Nothing is quite as frustrating as when an appliance starts to act strangely. You might not know if the appliance is totally failing  or if there are just minor issues. If your fridge starts acting funny, there are a number of reasons why this could be the case.

Is The Power On?

Making sure the power of your fridge is on, which is to say that your fridge is plugged in, is essential to your refrigerator running well; or, in this case, running at all! There might be several reasons for this issue. First, check to see if the power is on in the first place. Open your fridge door. If the interior light does not come on, chances are, your power is off, especially if you feel little to no coldness emitting from the fridge. Check the power cord leading to the power supply. Sometimes it can become knocked loose. If this is still plugged in, there might be an issue with your circuit breaker. Check your fuse box and circuit breaker and make sure the corresponding kitchen circuit breaker is turned on.

Is Your Thermostat Set Properly?

When your fridge does not seem like it is producing air as cool as it should be, then there is a good chance that the issue revolves around your thermostat. Inside of most fridges is a dial, known as the thermostat, which controls the level of the temperature of the fridge. 

Usually located in the very back of the fridge towards the upper regions – towards where the fridge meets the freezer – check to see if the temperature is set to an adequate amount. Set the dial knob a few settings in the direction of "cold" (which is usually the right). If the dial feels loose, it may not be attached to the fridge properly, and this could be the cause. After you set the thermometer, wait approximately an hour and check the temperature again. If the temperature of your fridge has not decreased, it might be a more serious issue.

Is The Fridge Making Strange Noises?

There might be several problems wrong with your fridge if it happens to be making strange noises. A low hum is generally par for the course when it comes to fridges. Do not be worried if your fridge is making a deep, humming noise.

However, there are a number of noises that might necessitate that you call in a professional to address the issue. For example, if your fridge is making high pitched, squealing noises, it could be that your fans are not lubricated properly and the metal is coming into direct contact with more metal. In addition, if any strange noises are accompanied by a rattling, shaking or vibration of the fridge, this could be a sign that your compression motor is failing. 

Is The Fridge Continuously Running?

The cooling system inside of your fridge needs to run periodically to make sure all of the items inside are adequately cool, but not all of the time. In fact, if your fridge is running all of the time, this can make for a serious issue involving your fridge. It might be the case that your fridge does not have enough coolant in it and must run extra hard to make sure the contents are cool, or it might be the case that you have a failing compressor.

If you can't figure out why your fridge isn't operating like it should, you should call in a professional refrigerator repair technician. They will be able to more effectively troubleshoot your fridge and hopefully get to the bottom of your fridge issues.