Hotpoint Fridge Not Working? (here’s why)
The fridge must be one of the best inventions to ever grace our kitchens. We can keep all manner of food and drink cold during the hot, Summer months and ensure that perishable foods stay fresh for longer all year round. If the fridge stops working, it can be stressful, but before you panic or call the repairman, keep reading.
We might just have the solution you need to get your Hotpoint fridge back working again. There are a few common faults with Hotpoint fridges which are;
- Power Supply Off
- Faulty Condenser Fan Motor
- Faulty Condenser Coils
- Faulty Start Relay
- Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor
- Faulty Start Capacitor
- Faulty Thermostat
- Room Temperature Too High
- Faulty Compressor
- Faulty Thermistor
- Faulty Control Board
Let’s look at each one of these in more detail so we can get your Hotpoint fridge back working again.
In the interests of safety, if you do not feel confident in your abilities to carry out the following tasks yourself, call in an expert.
Before attempting any repairs it’s worth checking that your Hotpoint fridge isn’t still under warranty, if it is and you start tampering with anything, you could void your warranty.
The Power Supply Is Off
It might sound silly, but it has been known to have happened, someone for whatever reason has either pulled the plug out from the socket or turned the wall socket switch off. This should always be the first place you check.
Faulty Condenser Fan Motor
The condenser fan motor is one of the most common faults with Hotpoint fridges and so it’s a good place to start. The condenser fan spreads air across the compressor and through the condenser coils. If it stops working your fridge loses its ability to cool.
To find the fan motor, check around the condenser coils. Once you find the fan blades, check they are free from any obstructions and give them a clean with a damp cloth. Try to turn the blades by hand; they should move freely, if not, they’ll need to be replaced.
If the blade spins freely, check the fan motor using a multimeter for continuity. Replace if necessary.
Faulty Condenser Coils
The condenser coils remove heat from the fridge as it is working. If the condenser coils are dirty, they struggle to dissipate the heat which could cause your Hotpoint fridge to stop working.
If the coils are dirty, use a soft lint-free cloth and washing up liquid to remove all of the dust/grease or other debris from the coils. Ensure they are dry before retrying the fridge.
Faulty Start Relay
The start relay makes the compressor work. If the start relay fails, the compressor can’t start which means your Hotpoint fridge won’t stay cold. Use a multimeter to check for continuity between the run and start terminal sockets. Replace if necessary.
Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor
The evaporator motor works in much the same way as the condenser fan motor but in a slightly different way. It moves air across the cooling coils and through the fridge and freezer parts. On some Hotpoint models, they have more than one evaporator fan motor.
If the freezer is cold, but the fridge is warm, it’s almost certainly the evaporator fan motor at fault.
To locate the evaporator fan motor look in the freezer compartment. Then try turning the fan by hand, it should turn freely, if not it will need replacing. If it does turn, you’ll need to test the fan using a multimeter for continuity and replace as necessary.
If the motor is making an exceptionally loud noise it is about to fail and should be replaced.
Faulty Thermostat
The thermometer controls power to the evaporator and condenser fan motors and the compressor. If it develops a fault, your Hotpoint fridge will either not work at all or struggle to work correctly.
The easiest way to check the thermostat is to turn it to its lowest setting and then turn it all the way to its highest setting. If you hear a click, the thermostat is OK if it doesn’t click, use a multimeter to check for continuity. Replace as necessary.
Faulty Compressor
Take care with this one, compressors are often misdiagnosed as the problem. On top of which they are difficult to replace, which is why we recommend getting an expert to check this one out for you.
The compressor pumps refrigerant through the evaporator and condenser coils; if it fails to work, the fridge cannot cool. It can be tested using a multimeter for continuity. If the meter shows an open circuit, it probably means the compressor is the problem.
You really don’t want to be messing with refrigerant yourself. We strongly recommend calling in an expert at this stage.
