I love the advanced features on my Maytag fridge. But, I had an issue where it wouldn’t work and cool at all. I did a bunch of research and looked through the various help documents to figure out how to fix the issue, and today I thought I’d share what I found.
Overall, this is caused by the cooling function not being turned on, or the air temperature in the room is too warm for the temperature setting. Also, the condenser coils may need to be cleaned, the air flow vents can be blocked, or the air flow control is set too low.
There are 8 troubleshooting steps you should do to fix this issue but a few of them are very related and so it doesn’t take very long to do each of them. I’ll cover exactly how to perform each of them below, as well as, what to do if your Maytag fridge doesn’t power on at all.
Maytag Fridge Not Working
There are a range of settings on a Maytag fridge that need to be adjusted if your Maytag fridge is not working. There are also parts of the fridge that need to be inspected to ensure they aren’t causing the issue. Here’s what they are:
The fridge needs to be level for the doors to close and remain closed. If it’s not, the feet of a Maytag fridge need to be adjusted. The seals around the edges of the door that create an airtight seal should also be inspected for wear and tear, and dust and debris may need to be cleaned.
Now that you’re aware of the major factors, here’s how to perform each of these troubleshooting steps. I’ve ordered them from the easiest and fastest to check to the hardest. Because there are a range of issues that can cause your Maytag fridge not to work, and there’s no way of knowing ahead of time what can be causing the issue.
1. Cooling function is turned off, and needs to be turned on
When the fridge is cleaned the cooling function switch can be accidentally turned off. Also, after a power surge, the cooling function can switch off as a safety feature. Turning it back on differs by model.
If you have your owners manual, refer to the instructions to see if yours is the type that needs to be turned on manually. The owner’s manual is also very easy to find on the Maytag website.
But, you need to know the model number which is located on the top of the left wall on the inside of your fridge, just above the vegetable crisper at the base of the fridge. Or, on the top of the fridge when the door is open – where the door would touch as it closes.
It has a stick on label that says ‘MODEL NO’ and underneath it has a number, take that number and put it into the official Maytag website to get an online version of the owner’s manual.
2. Air vents are blocked by a food item stopping air flow into the fridge
Cold air is pumped into the freezer, and then is blown into the fridge periodically by a fan at the rear of the fridge compartment. There are vents on the walls of the freezer compartment, and the fridge compartment. They’re located in such a place that if food or drink is stacked on top of them they will be blocked.
When that happens the cool air can’t circulate freely and cool the fridge as it should. Simply inspect the fridge and locate the vents on the walls of the fridge and freezer. And move any food items that are blocking them a bit away so that the air can flow freely.
Once that’s done it can take up to 24 hours for the fridge or freezer to cool to the temperature that is set on the temperature controls.
3. The temperature is set too warm to cool the fridge enough
By default a Maytag fridge will be set to the middle temperature setting. But, a fridge works by sucking in air, and blowing it over a cooling system. Therefore, if the temperature of the air where the fridge is located becomes a lot warmer, such as in the summertime, the fridge can struggle to cool the air as fast, and you should turn the temperature down a setting.
It can be increased or decreased using the digital control panel on the front of the fridge. If your model doesn’t have one, there will be a turn knob that you can adjust.
In the video he shows how to turn it up but not how to turn it down. To turn it down press the same button he shows again, and it will go to the warmest temperature setting.
4. The location of the fridge is too warm
A source of heat near the fridge can impact its ability to cool well. Such as, in direct sunlight, in a garage, and next to a heat source such as an oven, or heater. A refrigerator draws in air from around the fridge and blows it over the cooling system.
If the air temperature is very warm it won’t cool enough before it enters the interior of the fridge. Consider moving your fridge to a play where it’s the coolest. It will generally save power as well, because the fridge won’t need to work as hard.
5. Air flow setting needs to be turned up higher for the amount of items
Maytag fridges can have an air flow setting, particularly the latest models. It can be a knob that can be set to minimum, recommended, or maximum. The factors that influence what setting it should be or are:
- Whether you use a lot of ice – especially in summer time
- The room is quite hot
- The fridge is more or less full – if you have a large family or buy in bulk
Newer models with a digital display can be adjusted using the buttons on the control panel. If you have more items in the fridge the air flow needs to be higher, as well as, if you use a lot of ice, and the temperature of the room where the fridge is, is quite hot.
6. Condenser coils can have dust that stops them from cooling enough
When the condenser coils are covered in dust, or pet hair they become insulated from the air, and don’t function correctly. They are located at the back of the fridge, and you generally need to remove the panel by unscrewing a few screws that hold the panel in place.
From there it can be vacuumed. There is a significant risk of electrical shock when working around the area where the condenser coils are. Therefore, it’s best to refer to your owner’s manual to see exactly how to clean them. And whether a qualified technician needs to clean them.
