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In our previous guide, we looked at how to troubleshoot an acting-up Frigidaire refrigerator ice maker. In this article, we shall proceed with troubleshooting other Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator problems.
Additionally, we shall also look at the meaning (and how to clear) some common Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error codes.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator troubleshooting – how to fix various refrigerator problems
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t turn on
The most common cause for your refrigerator not to turn on is a loose power cord.
Hold on… I know you might be wondering how this might be possible.
But here’s the thing: If you live with kids or pets, it’s possible that one of them might have tugged at the cord thereby loosening it.
So, start by making sure that the power cord is firmly inserted into the power outlet.
Speaking of the power outlet, could it be fried? Or, it has another defect that results in it not producing enough power?
Well, only one way to find out… Test the outlet and see if it produces around 110-120v AC.
If the reading you are getting is below this range, it means the outlet is defective and needs fixing. You can either do it on your own or get an electrician to do it.
But, in the meantime, connect your fridge to another working power outlet. After all, you don’t want your food to go bad. Right?
Next, check the circuit breaker and if it has tripped, be sure to reset it.
Now, if all the above are good, odds are that the control board is fried… Remember that the control board controls almost all other components of the refrigerator including distributing power to these components.
When it comes to a bad control board, the only way to fix it is by getting a new replacement board.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not cooling / Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t cool / Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator stopped cooling (Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not staying cold)
First things first, make sure that your fridge is not in showroom mode – commonly known as demo mode.
You can quickly tell if it is in demo mode by looking at the display. If the display shows demo, OFF, or 77⁰F 77⁰F, it means it’s in showroom mode.
You can quickly deactivate showroom mode by performing a power-on reset (POR). That is, unplug your refrigerator from the power outlet and let it sit for one minute without power.
However, this might not work in some models.
In such models, you can deactivate demo mode by pressing and holding the – and water filter buttons for up to 10 seconds.
Another common cause for your Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not cooling is if you are overloading it.
To be more specific, overstocking might result in the foodstuff blocking the air vents thereby impeding airflow. Not to mention that it might also result in the unit taking longer to cool which might make it appear as if it is not cooling.
What is your current refrigerator temperature?
Here’s the thing, another common yet overlooked culprit is the set temperature.
To be clear, the ideal settings for a refrigerator to cool/freeze normally are 37⁰F and 0⁰F for the fridge and freezer respectively.
Quick tip: If you are using an older model that does not have a display, you can adjust the temperature by turning the dial to a colder setting.
So, confirm that you’ve set the temperature to at least 37⁰F for the fridge and 0⁰ for the freezer compartment.
Next, confirm that your refrigerator is not in direct sunlight or next to a heat source as this is also likely to interfere with its cooling system.
Additionally, make sure your appliance is at least 2” from the wall (in all directions) to allow for proper airflow.
Has there been a recent power outage/failure?
If yes, let your refrigerator sit for around 24-48 hours to allow for its internal temp to stabilize.
Additional repairs
If you look inside the fridge compartment, do you see ice buildup?
If yes, it could be that your fridge has frozen too much and is unable to defrost fully.
Fortunately, you can perform a manual defrost to fix this issue – start by unplugging the unit and removing all foodstuff.
Now open all the doors and leave the refrigerator in this state for at least 8 hours to defrost it.
Moving on…
When you open the fridge, do you hear a fan (evaporator fan) running at the back?
Quick tip: The evaporator fan is responsible for blowing cold air into the refrigerator.
If not, the fan’s motor has likely failed hence you will need a new fan motor.
Do you hear the compressor (located at the back bottom of the unit) running?
If no, it may be defective hence why your refrigerator is not cooling.
Unfortunately, EPA demands that only certified professionals repair the compressor. This is because of the toxic nature of the refrigerant flowing through it.
But, before you pay for the service call, you want to be sure that the compressor is indeed to blame. Right?
Well, we have two guides that can help you with this problem. So, check them out:
Guide 1: How to know if fridge compressor is not working
Guide 2: What does a bad refrigerator compressor sound like?
Now, there are times when your refrigerator might be cooling but not cooling enough to keep your food fresh. And, it’s possible to misdiagnose this as the refrigerator not cooling.
Having said that, if none of the above possible solutions have fixed your unit, I recommend you also check the extra steps in this next section…
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not cold enough (refrigerator not cooling enough)
The most common cause for your refrigerator not cooling enough is dirty condenser coils. So, start here.
To be sure that this is not the problem with your refrigerator, vacuum any dirt/lint that might be caught in there.
And while still back there, do you hear the condenser fan running?
You see, the condenser fan helps the condenser coils to effectively release heat into the surroundings.
Having said that, start by removing any foreign objects that might be impeding the fan blades from rotating.
However, if the fan is not running at all, high chances are that it has failed and needs to be replaced – buy a replacement fan assembly here.
More solutions
How often are you opening the fridge door(s)?
You see, opening the doors often results in cold air escaping from the fridge hence it will never reach its set temperature.
So, only make sure to open the fridge when need be.
Speaking of the door, it’s also likely that the gasket is worn out or the door is not closing fully.