Faulty Thermistor
The thermistor checks the temperature of your Hotpoint fridge and passes those readings to the control board. The control board is responsible for regulating power to the evaporator and compressor based on the readings from the thermistor.
If the thermistor is faulty, the compressor and evaporator cannot operate. This will result in your Hotpoint fridge not cooling. You can check the thermistor using a multimeter to check for resistance. If there is no resistance detected when the temperature alters, you will need to replace the thermistor.
The Room Temperature Is Too High
If the temperature in the room is too hot or the fridge has been placed in direct sunlight or near a radiator or other heat source, it will need to work harder to cool the air inside the fridge.
You may find all you need to do is set the temperature of your fridge lower to solve the issue. Allow a full 24 hours for the fridge temperature to reach the lower level.
Faulty Control Board
As we said earlier, the control board provides the power to the evaporator and the compressor, if the control board is faulty, your Hotpoint fridge will not work. Checking the control board should be your last task as this is least likely to be the problem.
We would recommend getting an expert to check the control board as it is probably the most expensive part to replace and you wouldn’t want to misdiagnose it and replace it for no reason.
Where To Check First
Above we have highlighted all of the parts on your Hotpoint fridge which could cause it to stop working. Now we will highlight the same faults, but in order of importance. Or what you should check from most likely to be the problem to least likely to be the problem.
- Is Power Supply On?
- Condenser Fan Motor
- Evaporator Fan Motor
- Is Room Temperature Too High?
- Condenser Coils
- Start Relay
- Thermostat
- Thermistor
- Start Capacitor
- Compressor
- Control Board
Just to be clear, if your Hotpoint fridge has stopped working and you’ve checked that it is plugged into a working socket and the mains supply is working and the room temperature isn’t too hot. Check the condenser fan motor first, then the evaporator fan and so on down the list.
If you have checked everything on this list up to and including the start capacitor, and the multimeter confirms they all are working correctly, we recommend calling in an expert if you suspect it’s the compressor or the control board.
Both the compressor and control board are easy to misdiagnose as the causes of the problem and difficult to replace. Which is why they are best left to a qualified engineer.
Other Reasons Your Hotpoint Fridge Has Stopped Working
So far we’ve looked at the mechanical reasons why your Hotpoint fridge has stopped working, but there could be less complicated reasons to explain why your fridge has stopped working. Such as;
Fridge Temperature Dial Turned Off
On Hotpoint fridges, there is a temperature dial that can be turned up or down using a small coin or screwdriver. It is numbered from 1 to 9 with 9 being the coldest and 1 being the warmest.
If you have just had the fridge delivered this could be the problem, but if the fridge has been working normally before it stopped, it’s unlikely to be the cause of your fridge not working.
Defrost Cycle Has Been Activated
Once ice builds up on the evaporator coil, the Hotpoint fridge will activate a defrost cycle to remove that ice. This heats the evaporator coil temporarily to melt the ice.
Whilst the defrost cycle is running, the fridge will not be cooling. Give it around 30 minutes and check again, you could find that it is now working correctly.
What To Do Next
If you have tried all of the above, and your Hotpoint fridge is still not working, it’s time to call an engineer.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons why your Hotpoint fridge has stopped working. It could be; on a defrost cycle, a faulty thermostat, faulty thermistor, faulty compressor fan motor, faulty evaporator fan motor, a faulty compressor or even a faulty control board.
If your Hotpoint fridge is not cooling it could be because the evaporator coil is covered in ice. If the defrost heater isn’t working for some reason, this could cause the fridge to stop cooling, and the freezer to stay cold.
Unplugging a fridge and leaving it unplugged for around 15 to 20 minutes can reset it in most cases.
The first thing to check when a refrigerator stops working is the plug fuse. Then the wall plug socket and then the actual power cord.
A Hotpoint fridge is colder at 5 the numbers run from 1 (warmest) to 5 (coldest). Please note, some Hotpoint fridges also run from 1 – 9, where 1 is the warmest and 9 is the coldest.
