently.
What the machine is doing
- 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.
- The freezer is still cold but the fresh-food side is warm — The classic airflow signature: the cold is being made and not delivered.
- NEAR MISS — Nothing runs at all and the interior light is off — That is a power fault and it belongs on the will-not-start page.
The ranking
- Vents blocked by food or the cabinet packed too tightly — First on this brand: a machine that has just been installed or moved is far more likely to be reporting its setup than its age, and setup faults appear immediately rather than gradually. The transfer vents between freezer and fresh-food compartments are easily blocked by a tall container, and the compartment starves.
- A condenser coil blanketed in dust — Second: 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.
- A door left ajar or a gasket no longer sealing — Third, and the last to suspect: Warm moist air entering continuously both raises the cabinet temperature and feeds the frost that eventually blocks the evaporator. The door hardware is light, so it goes out of adjustment before anything electrical does.
Working order
- 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. It goes first because on a recently installed or recently moved unit this is what the move breaks, and it costs nothing to rule out.
- 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.
- 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.
Hands-on checks
- 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
- 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
- Stop here if the next move needs a meter on live terminals — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
The hazards on this appliance
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.
When to stop and call
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.
The same machine, other symptoms
How specific this page is
This is the family-agnostic page for Criterion refrigerators. Nothing more specific exists to send you to at the moment; a model-level page, once written, is linked here and is the better answer. 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.
