Freezer Not Freezing? Causes, Safe Checks and Fixes

Protect your food first

Keep the door closed while you figure out what is wrong. A full freezer holds its temperature much longer than a half-empty one, and food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can generally be refrozen safely. Food safety guidance recommends a freezer temperature of 0°F.

Put an appliance thermometer in the middle of the freezer and read it after several hours. That number tells you whether you are dealing with a freezer that is a little warm, which often has a simple cause, or one that is not cooling at all.

Safe checks for any freezer

• Setting. Make sure the control was not turned down during cleaning or loading. On many refrigerators, the freezer and fridge settings are linked, so check both.
• Door gasket. Look for tears, flattened spots or food residue. Close the door on a sheet of paper in several places and pull it out. If it slides out freely, cold air is escaping there.
• Something holding the door open. An overfilled shelf or a box sticking out can keep the door from closing by a fraction of an inch.
• Airflow. In frost-free freezers, cold air comes from vents on the back wall. Keep packages a few inches away from them.
• Condenser coils. With the unit unplugged, vacuum the coils at the bottom front or back.

Garage refrigerators and Georgia heat

Many Atlanta homes keep a second refrigerator in the garage, and garages here can get very hot in summer and cold on winter nights. Most refrigerators are designed to run within a certain range of room temperatures, which your owner's manual lists. Outside that range, they may run constantly without keeping up, or in the cold, shut off for long stretches and let the freezer section warm.

If your garage refrigerator's freezer struggles only in July and August, improve ventilation around it, keep it out of direct sun, and leave several inches of space on all sides. Some models are specifically rated for garage use, which is worth knowing if you replace one.

Frost buildup in the freezer section

Frost near the door or on packages at the front usually means warm, humid air is getting in. Check the gasket and make sure nothing keeps the door from closing. Do not chip at ice with a knife or screwdriver, since a puncture in the wall can damage the sealed system.

Frost-free freezers should not build up thick frost. If you see heavy frost on the back panel, ice around the vents, or a fan that scrapes, the automatic defrost system has probably failed. That means a heater, a defrost thermostat or sensor, or the control, and it is a repair rather than a cleaning job.

Parts that commonly fail

• Evaporator fan. In frost-free models this fan circulates cold air. If it stops, the coil gets cold but the freezer does not. Open the door and listen; on many models the fan pauses when the door opens, so press the door switch to check.
• Condenser fan. Where present, this fan cools the compressor and coils. A stalled fan leads to overheating and short cycling.
• Start relay and overload. A repeated click from the back every few minutes, with no steady hum after, often means the compressor is trying and failing to start.
• Thermostat or control board. If the control does not call for cooling, nothing runs.
• Compressor or refrigerant leak. Possible, but usually ruled in only after the parts above check out. Sealed-system work requires specialized equipment and regulated refrigerant handling, so it is never a do-it-yourself repair.

When to call a technician

Call if the freezer stays above about 10°F after a day with good airflow and a clean gasket, if a frost-free model is icing up on the back wall, if you hear clicking without the compressor running, or if the compressor runs nonstop and the freezer still will not get cold. Act quickly if food is at risk.

Mr. Fixer provides freezer repair for the freezer section of residential refrigerators throughout Metro Atlanta. When the cause is in the sealed system, we also handle compressor and sealed system repair. Most Atlanta-area freezer calls can be seen the same day. Ring (678) 866-3669, or request a time online around the clock.

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