Maytag Refrigerator Troubleshooting

If you’re facing trouble with your Maytag refrigerator, you’ve come to the right place. This article will explore several troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the most common issues with these fridges.

Some common issues with Maytag refrigerators that require troubleshooting include insufficient or excessive cooling, a lack of power supply, or a failed temperature control. In some cases, the fridge’s ice maker might be problematic, its doors won’t close, or the fridge is making too much noise. Some issues can be resolved by resetting the control panel or entering diagnostics mode, while others require a more specific approach.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these troubleshooting steps.

Maytag Refrigerator Not Cooling

If your Maytag refrigerator is not cooling, it’s most likely that one or more parts of its closed-loop cooling system might be dirty or faulty. The most common problems in this area involve two sets of fans and coils. 

First are the condenser coils and fan at the rear of the fridge. These help to dissipate heat out and away from the fridge. The second is the evaporator coils and fan, which absorbs heat from inside the fridge while circulating cold air.

What to check:

To troubleshoot this issue, first check if both the evaporator and condenser coils are clean. Then, check to see that their respective fans are in good working order as well.

How to fix:

If the evaporator or condenser coils are dirty, you’ll first need to clean them thoroughly. This task should be done once every few months with a vacuum to clean away dust and a brush to remove any buildups formed on the coils.

Related: How to Clean Condenser Coils On a Whirlpool Refrigerator

Besides that, any damaged fan blades or faulty fan motors must be replaced immediately.

Maytag Refrigerator Has No Power

If you find that your Maytag refrigerator isn’t receiving any electrical power, then the problem could be at one of two points. Firstly, the wall socket that you’ve plugged the appliance into might have blown a fuse. Or, the dedicated circuit breaker that supplies the fridge might have tripped.

Related: Circuit Breaker is ON But No Power To The Outlet?

What to check:

A fridge can sometimes be quiet, leading you to think it’s not receiving power. Instead, it might just be that the compressor has temporarily stopped running. So, the first thing to check is that the lights inside turn on when you open the door. If they do not, that means the fridge isn’t receiving any power.

Check the wall socket where the fridge plugs into. Blown fuses have two tell-tale signs for you to find: they look and smell burnt. Then, check to see if the breaker for your fridge has tripped.

How to fix:

• Blown fuses must be replaced, but you can flip a tripped breaker back on.
• If the fridge works without any problems, then you’ve solved the issue.
• However, if fuses keep blowing or the circuit breaker keeps tripping, you’ll need to troubleshoot the fridge for an electrical fault.

Maytag Refrigerator Temperature Control Not Working

Your Maytag refrigerator should adjust itself to whatever temperature you select. However, if nothing changes, then the fridge damper might have gotten stuck.

The fridge damper controls how much cold air moves from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment.

Related: 5 Reasons Why Whirlpool Fridge Is Not Cooling

So, if it’s stuck open, the fridge will stay too cool even though you’ve chosen a warmer temperature. On the other hand, a damper stuck closed will restrict airflow and let your fridge get too warm.

What to check:

Start by checking the damper for any ice buildups. Then, check that the damper motor is still working correctly. 

How to fix:

• Any ice build-ups around the damper must be melted away.
• Plus, you must also clean any dirt around the damper that might keep it stuck.
• Lastly, replace the damper motor if the existing one has worn out.

Maytag Refrigerator Control Panel Reset

There are certain situations when the control panel on your Maytag refrigerator may stop responding. For example, this issue might happen after a power outage or if the appliance is in showroom, demo, or Sabbath mode.

What to check:

If your household experienced a recent power outage, your Maytag fridge will flash ‘PO’ on its display or illuminate a Power Outage icon. Also, check if the fridge is displaying the word ‘Showroom’. If any of these are the case, then you will need to reset the control panel.

How to fix:

• To reset the control panel on your Maytag fridge, shut the power supply to the fridge for 5-10 minutes by either disconnecting its power supply or turning off the breaker.
• Then, turn the fridge back on and test the control panel to see if it responds.

Maytag Refrigerator Diagnostic Mode

If you want to troubleshoot your Maytag fridge thoroughly, you can turn on its diagnostic mode, known as the service test mode.

What to check:

The diagnostic mode will help you check specific systems in your Maytag fridge, such as the compressor and condenser fans, the defrost circuit and heater, and much more.

