Refrigerator Repair in New Jersey
Independent service for Samsung, LG, GE, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Frigidaire and Sub-Zero • Not cooling, ice makers, leaks, frost, error codes • 11 NJ counties
Almost every refrigerator call is one of six: the whole unit is warm, the freezer is cold but the fresh food side is not, the ice maker has stopped, there is water on the floor or a sheet of ice in the freezer, the noise has changed, or a code is on the display. Boost Appliance Service repairs refrigerators and freezers in homes across 11 New Jersey counties, from top freezer units to French door models and built-in columns.
Boost Appliance Service is an independent company. We are not affiliated with or authorized by any manufacturer. On a refrigerator that matters more than on any other appliance, because the expensive part, the sealed system with the compressor, carries a manufacturer warranty of five years or longer on most brands. Below is what the manufacturers' own manuals and support pages say about each symptom, the codes they publish, what you can check yourself, and when the right call is the manufacturer and when it is us.
What the symptom is telling you
These are the manufacturers' own explanations for the calls we hear most.
- The display and lights work, but nothing cools. Check for demo mode first. Samsung's Cooling Off mode shows OF OF or OFF OFF and switches off cooling, ice and water; Samsung states it is not a fault, and on a French door model the exit is holding Power Freeze and Freezer for about 8 seconds. LG's Display Mode shows OFF; on 2019 and newer models hold Refrigerator and press Ice Plus three times. GE shows DE in capitals. Whirlpool's showroom mode keeps lights on with cooling disabled, and the exit is in the manual for the exact model. Frigidaire and Electrolux show 77 77, cleared by unplugging for five minutes. A Sub-Zero that displays 38° and 0° but does not cool may be in Showroom Mode.
- The whole unit is warm. Start with the room. Samsung gives 50 to 110°F, LG and Whirlpool 55 to 110°F, and GE says standard models may not cool properly below 60°F; only its garage ready top freezers are rated from 38°F. An unheated New Jersey garage in January is outside every one of those ranges. Then clearance: 2 inches at the back on Samsung and LG, at least 1 inch on GE. A new or moved unit needs time: 24 hours on LG and GE, up to 28 hours on Samsung.
- The freezer is cold, the fresh food side is warm. On most designs the cold air is made at the freezer and reaches the fresh food section through vents in the dividing wall, as LG's manual explains, so packages pushed against those vents are the first suspect; Samsung wants food 2 inches from them. After a power outage GE says the freezer cools first and the fresh food side follows hours later. Defrost also looks like a fault: GE says the compressor and fans stop for 30 to 45 minutes once or twice a day. If the warm side persists, the fan or the defrost system is next.
- Frost and ice buildup. Samsung and LG both describe frost as warm, moist room air getting in and freezing. Check the gaskets: Frigidaire uses the dollar bill test, Samsung cleans the seals monthly with a damp cloth and dish soap, and GE says the doors should close on their own, which depends on leveling. A sheet of ice on the freezer floor is different: GE and LG trace it to a clogged defrost drain, and LG calls it a service item.
- Water on the floor. LG, Whirlpool and Frigidaire start at the water line connection behind the unit. The filter is next: Whirlpool says wrong or overdue filters drip at the filter head, Frigidaire names a cracked filter, LG a non LG or badly seated one. GE adds a water valve stuck open and a split fill line to the ice maker. Samsung wants the unit tilted slightly back so the water drains.
- The ice maker stops. A new installation is slow by design: GE and LG give 12 to 24 hours for the first ice, Whirlpool 3 days for full production. GE ships its ice maker switched off; Samsung says the freezer must reach 0°F. Water pressure decides the rest. Samsung requires at least 20 psi and gives a test, 6 ounces in under 10 seconds from the dispenser; LG and GE want 40 to 120 psi with a filter, and LG warns that a reverse osmosis system can drop it below that. Filters are a six month item on Samsung, LG, GE, Whirlpool and Frigidaire.
- New or changed noises. The manuals call these normal: gurgling from refrigerant, sizzling from water on the defrost heater, popping as plastic walls expand and contract, clicking from relays, and buzzing from the water valve when the ice maker is on with no water connected. Samsung draws the line: compressor or ice maker noise should never interrupt a conversation, and very loud hissing is a service call.
