fridge not cooling

[filthiestfis]

My fridge has stopped cooling. Its been happening for the last couple of weeks, whenever I check it, its simply not cooling and I cannot hear it on, so I turn the temperature down to OFF and then up again to 3 and it begins cooling, then stops again after a while.
I have to repeat this process everytime and find that much of my food is warm.
What could be wrong? Thermostat? Its only a year and a half old!

[ACtheTROLL]

I think you got the solution

1 thing to look for ... make sure that the condenser at the back of the fridge isn't blocked
or that the frigde isn't in front of a radiator

other than that if 3 has been working for you ... there is no reason (except the thermostat) why it should suddenly stop
.... given that it's now getting cooler

[filthiestfis]

well it used to be on 5 because on 3 it was too cold and would freeze but now I just have to tinker with the thing because it turns itself off. I will check that the back of the fridge is not being blocked.
Time to call a serviceman?

[ACtheTROLL]

I think so

your numbers are the wrong way yound!!!
with mine
1=cool
6=freezing
even in winter we rarely get less that 41/2

[ACtheTROLL]

are you absolutely sure that on your fridge 1 is coldest?
Everyone I've mentioned this to say not

[filthiestfis]

ActheTROLL- You're right. 1 is the coldest. How does it have to do with my fridge not working>?

[ACtheTROLL]

If 1 is the coldest ... I'm wrong

(we possibly have a little confusion here because turning a fridge "up" is actually making it colder ... so the temperature is being turned "down" (are you following?)

I keep mentioning this at work .... and everyone says the same ....
1, 2 are the warmest settings ....5, 6 or 7 is the coldest .....

so if you've gone from 5 to 3 you've made the fridge warmer - not colder
which explains why the cooling isn't kicking in

try going back to 5 for a day