The fridge isn't cooling but the freezer works perfectly — why?

Here is why. The refrigerant gas circulates first through the upper freezer section, which cools normally.

However, if the machine is low on gas, the refrigerant does not have enough pressure to complete the full circuit through the fridge compartment. In this case, it depends on the type and age of the appliance.

Recharging the gas on a fridge that is 8-10 years old does not make much sense — it may be better to consider a replacement.

Moreover, a machine that is low on gas inevitably has a leak that needs to be found (by pressurising the fridge to locate the source) and, crucially, determining whether the leak can be welded.

For a case like this, we recommend carefully considering whether to replace the appliance.