My Samsung refrigerator has become a convenience that I can no longer do without. But this one time, my Samsung refrigerator suddenly stopped cooling. It was fully stocked, too, with last night’s leftovers and vegetables for next week, so I had to take care of this before all the food in there went bad.
I thought, like any other electronic device, resetting it would take care of it. Restoring this bad boy wasn’t a straightforward process, though. So I spent several hours researching and putting together this detailed article on How to Reset a Samsung Refrigerator.
To reset your Samsung refrigerator, turn off the refrigerator and unplug it. After powering off, turn off the child lock and press the reset switch on the control panel.
I’ve gone into more detail on how to recognize that your Samsung Refrigerator needs to be reset, how to get it out of store/show mode, what to do after it shuts down, and a breakdown of all error codes.
How to know if the Samsung refrigerator needs to be reset?
When your refrigerator is having problems, you may think that the only right thing to do is to reset it. Although you can take care of many that way, it is not always the case.
I recommend going to reset only when needed! So here are some situations that indicate that your Samsung refrigerator needs to be rebooted:
The refrigerator is in store condition
Refrigerators are kept in store mode while in the showroom, and sometimes remain stuck in store mode after purchase. When the lights are on and everything seems to be working, the compressor is turned off, and you will see that your Samsung refrigerator turns off to indicate the same.
There is no cooling in this situation, and the normal functions of the refrigerator are affected.
Also, sometimes accidentally pressing the button can take the refrigerator into the store mode, and you can recognize this by seeing if your Samsung refrigerator turns off. Whatever the reason, if your refrigerator is in store condition, it needs to be reset!
Abnormal temperature display
The temperature display may start to flicker strangely or become normal, and sometimes it may not work at all!
This is another sure sign that your refrigerator needs to be replaced. An abnormal temperature display can occur for many reasons, such as if the door has been left open for a long time or is not properly closed.
Keeping very hot food in the fridge can also damage the display. Therefore, it is best to wait for your food to cool completely before putting it in the fridge.
When Do You Need to Reset a Samsung Refrigerator?
Occasionally, you may encounter problems with the unit operating at the wrong temperature or behaving strangely after a power outage.
Here are examples of when you might need to reset:
Inaccurate Temperature Display
If your refrigerator’s temperature display is erratic, giving inconsistent readings or no readings at all, try to determine the cause of the problem first.
Inconsistent readings may be due to a genuine problem with the thermostat. Otherwise, someone may have put hot food in the fridge, which can make it difficult for the fridge to maintain the temperature. If you want to avoid condensation, mold problems and potentially high refrigeration costs, let food cool before refrigerating.
You can reset the temperature using the touch screen control panel. Depending on the model, this may be on the inside or outside of the refrigerator door. Press the Fridge or Freezer button to display the current temperature.
To change the fridge temperature, keep tapping the Fridge button. Each press of the button lowers the temperature setting by one degree to as low as the refrigerator can go. Hitting the button again will “decrease” the temperature setting to the highest level. For freezer compartments, press and hold the button to change the temperature, and release it when it reaches the correct setting.
If the display does not work, hard reset the fridge by pressing and holding the Power Cool and Power Freeze buttons for five seconds. This will reset the entire unit.
Disables Display Mode
In Display mode, the fridge will appear to be on, but the cooling function is off. If your Samsung refrigerator is stuck in Display mode, you will need to reset it. The way to do this depends on the age of the refrigerator.
For models made before 2014, you can press and hold the Power Saver and Lock Timers buttons for ten seconds to turn off Display Mode. If your refrigerator is a newer model, you can press and hold the Freeze, Energy Save and Light buttons for ten seconds. If that doesn’t work, press and hold Fridge, Save Energy and Freeze for ten seconds.
After the display mode is turned off, the display will show the current temperature.
Resetting a Frozen Touch Screen
In most cases, a reset will fix a frozen touchscreen. If it doesn’t, you may need to turn the screen off and on again, which can be done using the red switch on the back of the small panel on top of the fridge, behind the right door.
Just turn off the red switch, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. The screen should work normally.
Fixing a Broken Ice Maker
Ice making issues are among the most common refrigerator problems on all refrigerator models, not just Samsung. Fortunately, it’s usually easy to fix. To reset the ice maker, pull the ice tray out to access the ice reset button.
If you cannot remove the tray, remove the unit. It’s a good idea to clean your unit regularly, even if you don’t have any problems with it. Once you can reach the reset button, press and hold it for about five seconds or until you hear a beep. You can then reinsert the tray and use the ice maker as normal.
Resetting the refrigerator after a power outage
If your refrigerator is acting strangely after a power outage or displays an 1E or SE error message, a reset should solve the problem.
First, press and hold the Power Saver and Brightness buttons. This will perform a soft reset. If that doesn’t work, press and hold the Freeze and Cooler buttons for ten seconds to do a full reset.
Samsung Refrigerator Water Filter Issues
Some French door refrigerators have a built-in water filter, and the control panel has a water filter indicator to remind you when the filter needs to be changed.
The indicator should be reasonable, but sometimes the warning signal lasts longer than it should. You can reset the indicator by pressing and holding the Alarm button, one of the Ice/Water buttons and the Crushed Ice button. Check your refrigerator’s instruction manual to confirm which buttons should be pressed to reset the filter indicator.
Fixing Error Code 22E on Samsung Refrigerator
Error code 22E is a warning that there is a problem with your fridge. Resetting your refrigerator by pressing and holding the Fridge and Freezer buttons for ten seconds can temporarily clear the error, but it’s important to find out what’s causing the error code so you can fix the underlying issue. Common causes include a clogged vent hole, blade lock, water stagnation in the drainage system, wiring issues or engine problems.
How to reset the Samsung Refrigerator water filter and filter light
Samsung water filters are designed to reduce dirt and impurities, making water drinkable. Filters are readily available in Samsung refrigerators that come with an attractive water dispenser. Each filter lasts up to six months, depending on your usage. You can change it by pressing the appropriate button inside the refrigerator.
Water filters clean impurities from water by forcing it through an activated carbon layer inside the refrigerator and removing sediment, chlorine and other microorganisms. With a water filter installed in your refrigerator, you can drink clean, uncontaminated water.
If you use the water filter attached to your refrigerator to drink water, it is important to have a reliable water filtration system to ensure water safety.
- Refrigerator water filters need to be replaced every 6 months to maintain clean water and ice. Most often, this is a black box behind the refrigerator with a twist cap.
- Turn off the water supply to your refrigerator, open the hood, and remove the old filter. Replace with a new filter or cartridge for best performance.
- The first time you change the filter, you may need to reset your filter indicator. Most models allow one of two ways to reset the filter indicator:
- Press and hold the Alarm button for 3-5 seconds or until the alarm stops.
- Press and hold the Ice/Water Type button for 3-5 seconds or until the Memo button flashes twice.
Holding the ice/water button for 3-5 seconds resets the filter indicator.