This creates an opening that results in cold air escaping from the fridge compartment hence why it’s not getting cold enough.
To fix this, start by making sure the doors are closing fully – rearrange any foodstuff that might be preventing this.
Also, use a warm moist cloth to wipe the gaskets if they are dirty.
Next, place a thin sheet of paper on the gasket and close the door. If you try to pull the paper, does it come out without much resistance?
If it does, it means the gasket is loose and you will need to install a new gasket.
But before replacing the gaskets, confirm that your refrigerator is level.
You see, if the refrigerator is not level, it might slightly rock on the floor and this might slightly open the door.
Now, if the problem persists, it could be that the refrigerant is leaking. In other words, the remaining refrigerant is not enough to fully cool the whole refrigerator.
Unfortunately, only an EPA-approved technician can troubleshoot and refill the refrigerant considering it’s toxic.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not cooling or freezing
Here’s the thing: The fixes for your freezer not freezing are similar to the ones we have discussed above (Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not cooling).
So, read and try them to restore your refrigerator cooling/freezing.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not making ice / Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t make ice
There are several suspects for a refrigerator icemaker that is not making any ice such as:
- The water valve is not open
- Low water pressure
- Small ice cubes caught in ice chute
- Clogged water filter
- Improperly installed water filter
Now, to learn how you can diagnose and fix these and more icemaker problems, follow the troubleshooting steps in this guide: Frigidaire Gallery dishwasher icemaker troubleshooting.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not dispensing water / Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t dispense water
To fix a refrigerator that is not dispensing water, start by making sure that the water line valve is open.
And, you might also want to make sure that the water pressure to the refrigerator is at least 20 psi.
Nevertheless, the most common culprit is a clogged water filter cartridge – they do get clogged over time.
Unfortunately, the only solution to a clogged water filter cartridge is to get a new one.
Something else: When installing the filter, be sure to listen for a ‘click’ – indicates the filter has locked into position.
Otherwise, it might result in another common problem: your refrigerator not dispensing water after installing the new filter.
Another likely reason for the dispenser not to dispense is if you have activated the control lock.
If you have, the control lock indicator light will be on.
Now, to deactivate the control lock, press and hold the control lock key for 3 seconds.
The final suspect for your refrigerator when it’s not dispensing water is a failed water dispenser switch.
The good news is that it’s quite cheap (costs less than 10 bucks) and easy to replace – see current prices.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not dispensing water or ice
When your refrigerator is not dispensing water or ice, the first troubleshooting step you should take is to confirm that it is getting water.
And, the troubleshooting steps to follow are similar to the ones we have seen above under Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not dispensing water… So, try them and see how it goes.
But, if the water dispenser works but the ice dispenser doesn’t, then our other guide might be of help: Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator ice maker troubleshooting.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator water dispenser won’t stop
If your water dispenser is running continuously, the most likely suspect is gunk buildup on the dispenser preventing it from closing.
But first things first, you need to manually stop the dispenser from running.
To do so, press and hold the control lock key for at least 3 seconds – activating the control lock will stop the dispenser from running.
Next, use a mild detergent and a soft towel to wipe off any residue around the dispenser lever.
You can now deactivate the control lock to see if the dispenser stops running.
On the rare occasion that it’s still running, it means the dispenser switch is stuck in the ‘on’ position.
Here, your workaround will be to replace it – check the current dispenser switch prices.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator not defrosting
Oftentimes, your refrigerator might not defrost if the ice buildup is too much for the defrost cycle.
Usually, this occurs if you have left the door open for too long or if the gasket is defective.
Having said that, manually defrosting the unit should do the trick – remove all food items and unplug the refrigerator from the power outlet.
Proceed to open the doors and let the unit stay for at least 8 hours in this state.
Another likely culprit for your refrigerator not defrosting is a faulty defrost heater.
To see if the heater is bad, start by inspecting it for signs of cracks or burn marks.
Additionally, you can perform a resistance test…
If you are not getting a reading that is around 189 ohms, chances are that the heater is defective.
Alternatively, check if the heater has continuity (continuity indicates the heater is good)
Having said that, your best workaround for a faulty heater is getting a new one – view current defrost heater prices.
The final likely suspect is the defrost thermostat. To tell if yours is good, test its resistance…
At room temperature (77⁰F), a good thermostat will have a resistance of 10k ohms, and if you insert it in ice-cold water (at 32⁰F), it will give you a reading of 32.6k ohms.
If the reading you are getting is off by more than 2%, it means your thermostat is bad and it’s time for a new one – order a quality thermostat.
Now, if all the above parts are good (they have passed their respective tests), it’s a sign that the defrost timer is to blame and needs replacing – order one on Amazon.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t stop beeping
Oftentimes, when your refrigerator beeps continuously, it means that it is not detecting the door as closed.
To diagnose and fix this problem, start by checking if the refrigerator is level. This is because an unlevel refrigerator might result in the door not latching fully.
If it’s indeed level, proceed to rearrange your foodstuff as something might be preventing the unit from locking fully. Usually, this is the case when you’re overpacking the refrigerator.
Also, your refrigerator might beep continuously if you have left the door open for a long time.
