How to Fix a Freezer that is Not Cold Enough

The purpose of a freezer is to keep your food frozen. If your freezer is not freezing, you will quickly have a lot of spoiled food on your hands. Whether you have a small amount of food in a refrigerator/freezer combo or a year’s worth of freezer meals or meat in a stand alone freezer, that food is time and money you don’t want to lose. 

There are a few different possible causes of a freezer that is not cold enough to freeze things or keep them frozen. Here are the common causes and how to fix them. 

Air Leak

A common problem with a freezer not freezing is that there is an air leak. If warm air is getting into the freezer, it may not be able to cool properly. You may notice frost in your frost-free freezer if this is the case. Warm air may be getting in if the door gasket (the rubber seal around the door) is worn out. The gasket may also fail to seal if the door is crooked on its hinges or if the refrigerator is leaning too far forward on an uneven surface. 

Check the gasket for cracks and signs of wear. It may be necessary to replace the door gasket completely to provide a better seal. Also check the door hinges to make sure it is hanging evenly and adjust them if needed. Check the feet of your freezer or refrigerator and raise the front side up a bit to ensure the door is able to close properly. 

Condenser Coil is Dirty

If you’ve ever lost something under the refrigerator or freezer, you know how dusty it gets under there. The condenser is located underneath as well, and when it gets extremely dirty it can fail to cool the freezer and refrigerator properly. It can be difficult to clean the condenser coil, but dusting underneath the appliance is one way to start. If that doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to call a professional appliance repair service to perform a thorough cleaning. 

Evaporator or Condenser Fan is Not Working

When the freezer is running, the main noise you hear is the fan running. The fan is what moves the air across both the condenser coil and the evaporator coil. If there is no air movement, the freezer can not properly transfer heat out of the freezer and put cold air into the freezer. 

Replacing a freezer fan is usually a job for an appliance repair service. Professionals can inspect your freezer to determine the problem and replace the fan if necessary. 

Faulty Thermostat

Sometimes the thermostat is the problem when your freezer is not freezing. You set it to a certain temperature, but the thermostat is not reading the temperature correctly or sending the message to the freezer’s mechanical system to start cooling. 

The thermostat can be easily repaired or replaced by an appliance repair service to get your freezer running properly. 

Broken Defrost Sensor

The defrost sensor is designed to detect when the evaporator is starting to overheat. It automatically shuts off power to it and the freezer doesn’t get cold. If the evaporator is overheating due to dust or dirt, it simply needs to be cleaned. But sometimes the defrost sensor is the problem. When it fails, it needs to be replaced by a professional. 

Freezer Not Freezing? Appliance Repair 512 Can Help

If you’re having problems with your freezer not freezing the food inside, you need repair right away to keep your food from spoiling. Appliance Repair 512 can diagnose the problem and repair it as soon as possible. We provide freezer repair as well as other appliance repair services in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area. Our services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Call (512) 351-7624 or contact us right away to schedule service. We look forward to restoring your freezer to excellent working condition.