Error codes by brand
The same letters mean different things on different brands, so check the brand first. Samsung asks owners not to unplug the unit to clear a code unless told to, because that hinders the diagnosis.
- Samsung. 21E is the freezer fan, usually frozen after a door was left open; 22E and 22C are the fridge fan, and Samsung's step is to unplug and leave the doors open for a few hours. 88 88, 83E, 85E and 86E are voltage or power errors after a surge or brownout: power off at the breaker for 60 seconds, service if they return. 5E is the fridge defrost sensor, 8E and 14E ice maker sensors, 33E the ice pipe heater, 39E the ice maker function, 40E the ice room fan, 84C compressor lock, all service codes.
- LG. Er FF means ice or frost is stopping the freezer fan: unplug, leave the doors open at least 24 hours, then allow 24 to 48 hours. Er dH is a defrost failure, which LG traces to ice accumulation, a blocked drain hole, the thermal fuse, the heater or the main board. IS, rS and FS are the ice maker, refrigerator and freezer sensors, service codes. gF is the water flow sensor: check that the supply is open, the hose is not kinked and the pressure is right. CH and CL mean a refrigerant leak on the high or low side.
- GE. FF means the freezer temperature has risen too high: check frozen food for thawing. PF is a power interruption, CI asks you to check the ice maker, CC says the refrigerator temperature is incorrect. Lower case dE means the defrost system has not operated properly in the last 24 hours. GE says disconnecting power for a minute or two may clear a code.
- Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag. PO is a power outage after which the freezer reached 18°F or higher. Whirlpool publishes F codes such as F3 E1 or a flashing F with a single instruction: power off for one minute, then call for service. It does not publish what each one means.
- Frigidaire and Electrolux. H or HI is a high temperature for over an hour. PF is a power failure, DI SP is ice jammed in the chute. E1 and E2 (temperature sensors), OP and SH (sensor open or shorted), SY CE, SY CF and SY EF are on Frigidaire's "schedule service" list.
- Sub-Zero. A flashing Service light means excessive compressor run and a possible cooling issue. If temperatures are near normal, clean the condenser, make sure nothing stops the door from closing, and turn the breaker off for 30 seconds; if the light returns or temperatures rise, it is a service call. A steady Service light on 600 and 700 series units has no owner troubleshooting. Sub-Zero considers food not safe above 45°F.
Before you call: settings, condenser, power
Settings first. LG, GE, Whirlpool and Frigidaire ship at 37°F in the fresh food section and 0°F in the freezer, Sub-Zero at 38°F and 0°F, Samsung recommends 38°F and minus 2°F on most models, and ENERGY STAR advises 35 to 38°F. Whirlpool asks for 24 hours between adjustments.
The condenser is where the brands disagree. Sub-Zero wants it cleaned every 6 to 12 months and warns that a dirty condenser can cause loss of temperature and mechanical failure. LG asks owners to vacuum the condenser cover and vents without removing the panel. GE says most of its full size refrigerators built since 2001 do not need coil cleaning, while compact and smaller top freezer models still do.
Power last. Frigidaire asks for a dedicated, grounded 115 to 120 volt outlet on a 15 or 20 amp breaker, and for any GFI outlet to be checked.
Check the sealed system warranty before you pay for a repair
The sealed system (compressor, condenser, evaporator, drier, tubing) is covered far longer than the rest. Samsung: 1 year on the refrigerator, 2 years on the ice maker, 5 years parts and labor on the sealed system, and 10 years parts with 5 years labor on the Digital Inverter Compressor. LG: 1 year, 5 years parts and labor on the sealed system and compressor, and parts only in years 6 to 10 on Linear and Inverter compressors, with labor charged to the owner. GE: 1 year, sealed system 5 years parts and labor; Monogram 2 years on the whole refrigerator, 5 years sealed system parts and labor, parts only through year 12. Whirlpool and KitchenAid: sealed system parts and labor in years 2 to 5, and 2 years on a KitchenAid built in. Maytag: the compressor in years 2 to 10, parts only, on appliances made after 2017. Sub-Zero: 2 years full, 5 years sealed system parts and labor, sealed system parts through year 12 with the owner paying labor. Frigidaire's current limited warranty is one year. Miele and Thermador columns have their own pages.
