The short answer
A GRS refrigerator that hums away without cooling is far more often an airflow problem than a dead compressor: the evaporator ices over, the air stops moving, and the cabinet warms while the unit runs. Here these ship as compact units into small kitchens and second homes, and they are worked far harder than their duty rating expects, which is why the order below starts where it does. Two of the likely causes are owner-checkable within the hour; the last one is not.
What you observe
- Frost has built into a sheet on the freezer rear wall — Not the usual light dusting, but a solid plate that blocks the vents behind it.
- The compressor never cycles off — It runs continuously without reaching temperature, which is the same fault seen from the other side.
- NEAR MISS: the unit is silent and nothing is cold — That is a no-power, start-relay or control fault and it belongs on a different page. If nothing is running at all, leave this one.
Causes, most likely first on this build
- Condenser coil smothered with dust, or the cabinet boxed in — Ranked first on this build: these are dropped into tight alcoves and cupboards where the coil has nowhere to reject its heat, so the unit runs and runs without ever winning.
- Door seal leaking warm room air into the cabinet — Second: a gasket that has hardened or a door that no longer pulls itself shut loads the cabinet continuously.
- Airflow blocked by a frosted evaporator — Third: it stays a leading cause on any frost-free cabinet, because a stalled defrost never announces itself.
- Failed thermistor, damper or control board — Last: uncommon, and the one that needs a technician with a meter rather than an owner with a torch.
Check in this order, and why
- Open the freezer and listen for the evaporator fan — With the door switch held in, the fan should run. This one listen separates the two likeliest causes before any tool comes out.
- Look at the freezer rear panel for a frost plate — If the fan runs and the panel is iced, you have found the airflow fault and not a second one.
- Check the door seal with a sheet of paper — Only worth doing once the three above are clean, because a weak seal makes everything worse without being the cause.
What an owner can safely check
- Clear the condenser coil at the back or under the plinth — Vacuum the dust blanket off and brush the fins clean. A smothered coil produces exactly this symptom.
Tools: vacuum, soft brushAbout 20 min
- Give the cabinet an air gap and check it stands level — Pull it clear of the wall, leave space above, and set the feet so the doors close themselves.
Tools: adjustable spannerAbout 15 min
- STOP HERE if the next step needs a meter on live terminals or the sealed system opened — That is where an owner check ends and a service call begins.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the refrigerator or switch off its breaker before removing any panel, because a capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off and the evaporator fan starts without warning when the door switch is bypassed. Never chip ice off the evaporator with anything sharp: the tubing behind it is thin-walled, and a puncture turns a cheap fault into a sealed-system repair. The cabinet is heavy and moves awkwardly, so get help rather than walking it on its corners.
When to call a technician
Call once the cabinet has been defrosted, the coil is clear and the seal holds and it still will not cool, because the next step is a fan or sensor behind a sealed panel. Call straight away if you see oil around the compressor or smell burning, since oil outside the tubing means the system is open and every hour it runs after that costs more to put right. Parts for a direct import come from the seller rather than a service network, so confirm the part can actually be had before paying for a diagnosis that ends in a back-order.
Nearest pages of this class
What this page does not cover
This page covers the GRS refrigerator as a class rather than one family or model line. Shelf and bin layouts, fan part numbers, panel fixings and the wiring colours behind the rear panel are deliberately not here. Where a family or model page exists for your unit, it is the more specific answer and the one to read first; the nearest pages of this class are linked just above.
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