However, at times, this could be due to a worn-out door gasket – it will allow warm room air to flow into the refrigerator making it not to reach the set temperatures.
Here, it’s advisable to start by cleaning any gunk that might be on the gaskets using a soft cloth and mild detergent.
Quick tip: You can tell if the gasket is loose by putting a sheet of paper on the gasket and closing the door. Now try to pull the paper… If it comes out with no resistance, it means the gasket is defective hence you need a new gasket.
However, if all these checks out, then the door switch might be bad in which case it can’t detect if the door is closed. In this case, a new door switch might be your solution.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator light won’t turn off
If the lights are not turning off, it means that the control board is still detecting the door as open.
In other words, this problem is similar to the one above (Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator won’t stop beeping).
Since they have similar diagnostic steps, try the above solutions and see how it goes.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error codes – what they mean and how to clear them
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error code PF
This error code means that there has been a power failure.
More often than not, it will occur during a brownout or after a blackout.
Once normal power is restored, press the Alarm Reset key to clear the code and resume normal operation.
If your model does not have the alarm reset key, unplug the refrigerator from the power outlet and let it sit for 5 minutes without power – this will manually reset and clear the code.
Frigidaire refrigerator code SB or Sb
This is not a fault code… It’s more of an informational code – it tells you that your refrigerator is in sabbath mode.
Quick tip: The sabbath mode is a feature that disables some refrigerator functions in accordance with observance of the weekly sabbath and other religious holidays of the Orthodox Jews.
Having said that, here are the 2 methods you can use to activate/deactivate sabbath mode in Frigidaire refrigerators:
Method 1: For Express-Select™ models
In these models, you can activate/deactivate sabbath mode by pressing and holding the freezer down (∨) and fresh food up (∧) indicators together for up to ten (10) seconds.
Method 2: For Pro-Select™ models
In these models, you can turn sabbath mode on and off by pressing and holding the control lock + power on-off keys for up to ten (10) seconds.
Frigidaire refrigerator error code DI SP
This indicates that there is an ice cube jammed in the chute for an extended period.
To clear the code, simply open the refrigerator door and remove any blockages that might be in the ice chute.
Alternatively, you can pour some warm water inside the chute to thaw any stuck ice cube(s).
Frigidaire refrigerator error codes H or HI
In some models, the refrigerator might flash ‘High Temp’ repeatedly.
What these error codes mean is that either the freezer or fridge (or both) section have exceeded the temperature threshold.
Normally, this will be when the freezer section exceeds 26⁰F or the fridge section has a temperature higher than 55⁰F.
With that in mind, these fault codes will clear once the internal temperatures resume their normal range.
Quick tip: You can hasten this process by removing any hot food that might be in there and making sure the doors remain closed.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error codes SY CE and SY CF
Both of these fault codes indicate there is a communication failure between the control board and the user interface.
Their only difference lies in that the SY CE error code means communication error at power up while SY CF indicates communication failure after power up.
Recommended solutions
Start by checking the wire connector connecting the user interface board and the control board – fix/replace if the wires are faulty/broken.
If the problem persists, get a replacement user interface board for your model and see how it goes.
But, if the user interface board is not to blame, you are looking at a bad control board. In this case, swapping it with a new control board might be your last resort.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error codes EF or SY EF
The EF and SY EF error codes mean that the evaporator fan circuit has failed.
To clear these fault codes, start by confirming that the wiring between the evaporator fan assembly and the main control board is good.
If it is good, use a multimeter to test the voltage between the red and brown wires… Here, if all is good, you should get a reading of 12v DC.
Additionally, check for variant voltage (depending on high or low speed) between the yellow and brown wires.
If these check out, it’s likely the evaporator fan motor assembly is faulty hence you need to get a new fan motor.
On the other hand, if your unit passes all these tests, then the control board is likely defective.
In this case, swapping out the board might be your only remaining solution – view control board prices.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator error code 4 (Frigidaire Professional refrigerator error code 4)
When your Frigidaire refrigerator starts showing the error code 4, oftentimes it means the damper has failed.
Nevertheless, it could also display this code if there is a clog blocking the venting system or if the unit is experiencing a defrost problem.
Repairs you should try
Start by rearranging any foodstuff that might be blocking the venting system more so around the damper assembly.
This is because blocking the venting system blocks the supply of cold air from the damper assembly.
Next, inspect if the unit is defrosting fully… If you see any signs of ice inside the fridge compartment, it’s likely that it’s not defrosting – the ice buildup might be too much for the defrost heater.
In this case, you will need to manually defrost your refrigerator.
To do so, unplug it from the power outlet and open all the refrigerator doors.
Next, take out all the foodstuff and leave the refrigerator to stay this way for at least 8 hours.
If the code persists, proceed to confirm that the wiring connecting the damper to the control board is good.
If all is good, odds are that the damper assembly is bad hence you’ll need a new one to swap with the faulty one.
Frigidaire Gallery refrigerator troubleshooting – wrapping it up
As we conclude, let me mention that when replacing/testing these parts, it’s always a good idea to get an instructional video on YouTube to guide you along if you are not handy.
After all, you don’t want to add more damage to your refrigerator.
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