The Light Will Not Come On in My Frigidaire Fridge

Despite their convenience, refrigerators do have occasional maintenance issues. One of the most common is when the bulb inside the fridge won't come on when you open the door. For Frigidaire owners, fixing this problem ranges from simple do-it-yourself approaches to a more involved process, depending on the cause.

One of the most common culprits behind the light bulb not performing properly is the fact that the bulb has simply burned out and needs to be replaced. No need to call a repairman, either; taking the DIY approach will save you money by not having your fridge serviced, plus this fix can be performed in just a few minutes. First, as a safety precaution, unplug the fridge from the wall. Open the fridge and detach the bulb cover -- it's usually located on one of the top shelf walls depending on your particular model. Put on some safety gloves to prevent damaging the bulb and pull the bulb out and dispose of it. Then insert a new bulb that is the same size and wattage as the old one. Replace the cover and plug in the fridge.

Fridge doors work because of a small pressure plated switch that pops up when the door is open; when it's closed, the switch is repressed. Chances are if you've replaced the bulb and the light isn't coming on, the switch may be stuck down in the frame of the fridge. Locate this switch by looking inside the fridge's door frame, near where the door hinges -- the switch should be located someplace underneath the first set of hinges. In other Frigidaire models, this button will be on the inside frame opposite the hinges. In either case, check to see if the button is squashed down into the frame; if so, try pressing down hard on it several times in an effort to get to get it to snap into the correct position. If the switch looks fine but the light still isn't coming on, the connection may be bad.

Unfortunately, if you don't have experience with electrical work, this maintenance issue is best left to the professionals. The receptor switch underneath the pressure plate may be experiencing a bad connection. This means the door needs to be removed and the connector needs to be fished out and re-wired with a new one. Consult the manual that came with your particular Frigidaire model concerning service calls to local Frigidaire service centers.

Speaking of manuals, realize that most Frigidaire models' warranties only cover manufacturer's faults and will not cover lighting issues unless it's a switch connection problem. Calling a service repairman to replace the bulb for you or to check the switch will more than likely result in service charges, which can be expensive. Consult you refrigerator's manual or log on to frigidaire.com for more information.