What is actually happening
The single most useful thing to establish is whether the compressor — the motor at the back — is running at all. A compressor that never runs points at the thermostat, the start relay or the compressor itself. A compressor that runs constantly while the fridge stays warm points the other way: either the system has lost its gas, or the airflow from the freezer side is blocked by ice.
The Flavel fault codes that point at this
A Flavel fridge will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to not cooling:
- E00 — The freezer's air temperature sensor has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading, so the fridge freezer no longer knows how cold the freezer actually is.
- E01 — The freezer's evaporator temperature sensor is no longer giving the control board a sensible reading, so the fridge freezer can't monitor the cold plate behind the freezer's back wall.
- E02 — The temperature sensor on the fridge side's cooling coil has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading.
- E03 — The fridge section's temperature sensor has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading, so the appliance can no longer tell how cold the fresh food compartment actually is.
- E04 — The freezer's automatic defrost isn't working, so ice is building up on the hidden cooling coil instead of being melted away.
- E05 — The sensor that tells your fridge freezer how warm and humid the room around it is has stopped reporting properly.
- E08 — The temperature sensor inside the ice maker section has stopped giving the control board a sensible reading.
- E09 — The automatic ice maker's motor isn't turning as the control board expects, so the machine has flagged the ice maker rather than the fridge or freezer itself.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a Flavel fridge
- A failed thermostat or temperature sensor, so cooling is never called for
- A failed start relay or compressor
- A slow refrigerant leak, leaving the system with too little gas
- A blocked evaporator or failed defrost system choking the airflow
- Condenser coils at the back thick with dust, or the appliance jammed tight against a wall
What you can safely check yourself
- Put a hand on the back of the appliance — a working compressor is warm and audible
- Check the thermostat has not been knocked to its lowest setting
- Pull it out and vacuum the coils at the back, and leave a gap for air to circulate
- Check the door seals shut cleanly all the way round — a note of paper shut in the door should grip
Still not cooling?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on Flavel machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my Flavel fridge not cooling?
The fridge is running but the inside is not cold. The single most useful thing to establish is whether the compressor — the motor at the back — is running at all. A compressor that never runs points at the thermostat, the start relay or the compressor itself. A compressor that runs constantly while the fridge stays warm points the other way: either the system has lost its gas, or the airflow from the freezer side is blocked by ice.
Can I fix a Flavel fridge not cooling myself?
Put a hand on the back of the appliance — a working compressor is warm and audible. Check the thermostat has not been knocked to its lowest setting. Pull it out and vacuum the coils at the back, and leave a gap for air to circulate. Check the door seals shut cleanly all the way round — a note of paper shut in the door should grip. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What Flavel error codes mean not cooling?
Flavel fridges report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at not cooling are E00, E01, E02, E03, E04, E05. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a Flavel fridge repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Other Flavel fridge faults
- fridge freezer icing up
- fridge making a loud noise
- fridge leaking water inside
- fridge running constantly
- fridge freezer not cold enough
- fridge freezer not working after defrosting