7. Level the fridge to ensure the doors close correctly
If a fridge isn’t level the doors can close at an angle, tilting towards the part of the fridge that is lower than the rest of the fridge. This causes the doors to not seal completely.
8. Inspect the seals on the fridge and freezer door
The seals are responsible for creating an airtight seal so that the cold air stays in, and keps the fridge cold. Spilled liquid or food, as well as, dust can remain on the seals, and where the seals attach to the fridge. This causes them not to create an airtight seal.
They can be wiped with a cloth and some soapy water to make them perfectly clean. Ensure, you dry them thoroughly afterwards. Over time, they can also fail, and detach from the door. Or, be torn, at which point they need to be replaced.
Inspect them to see if they are causing the issue. Also, when you close the door check that they are attaching to the fridge, and are leaving any gaps where air can escape.
Maytag Fridge Not Cooling
A Maytag fridge generally takes 24 hours to cool completely to the temperature that it’s set to. But, there are a range of reasons why it’s not cooling. Here’s what they are.
The cooling function can have turned off due to a power surge, or by accident when cleaning it, and it needs to be turned back on. Food items can also be blocking the vents in the interior of the fridge and freezer, or the seals can be split or need to be cleaned to create an airtight seal.
There are also a few more troubleshooting steps to fix a Maytag fridge that is not cooling. I have made step by step instructions for each of the steps you should do to fix a Maytag fridge that isn’t cooling.
Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on October 2, 2021.
Scroll to the top of this article and start with step ‘1. Cooling function is turned off, and needs to be turned on’. And do each of the steps until your Maytag fridge begins to cool.
If you have a different brand fridge, be sure to check our troubleshooting guide for your refrigerator that is not cooling.
Maytag Fridge Keeps Turning on and Off
When a Maytag fridge turns on and off, it indicates an issue with one of the internal components. Rather than a setting the fridge has, or an issue related to cooling the fridge. Here’s what causes it and how to fix this issue.
This indicates a problem with the main control board. To fix it, unplug your Maytag fridge for 5 minutes and then plug it back in. This will reset the main control board. If the problem persists then there is an issue with the main control board component and it will need to be replaced.
But, the wall outlet can also have an issue. Use a different electronic device on the wall outlet that your fridge is using to verify if it’s the wall outlet that is causing the issue. Or, if you’re using an extension cord or multi-plug adapter, they can also be faulty. Test each of them independently to isolate whether it’s the wall outlet, extension cord, or multi-plug adapter that is faulty.
Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on October 2, 2021.
Control boards cost around $100 plus the cost to have a repair technician replace it for you. So, depending on how old your Maytag fridge is you may want to buy a whole new fridge completely. As it’s possible it can be caused by another internal component.
In my opinion, with this issue you’re best to contact Maytag to see if the repair is covered by the warranty. And enquire about what the potential cost would be to do the repair.
Maytag Fridge Keeps Freezing
Leaving food in the fridge only to have it freeze can occur with your Maytag fridge is a major pain, and is caused by three reasons. Here’s what they are:
The vents can be blocked by a food item, the temperature is set too cold, and/or the air flow can be set too high. The vents on the sides of the interior of the fridge and freezer should not be obstructed by food items. The temperature and air flow can be changed using the controls on your fridge.
There are step by step instructions for how to perform both of these steps at the top of this article. Scroll up and do step ‘2. Air vents are blocked by a food item stopping air flow into the fridge’, step ‘3. The temperature is set too warm to cool the fridge enough’, and ‘5. Air flow setting needs to be turned up higher for the amount of items’. Although, two of the steps deal with turning the temperature down, and the air flow up, the way of doing it can also be used to turn the fridge temperature up, and the air flow down.
Maytag Fridge Keeps Beeping
There is a warning beep that’s a feature of Maytag fridges. But, it will stay on until the issue is solved. Here’s what causes it to beep, and how to get it to stop.
If the door is open it will begin beeping after 5 minutes, and then every 2 minutes after that until the door is closed. Ensure, both the freezer, and fridge doors are properly closed. If both are and the beeping continues, the door switch or the control board are faulty.
A faulty door switch can be replaced if you’re fairly good with tools. But, if you don’t think you’ll be able to do it yourself, then it’s best to have a repair technician do the repair for you. It may also be covered by the warranty for your fridge.
Control board needs to be restarted or replaced
It’s also possible the control board is faulty or needs to be restarted. To reset the main control board unplug your fridge. Or, turn it off at the fusebox. Wait for 5 minutes, then plug it back in, or turn the circuit breaker back on at the fusebox.
If it continues to beep then the control board is faulty, and will need to be replaced. Which also may be covered by the warrant. In my opinion you’re best to contact Maytag regarding the issue after trying if you’re needing a repair technician to repair the door switch or the control panel. As they can advise of the cost, and whether it is covered under warranty.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on October 2, 2021.