Outside repair is treated differently by brand. Samsung says warranty service can only be performed by a Samsung authorized service center. LG excludes improper repair, including parts not authorized by LG; Frigidaire excludes services by unauthorized companies; Sub-Zero requires its Factory Certified Service. Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Maytag's 2023 warranties exclude damage caused by unauthorized servicers but state that using them "will not void this warranty". Transfer matters if the refrigerator came with the house: GE's warranty extends to any succeeding owner, Samsung and LG cover the original purchaser, and Frigidaire's ends when the product changes owner.
Our rule follows the terms. If the unit is not cooling and the sealed system years are still running, call the manufacturer first. We take the rest: refrigerators past their warranty, units that came with the house where coverage does not transfer, and the fans, sensors, defrost parts, ice makers and water valves that fail after the base year.
Compressor and refrigerant repairs
A sealed system repair means opening the refrigerant circuit to deal with a leak or a failed compressor. LG's CH and CL codes are one of the few places where the refrigerator itself reports a leak. Whether a compressor or leak repair makes sense depends on the age of the unit, the warranty left on the sealed system, and the diagnosis, and sometimes the honest answer is not to repair.
Recalls worth checking first
Three refrigerator recalls in the last ten years cover the brands on this page. CPSC recall of April 2022: about 155,000 GE French door bottom freezer refrigerators (GFE26JYM, GNE27EYM and GNE27JYM models) sold from February 2020 to January 2022, whose freezer handle can detach. June 2022: about 367,500 Frigidaire and Electrolux refrigerators sold from April 2020 to March 2022 whose ice maker level arm can break. February 2024: about 383,240 Frigidaire side by side refrigerators with slim ice buckets made from 2015 to 2019. The CPSC listing shows no refrigerator recall for Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag or Sub-Zero in the same period. If your model is listed, contact the manufacturer before you book any repair.
Where we work
We repair refrigerators and freezers in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Middlesex, Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset and Union counties. We work in New Jersey only. To book, call (551) 282-9561 with the brand, the model number and the code on the display, if there is one.
Refrigerator repair near you
Refrigerator owners about our work
View all reviews on GoogleIgor from Boost Appliance Service repaired my subzero refrigerator. He needed to order parts but in general the repair turned over was fast and my fridge is working perfectly right now. The best service in Morristown. Highly recommend!
A+++ Service. Boost Appliance Service is great. I called on Monday and Mr. Igor came the next day to repair the defrost sensor and drain line of my fridge, he also did thorough maintenance checks on my laundry dryer and laundry washer machine. 3 appliances all in one day. Highly recommended. Answered all my questions and showed me how to maintain my appliances. Thank you.
Arthur is the best! He diagnosed the problem within 5 minutes! The outlet had shorted itself on our 13 year old LG refrigerator. We are most appreciative! He is an honest, intelligent, and efficient professional!
Arthur was prompt and knowledgeable. They weren’t able to fix the issue with my fridge since it was too expensive to repair. He spent the time looking at everything to confirm the diagnosis and explained to me how it failed over time and what to do to prevent it going forward.
Refrigerator repair in New Jersey: common questions
Are you an authorized service center for Samsung, LG, GE, Whirlpool or Sub-Zero?▼
My refrigerator is not cooling, but the lights and display work. What do I check?▼
Why is my freezer cold but the refrigerator warm?▼
Do you repair refrigerator compressors?▼
My ice maker stopped making ice. What can I check myself?▼
Do you repair Sub-Zero refrigerators?▼
My refrigerator stopped and the food is warming. What should I do now?▼
Do you repair walk-in and commercial refrigerators?▼
Which areas do you cover?▼
Book refrigerator repair in New Jersey
Have the brand, the model number and the code from the display ready, and tell us what the refrigerator does. If the sealed system is still under warranty, we will tell you to call the manufacturer first.
Call (551) 282-9561