7 Reasons Your Freezer Is Not Freezing and How to Troubleshoot

There are a number of common malfunctions that can occur with your home freezer and prevent it from working properly. These issues range from simple power source problems you can easily remedy at home to more complex issues with the freezer’s instruments that will require a professional. Whatever the nature of your freezer issues, we here at Logan Master Appliance are more than prepared to help you, as we have decades of experience in appliance repair and maintenance. When you need appliance repair, call one of our highly skilled and professional technicians to do the job right the first time! Now, we’ll go into the seven most common freezer problems and how to troubleshoot them.

1. Power Source

One of the most common problems that you can encounter with your freezer is an issue with the power source. This simply means that not enough of an electrical charge or no charge at all is reaching your freezer to keep it operational. This is a relatively simple issue to diagnose. Check all the wiring on your freezer and make sure that it is properly plugged in and that all the connections are secure. If the plug or connections are missing, just reconnect them, and your freezer should start working again. If they are not missing, but your freezer is still not functioning, then it may be time to call a professional appliance repair technician from Logan Master Appliance.

2. Frost Buildup

This common freezer issue is when frost and ice build-up in your freezer. When the build-up is sufficient, it can obstruct critical vents in your freezer as well as the coils. The vents are responsible for allowing the freezer to circulate cold air properly, and the coils are responsible for the cooling action. If they are obstructed by ice or frost, they will not function well, and this can result in your freezer not cooling correctly. If you are experiencing issues with frost build-up, the solution is to simply scrape the frost off of the vents and coils.

You want to do this carefully to avoid damaging either, but once you’ve cleaned off the ice, your freezer should work normally again. If the issue is not resolved once you clean off the ice, you should consider the rest of the possibilities on this list. If that doesn’t work, then you should call a Logan Master Appliance technician to help.

3. Dirty Condenser Coils

Sometimes your freezer’s condenser coils can become marred with dirt or debris. This causes your freezer to be unable to cool properly, as the condenser coils are responsible for cooling the freezer in combination with the freezer’s other components, so if they are dirty or obstructed, your freezer will not cool adequately. The way to troubleshoot this issue is to look at your condenser coils, if possible, and notice any dirt or debris on them.

Pet hair is particularly notorious for obstructing condenser coils. The condenser coils are typically located on the back of the freezer, although sometimes they are on the bottom. Clean them with a vacuum cleaner or a damp rag, and your freezer should resume cooling as normal, and there should be no need to call a technician.

4. Broken Evaporator Fan

The evaporator fan is the part of your freezer that is responsible for distributing cold air around the various parts of the freezer, and if it malfunctions, the cold air responsible for cooling the freezer will not properly distribute, leaving you with an inadequately cooled freezer. You can troubleshoot this issue by first opening your freezer door. The evaporator fan typically shuts off when the door is opened, so you will have to manually press down the freezer door switch located on the door frame and check if the fan is operational. If it is not, then you have a broken evaporator fan, and it will need to be replaced. You can then call a Logan Master Appliance technician to repair your evaporator fan and get your freezer back in working order.

5. Malfunctioning Thermostat

Your freezer’s thermostat is the part of the freezer responsible for controlling all the other components of the freezer’s operation and activating or deactivating them depending on the proper temperature being reached. If your thermostat is off or malfunctioning, then your freezer may not be cooling the way it should. To troubleshoot this issue, you should remove the food from your freezer around the thermostat and check if it has been bumped out of the correct setting.

If the thermostat is set to the correct temperature and your freezer is still not working, move the thermostat from the lowest thermostat setting to the highest setting and listen for a click. If you do not hear a click, then the thermostat is not working, and it will have to be replaced by a Logan Master Appliance technician.

6. Freezer Door Gasket

The gasket is the flexible, plastic seal that keeps your freezer closed to the air outside it. If there is a problem with your gasket, then your freezer will be unable to seal in the cold air that keeps it at the correct temperature, resulting in inadequate cooling. Troubleshooting this issue is simple, as the gasket is very visually apparent on the door. Simply look at the gasket on your freezer and check it for any dirt or debris that may be interrupting a proper seal.

If you find something obstructing a good seal, then simply clean it with a damp rag, and your freezer should resume normal operation. If there is no dirt, then check that the gasket is properly positioned to seal the door, and adjust it if it is not in any way. If there is extensive damage to the gasket, then you may need to replace it with replacement parts from Logan Master Appliance. If you want this done by a professional, call one of our supremely qualified technicians to do the job right.

7. Broken Compressor

The final reason your freezer may not be freezing is that your freezer’s compressor is broken. The compressor is responsible for a large part of the freezer’s cooling mechanism, and a broken compressor will render your freezer out of operation for the time that it is broken. A good way to troubleshoot this issue is to check for all the other issues on this list, and if none of them is the culprit, begin suspecting that your compressor may be the issue.

Once you’ve checked everything else and determined that the root of the problem may be the compressor, simply quiet the room the freezer is in by shutting off any other appliances that may be making noise and listen. If you do not hear a telltale humming noise coming from the compressor, then the issue is with your compressor not running. Unfortunately, a broken compressor is a break that requires professional care and replacement, so be sure to call Logan Master Appliance if you are experiencing this issue.

Logan Master Appliance

We have been family owned for over 100 years, and we provide the finest in-home appliance technology, repair, and replacement. Whatever your freezer issue, you can call Logan Master Appliance for help at (937) 853-8987!