Can a Fridge Work Without a Fan? Fridge Safety Suggestions

Refrigerators have numerous moving parts, all of which are required to keep the appliance cold while preventing it from overheating. Almost all fridges have fans that circulate cold air, but some of them have compressor fans that regular the compressor’s temperature.

A fridge can’t work without a fan because it can’t move cold air throughout the refrigerator. If the compressor fan is broken, the compressor will overheat and break. Once the compressor breaks, the fridge can’t produce cold air or remove warm air through the vents.

In this post, I’ll dive into the details of why a fridge can’t work without circulation fans and compressor fans. I’ll also help you find out why your fridge fans don’t work anymore.

What Happens When a Refrigerator Fan Stops Working?

When a refrigerator fan stops working, it can’t disperse the refrigerant or adjust the fridge’s temperature. This process ends up spoiling all of your food. All of the cold air will stay near the bottom of the refrigerator. It can also freeze and crack the coils.

This process is similar to when a microwave fan doesn’t work anymore. Neither appliance should be used until the fans are repaired or replaced. Cooling fans are essential components that prevent refrigerators from getting too hot or failing to reduce the fridge’s internal temperature.

Check out these four common issues that can happen if your fridge fans stop turning on:

1. The fridge coils will freeze. Also known as condenser coils, refrigerator coils need to be cold enough to keep the food from thawing in the freezing or warming up in the fridge. If the fan doesn’t move cold air around the coils, the coils will absorb all of the cold refrigerant.
2. Your refrigerator compressor will burn out. The compressor needs to be able to circulate cold air around the fridge. If the fans don’t move the refrigerant away from the compressor, the compressor will overheat and stop working properly. Once this happens, the fridge is no different than a cooler.
3. All of the food and drinks in your fridge will go bad. The fans are designed to move cold air over anything you put in the fridge. Without them, everything you put in the fridge (food, drinks, ice, etc.) won’t stay cold enough to safely consume.
4. Without a circulation fan, your compressor won’t be able to remove warm air through the back of the fridge. These fans pull air through the front grille and push warm air out of the back vents. If the fan breaks, all of the warm air will settle near the top shelves of the refrigerator.

Will a Freezer or Fridge Work Without an Evaporator Fan?

Your fridge-freezer combo won’t function properly if there’s no evaporator fan. People often remember to clean, check, or replace the circulation fan, but the evaporator fan is often overlooked. A faulty evaporator fan will cause loud noises, overheating, and more.

WikiHow explains that there’s likely nothing wrong with the fan if the fan runs, even if the freezer or fridge isn’t cold. A lack of cold air is usually caused by malfunctioning thermostats and condensers or a lack of refrigerant.

Remember, it’s not always the evaporator fan’s fault. The motor can go bad, which reduces the lifespan of most fans. When the motor stops working, the fan blades can’t rotate, cool, evaporate, and so on. This makes your fan a lot less useful (you won’t be able to use it at all).

It’s essential that you know what can happen if you try to use a refrigerator or freezer without an evaporator fan. It can have disastrous consequences, so consider the following details:

• Your refrigerator won’t function as a fridge because it can’t keep anything cold.
• You can turn off the fridge and add ice to use it as a cooler until you fix the evaporator fan.
• The compressor, capacitor, or control board can overheat and stop functioning.
• Your whole fridge can overheat and catch on fire or send smoke throughout the entire kitchen.

Why Is My Fridge Cooling Fan Not Running?

Your fridge cooling fan isn’t running because there’s a clog in the fan or the washer is corroded and clogged with grime. Dirty drain pans can also prevent the fan from cycling cold air throughout the fridge. Electrical problems with cooling fans include faulty control boards and short circuits.

Here’s an in-depth look at why your fridge fan stopped working:

• Dust and debris can clog the fan. Pet hair and dust often get all over the fan. When the circulation fan pulls air from the front of the fridge grille, it vacuums everything small and lightweight into it. It’s very important to unplug the fridge and clean the grill and both fans annually.
• The drain pan is too dirty, which caused the refrigerator fan to overheat. Most refrigerators have drain pans that catch excess condensation, dripping water, and refrigerant leaks. If there’s too much debris in the drain pan, it’ll overheat and damage the fridge’s fan motor.
• If your fridge compressor is faulty, the fan will overheat because it can’t cycle refrigerant with the fan. The compressor cools the fridge with refrigerant. However, if the compressor doesn’t work, the fan can’t cool down. The motor will get too hot and burn out.
• The refrigerator control board had a short circuit with the circuit breaker. Additionally, your fridge won’t work without a thermostat if there’s a power surge. Short circuits and surges happen when the electricity goes along the wrong wire between the breaker and the control board.
• The fan stopped working due to fridge wear and tear. Refrigerator fans only last around ten years, much like most other refrigerator parts. Keep in mind that fridges have two or more fans. If any of these fans fail, your fridge will have a difficult time managing its temperature.

According to Popular Mechanics, a broken evaporate fan can make your fridge overheat, damaging almost every component. However, some refrigerators will roar or screech if the compressor is on its way out.