Skip to content 
Moving a refrigerator isn’t easy, and you want it to get cold fast once in place. A fridge not cooling after moving is a hassle you don’t need. Let’s look at three possible causes.
When you decide to move a fridge across the hall or transport it across town, there are several things you must keep in mind. Aside from transporting it safely, you must also set the appliance up correctly to ensure it can cool normally in its new location.
If your fridge doesn’t cool after moving, it’s because you didn’t give it time to settle down first. Leave it unplugged in its new spot for at least 3 hours to settle its fluids. Then, plug it in for another 24 hours to cool and reach your set temperature. Check that the fridge has a reliable power supply and perform a reset if it’s still warm.
Don’t worry, though. Your problem is entirely solvable, and this guide will show you how to do it.
Why Isn’t My Samsung Fridge Cooling After Moving?
Whether you’re transporting your fridge to a new house or just moving it across the kitchen, you might find that the appliance doesn’t cool when you start it back up.
Here are the reasons why that happens and what you can do to resolve or prevent it from occurring:
Reason 1: Fridge Fluids Need Time To Settle
The first thing you must know about refrigerators is that they need time to settle whenever you relocate them in any way.
Refrigerators have plenty of mechanical parts, and the compressor is one of the most important. Components like that rely on fluids like oils and lubricants to ensure they can function correctly.
But when you move your refrigerator around, those fluids get disturbed. That’s especially true if you’re tilting the appliance at an angle (e.g. rolling it around on a dolly) or transporting it on a truck on a bumpy road with plenty of vibrations.
When you place the fridge in its new location, those fluids need time to settle down.
If you don’t do that, you’ll find that your fridge’s mechanical components don’t function well, leaving it unable to produce any cooling.
Connect with an Appliance Repair Tech
Click here to use the chatbox to speak with one of our technicians.
No in-home service calls. No appointments.
What you can do: Whether you’re planning to move your refrigerator or the appliance is already in its new spot, shut it off immediately. You must leave it turned off and undisturbed for at least 3 hours to ensure its fluids can settle down and be ready for use.
When that time passes, you can turn the fridge on and check again a few hours later to see that it’s cooling normally.
Read: 5 Reasons Why Samsung Fridge Not Cooling + Service Manual + DIY Heater
Reason 2: Check The Power Supply
Another reason your refrigerator doesn’t cool after moving is the lack of a reliable power supply. The appliance might have worked perfectly fine in its previous spot. Still, the new one might have an electrical problem you’re unaware of.
For example, the wall socket you’re now using for the refrigerator could be faulty, or there might be a problem with its entire electrical circuit.
Besides that, the problem could be something as minor as the plug not being fully inserted into the wall socket.
When the refrigerator doesn’t receive a reliable source of incoming power, it might appear to be on but fail to cool down as you’d expect it to.
You can first check that the fridge’s plug is inserted into the wall socket correctly. You should remove it first and check for any obstructions in the way before pushing it firmly into the socket and ensuring there are no gaps.
Alternatively, you can plug the fridge into another wall socket to see if it runs. Be sure to use a socket on a different circuit than the previous one, which might be problematic.
Suppose the wall socket or circuit isn’t working correctly. In that case, you’ll need the help of a qualified electrician to troubleshoot that problem separately. Again, the root cause isn’t in the refrigerator but in your household’s electrical system.
Read: Why Samsung Fridge Is Making “JackHammer” Noise?
Reason 3: 24-48 Hours To Cool Down Inside
Another common reason for a fridge not to cool after moving is simply a need for more time. For example, when you set up a refrigerator for the first time, or if it’s been turned off for an extended period, it needs a lot of time to cool down again.
After you’ve given the fridge and its fluids time to settle (as described in Reason 1) and turn it on, the appliance needs 24-48 hours to reach your set temperature.
That time frame depends on how low your set temperature is and how much you load into the fridge and freezer compartments. So, naturally, the more warm items you put in, the longer the appliance will take to cool everything down and become noticeably cold.
What you can do: If this is the root cause of your problem, then you can only be patient. Your refrigerator needs time to do its job and lower temperatures enough to store your food items safely.
One thing you can do to speed the process up is to avoid opening the fridge doors as much as possible. That way, no cold air inside can escape, making the cooling process much more efficient.
Read: 3 Ways To Fix Samsung Fridge Not Cooling After Power Outage
Reason 4: Needs A Reset (Fridge not cooling after moving)
Once you rule out Reasons 1-3 above, consider that the problem might be with the refrigerator’s electronic components.
It’s not uncommon for the main control board and other components to malfunction after moving a fridge and turning it back on.
These malfunctions are not because a component is faulty or damaged but simply because they’re experiencing a short-term error that stops the cooling process in the appliance.
Thankfully, they’re straightforward to clear. For example, an appliance reset will clear any errors or glitches and start the fridge over fresh.
What you can do: You can reset your refrigerator through a process called ‘power cycling’. Like any other electronic device that you own, you’ll often find that they work correctly when you turn them off and on again.
The same is true with your refrigerator. So, unplug the appliance from the wall socket and leave it alone for 5 minutes.
Any retained power in the appliance will dissipate and clear any errors during that time.
Then, plug the fridge back in and turn it on. That will complete the reset process.
Read: 5 Reasons Why Samsung Fridge Evaporator Fan Is Not Working
Final Thoughts
Moving a refrigerator can be quite challenging, especially physically. However, you might be disappointed that it doesn’t cool when you start it back up.
That’s because there are a few things to remember when moving a fridge. Firstly, leave the fridge alone in its new spot for 3 hours to let its fluids settle. Then, ensure the refrigerator is plugged into a working wall socket. Give the appliance 24-48 hours to cool down completely, and perform a reset if that still doesn’t work.
