Freezer problems we fix
- Freezer not cold enough — ice cream soft, food thawing, or temperatures above 5°F
- Frost building up on the back panel, on food, or around the door
- Freezer too cold or freezing everything solid on the fresh-food side
- Running constantly or cycling on and off every few minutes
- Loud fan noise from ice hitting the evaporator fan blade
- Water under the freezer from a frozen or clogged defrost drain
How a freezer actually works
The freezer is where the cold is made. The evaporator — a coil hidden behind the back panel — gets down to well below zero. A fan pushes air across that coil and circulates it through the freezer, and on most refrigerators also through a duct or damper into the fresh-food section. Several times a day, a heater melts the frost off the evaporator, and the water drains to a pan near the compressor where it evaporates.
When any one of those pieces fails, the symptoms show up in a predictable pattern. A defrost failure slowly chokes the coil with ice, so the freezer gets warmer over several days and the fresh-food side gets warm even faster. A failed fan causes a sudden loss of cooling in both compartments, while the evaporator itself stays frosty. A refrigerant leak produces a coil that is only partly frosted, with a compressor that runs and runs.
What to check before you call
- Confirm the door seals: close the door on a dollar bill — it should resist when you pull.
- Make sure frozen food is not blocking the vents on the back wall.
- Listen for the fan: with the door open and the door switch pressed, you should hear and feel airflow.
- Look at the back panel. Heavy frost or a block of ice usually means a defrost failure.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my freezer frosting up?
A little frost is normal. Heavy frost on food and walls usually means warm, humid air is getting in through a bad door gasket or a door left ajar. See freezer frosting up. Frost confined to the back panel usually means the defrost system has failed — see frozen evaporator.
Do you repair standalone upright and chest freezers?
We repair upright freezers and built-in freezer columns. Call us about chest freezers — many are sealed-system failures where replacement makes more financial sense, and we will tell you so.