Freezer Repair – Common Problems & Fixes

February 11, 2019

Common Freezer Repair Problems – An Easy Fix, or Call in The Experts?

A freezer is an appliance which you don’t think about too much, unless it breaks down. If the breakdown is something major, it can run up some expensive repairs or a replacement freezer may need to be bought. But the good news is that something that drastic is rarely needed. Most common freezer repair problems can be solved by the homeowner without too much investment in time or money. Below are some common issues that freezers can develop, what you can do about them, and when you should call in a professional freezer repair technician.

Common Freezer Repair Problems

Your freezer feels warm

If your freezer feels warm to you, you can test it with a thermometer to see if it’s registering correctly. If it registers at around 0 degrees F, then it’s working correctly. But if it’s registering at a temperature higher than that, then your temperature settings need to be checked. To do this, you will need to turn down the freezer’s internal thermostat. Wait a few hours and the retest the temperature. If the freezer is still registering warmer than it should be, then check to make sure there isn’t too much food in your freezer that is blocking vents and hindering the airflow. If you’ve checked all this and your freezer still isn’t running as it should, then it’s time to call a professional freezer service technician.

The freezer has frost build-up

If your freezer has frost on the inside and there isn’t an automatic defrost function, then it will have to be done manually. If it’s isn’t defrosted, then the storage space becomes minimized and the air circulation will become reduced. To defrost a freezer manually, you will need to remove all of the food. The food will need to be placed somewhere else that’s cold, like another freezer or a cooler. The next step is to unplug the freezer from the wall. After 5-8 hours and it has defrosted, plug back into the wall and restock the freezer. However, if you have an automatic defrosting model which isn’t working, then the drain pipe may be clogged. To get it working again, you will have to manually defrost the freezer. Then blow dry where the drain pipe is for about 5 minutes and run a pipe cleaner up it. If this doesn’t work, then you’ll have to call in the professionals.

The food is freezer burnt

Your food becomes freezer burnt when there is something wrong with the condition of your freezer. The food will still be edible but because it’s dry and a funny color, it makes it very unappetizing. Freezer burn can be prevented by keeping your freezer full. If your freezer has little food or is almost empty, freezer burn damage is more of a possibility. If you keep your food wrapped in air tight packaging, this can also help to prevent freezer burn.

No ice in the ice bin

If your freezer has stopped ice cube production then you will need to check the control arm. The control arm is a metal arm which is locked in an upright position when the ice bin becomes full. This is so the bin doesn’t become overfull and spill ice cubes everywhere. The arm can be accidentally moved very easily just by removing ice cubes for a drink. All you have to do is to push the arm back down and the freezer should start making ice again within an hour or two.

If the freezer isn’t running at all

Sometimes this issue is caused by the refrigeration system not getting enough power to it. If it’s plugged in and not running, try another outlet. If it works in the new outlet, then there’s a problem with the outlet not the freezer. But, if it still isn’t working, check the breaker to make sure it hasn’t been tripped. If the breaker is tripped, then just flip the breaker and the freezer will turn back on. If none of these tips work, then you need to call a freezer repair specialist.

If the freezer runs all the time

If the freezer won’t shut off but runs continually, then there could be one of two primary reasons. Either it’s cooling but the thermostat isn’t registering or there’s something that’s preventing the freezer from cooling the way it should be. The first thing to do is to check the condition of the food in the freezer. If the food looks like it’s starting to thaw out, then the freezer isn’t cooling correctly. If the problem is with thermostat or sensor, then the food is frozen more solid than normal.

In addition, if your freezer is running all the time, check to make sure that its level. This is actually more an upright freezer problem than a problem with the chest type freezer. If you can rock the freezer back and forth, then it’s not level. This means the freezer probably isn’t sealing properly and needs to be leveled.

If you have common freezer repair issues, don’t panic but see if you can troubleshoot what the issue is. If it’s something that you can’t deal with, then call in a Colorado Springs appliance repair specialist to get it fixed.