There's nothing quite like the crisp, perfect pour of draft beer from your own kegerator. It’s the centerpiece of any home bar, garage, or man cave. But when that pour turns into a foamy mess or the unit starts making strange noises, that dream can quickly become a frustrating reality. 

In this guide, Mr. Appliance® expert and 36-year appliance repair professional Stuart Pyburn breaks down some of the most common kegerator problems and troubleshooting steps to help make every pour perfect. 

• The Kegerator That Won’t Quit (But Also Won’t Cool)

• When Good Fans Go Bad

• Taming the Tap: How to Stop Foamy Pours

• Contact a Mr. Appliance Expert for Professional Kegerator Repair

• FAQs About Kegerator Repair

The Kegerator That Won't Quit (But Also Won't Cool)

Is your kegerator running continuously but not maintaining the correct internal temperature? This is not only bad for your beer, but it’s also driving up your electricity bill.

Kegerator repair expert Stuart Pyburn explains, “It’s running because it has not reached the correct internal temperature. When the temperature is higher than the set point, the thermostat triggers the compressor.” If the compressor never shuts off, the unit is fighting a losing battle to get—and stay—cold. 

Common causes of a warm, running kegerator

While the thermostat is the reason the kegerator can’t get cold, there might be a number of underlying causes. According to appliance expert Stuart Pyburn, the most common culprits behind a kegerator that doesn’t cool include:

• Dirty condenser coils: The condenser coils dissipate heat from the refrigerant into the surrounding air. Over time, they can accumulate dust, pet hair, and other debris. This buildup acts like an insulator, trapping heat and forcing the compressor to work overtime.
• A broken fan motor: Most kegerators have a condenser fan that blows air across the coils to help cool them down. If this fan motor is broken, heat can’t be removed effectively, causing the system to overheat and perform poorly. 
• Restriction in the coolant lines: Think of this as a blockage in the system's veins. A restriction in the sealed refrigerant lines can prevent the coolant from circulating properly, impeding its ability to cool. 
• Refrigerant leak: The refrigerant is the lifeblood of your cooling system. If there's a leak, the system loses its ability to transfer heat. Telltale signs include a hissing sound, an oily residue near the coolant lines, or a system that simply doesn't cool at all. 

Due to the environmental regulations and safety concerns surrounding refrigerants and other components of a kegerator, these repairs should be completed by a qualified kegerator repair professional.

When Good Fans Go Bad

While the condenser fan helps expel heat outside the unit, the evaporator fan has an equally important job inside. It circulates the cold air from the evaporator coils throughout the interior of your kegerator, ensuring your keg is evenly chilled from back to front. When this fan starts to fail, you’ll notice some distinct symptoms.

Signs that a kegerator fan is failing

Residential kegerator repair expert and Stuart Pyburn explains that a failing evaporator fan is like having central air conditioning with all the vents closed—the cooling is happening, but it’s not going anywhere. Here’s what to look and listen for:

• Uneven temperatures: This is the classic sign of a failing evaporator fan. You might notice your beer is not as cold as it was, or that the back of the keg is cold, but the front (closer to the door) is warmer. This happens because the cold air is pooling at the back, near the evaporator coils, instead of being circulated.
• High-pitched squealing: If you hear a squealing or chirping noise when the kegerator is running, the bearings in the fan motor are likely failing. This is the sound of the motor struggling to turn—and a clear signal that it needs to be replaced soon.
• Scraping or grinding sounds: A scraping sound often points to an issue with the defrost system. If the system isn't working correctly, ice can build up on and around the evaporator coils. Eventually, the fan blade starts hitting the ice, making noise and indicating two problems: a faulty defrost system and a potentially damaged fan blade.

Taming the Tap: How to Stop Foamy Pours

You’ve waited patiently for your new keg to chill, you grab your favorite glass, pull the tap handle, and … you get a cup full of foam. This is perhaps the most common and maddening kegerator issue. A perfect pour requires a delicate balance of temperature, pressure, and cleanliness. If one of those is off, you get foam.

Checklist: How to stop foamy beer pours from a kegerator

Kegerator repair expert Stuart Pyburn offers a few reminders on how to stop foamy beer pours:

☐ Let the keg settle. If you just put the keg in, it might have been shaken up, agitating the CO2. Let it settle for 24 hours before use.

☐ Check the temperature. Warm beer foams up more than cold beer. CO2 stays dissolved in beer more easily at colder temperatures. For most beers, the ideal temperature range is between 36–40℉ (2–4℃).

☐ Adjust CO2 pressure. Your CO2 regulator determines how much pressure is pushing the beer out of the keg. If the pressure is too high, it forces CO2 out of the beer while it's still in the lines, resulting in foam at the tap. Your regulator should generally be set for between 5 and 10 PSI. Start low and only increase it if your pour is too slow.

☐ Clean the lines and tap. When was the last time you cleaned the lines and tap? Over time, bacteria, yeast, and minerals (known as “beer stone”) build up inside beer lines. These microscopic rough spots create turbulence as the beer flows past, knocking CO2 out of suspension and making foam. A thorough cleaning every two weeks or with every new keg is essential.

☐ Perfect your pouring technique. Finally, don’t forget the basics! Tilt your glass at a 45-degree angle and let the beer run down the inside. As the glass fills, gradually straighten it to create the perfect amount of head.

Contact Mr. Appliance for Professional Kegerator Repair

Don’t let a little kegerator trouble threaten your perfect pint. While this guide can help you understand the problem, complex issues like refrigerant leaks, component failures, and tricky fan replacements require the skill and specialized tools of a professional. 

Resolve the issue without handling hazardous refrigerants or risking damage to your unit. Expert service professionals at your local Mr. Appliance provide quick, reliable kegerator repair services to help you get back to enjoying that perfect, crisp pour. Request an appointment today!

All Mr. Appliance franchises are locally owned and operated and may offer fewer or more services than those listed here. To learn more about the kegerator repair services offered in your area, contact the Mr. Appliance nearest you for details or a customized on-site assessment.