How to fix:

To enter the diagnostic mode, follow this sequence:

• First, open the Fresh Food door, then press and hold Door Alarm on the keypad.
• Press and hold Refrigerator Temperature UP at the same time.
• Let go of Door Alarm and wait three seconds.
• Press Refrigerator Temperature UP again.
• Wait to see ‘001’ on display, then select the tests you’d like to run.

Maytag Refrigerator Ice Maker Troubleshooting

Some Maytag fridge models also come with built-in ice makers. The two most common issues these ice makers face are problems making ice and problems dispensing them on demand.

What to check:

The first thing you must check is whether or not there is ice in the ice maker’s bucket. That will tell you a lot about the problem. 

Related: Maytag/Whirlpool Fridge Ice Maker Not Working? How To Test?

For example, if there isn’t any ice, that’s a clear sign that you should check the water inlet valve next. The most likely reason for the lack of ice is that there is no water supply entering the ice maker in the first place.

However, if you find ice in the bucket, you should press the ice dispensing lever. When you push the lever, it will activate the ice dispenser switch, sending ice cubes falling into your cup. If that does not happen even when there is ice in the bucket, then that’s a clear sign that the switch has failed.

How to fix:

• Whether the water inlet valve or the ice dispenser switch is faulty, you will need to replace these parts. They can’t be repaired, so a total replacement is the only option.
• The water inlet valve is located at the rear of the fridge, connecting with the waterline.
• On the other hand, the ice dispenser switch is located behind the ice dispenser panel on the front of the fridge.

Maytag Refrigerator Door Not Closing

The door on your Maytag fridge must be able to close firmly to keep all of the cool air inside contained. Suppose the door won’t stay closed, or if it pops open by itself. If that’s the case, the fridge might be tilted forward too much. Alternatively, the door seal might be damaged or has lost its shape.

What to check:

Firstly, check for signs of whether or not the fridge is tilted too far forward. A visual inspection of the fridge might be enough, or you might notice liquids inside the fridge tilting oddly. To be sure, you can also use a spirit level to see if the fridge is perfectly level or not.

Next, inspect every inch of the door’s seal for rips or other forms of damage. If the seal has lost its shape or has become warped, you will also see that easily.

How to fix:

• If you find that the fridge is tilted forward too much, all you will have to do is readjust the fridge’s adjustable legs.
• Raise or lower the legs underneath the fridge as needed until the appliance is perfectly level.
• For damaged door seals, you will need to replace them entirely.
• The process for this is straightforward, as you will only have to remove the existing door seal and slide the new one in its place.

Maytag Refrigerator Getting Too Cold

Once the fridge reaches the set temperature, it’s supposed to stop cooling. So if your Maytag fridge gets far too cold to the point and even freezes some food over, that means the fridge’s cooling system is failing to stop when it should.

Related: Top Reasons Why Frigidaire Refrigerator Not Dispensing Cold Water

Another possibility was mentioned earlier in this article: the fridge damper might be stuck in the open position. When that happens, excessive amounts of cold air from the freezer compartment will continuously flow into the fridge, causing it to become too cold.

What to check:

In this case, you should start by checking the fridge’s temperature control thermostat. This part is supposed to sense the fridge’s temperature and shut off the cooling system when it’s too cold.

At the same time, inspect the fridge’s damper to ensure that no ice buildup or foreign objects have caused it to remain stuck in the open position.

How to fix:

• A faulty temperature control thermostat must be replaced to ensure that the fridge resumes correct operation.
• For the damper, you must melt any ice build-ups and clean away any foreign objects stuck inside. There is also the possibility that the damper motor has failed, preventing it from closing as needed.
• If that is the case, then you will need to replace the damper motor instead.

Maytag Refrigerator Making Noise

A little bit of a noise, like the gentle hum of blower fans or the compressor, is entirely normal. However, any noises louder than that is a sign that something isn’t wrong.

Related: Troubleshooting Whirlpool/Maytag Washer That Is Making Noise 

Typically, these noises come from the condenser or evaporator fans or their motors, as they are the only moving parts in your fridge that are continuously working.

What to check:

To troubleshoot this issue, check the condenser and evaporator fan blades. Damaged blades could be hitting the parts around them, causing a continuous knocking or vibrating noise. Noisy motors could be caused by foreign objects getting stuck in them.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Samsung Fridge Is Making Vibrating Noise

How to fix:

• To fix this, first identify where the noise is coming from.
• Damaged fan blades must be replaced, and any foreign objects stuck in the motors must be safely removed.