How often should I clean the coils?

Once or twice a year, more if you have pets.

How often should I change the water filter?

Most makers say about every six months. Check your manual.

Common Refrigerator Problems You Can Check Yourself

A service call is $150, so it’s worth five minutes to rule out the simple stuff. These are the checks we’d do first ourselves.

Common causes

Settings. Temperature dial bumped, vacation mode, or demo mode on.
Blocked vents. Food stacked against the vents in the freezer.
Dirty coils. Vacuum them once or twice a year.
Old water filter. Slow water and small ice.
Door seals. Warm air in means frost and a fridge that runs all day.
Power. Breakers and GFCI outlets.

Checks you can do safely

Turn off power (and water or gas where it applies) before you reach inside any appliance.

Write down the model number from the tag inside the fridge. We’ll ask for it.
Note what changed: a power outage, a move, a new filter.
Feel for air coming out of the vents in the fridge side.

When to call us

If you’ve done these and it’s still not right, call. Tell us what you already checked so we don’t repeat it. We work Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, across Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Ellis and Johnson counties. The service call is $150 and we waive it if you go ahead with the repair. Parts and labor are covered for 90 days.

Service page: refrigerator repair.