Is your ice maker dispensing dripping wet ice? Has your favorite ice cream turned to soup? If you’re a frozen food aficionado, there’s almost nothing more annoying than a non-freezing freezer—except, perhaps, not knowing what’s causing the problem. If your freezer is on the fritz, and you have no clue what to do, follow this checklist from our team at G&G Appliance Service. And if you’re still left puzzled, here’s something you certainly know how to do: give our appliance repair team a call!
#1: Check the Door Seal
Is your freezer door fully shut? Is the seal fully intact and attached to the door? The freezer door seal should be the first thing you check, because in some cases, the door simply pops open by itself. If your freezer is stuffed to the gills, or you toss things inside haphazardly, often, the door seal cannot make full contact with the freezer itself. And when the door doesn't close fully, obviously, the cold air escapes.
Even if your freezer isn’t too full or too unorganized, the door seal may still be the culprit. Your freezer’s gasket (seal) has a finite life, which means it slowly deteriorates over time. And when it becomes too loose, it can allow cold air to escape the freezer. Here’s how to tell if your freezer door gasket is too loose:
● Thoroughly clean the gasket with a soft cloth and all-purpose cleaner.
● With the freezer door open, place a dollar bill flat against the seal.
● Shut the freezer door so that the dollar bill protrudes from beneath the seal.
● Attempt to pull the cash out of the seal. If removing the bill takes effort, the seal is likely fine. If, however, you can remove the dollar with ease, the seal is probably too loose.
● Continue testing various locations around the gasket to ensure the entire seal is properly attached.
If you’ve got a loose seal on your hands, seek out the expertise of a freezer repair technician. You could attempt the job yourself, but what if you mess up? That’s a lot of groceries in the trash can.
#2: Evaluate the Contents
Sometimes, a non-freezing freezer has a super simple culprit: it’s too full. The freezer’s evaporator fan must be capable of circulating frigid air throughout the space, but when it’s blocked by too many items, it cannot perform its job efficiently (or at all).
Take a look at the rear wall of your freezer where the fan is located—is there a tub of ice cream or a bag of frozen food blocking the fan? If so, remove the contents and rearrange the items so that they no longer impede normal airflow.
#3: Check the Frost Buildup
If you have a manual defrost freezer, examine the interior walls for excessive frost buildup. A great deal of frost can affect the machine’s efficiency, and though frost seems appropriate inside a freezer, too much can affect the interior temperature. If you haven’t defrosted the unit in over a year, see if a simple defrost allows the freezer to reach its normal operating temperature. Here’s how to perform the defrost:
● Remove the contents of the freezer and place them in another freezer or a cooler with ice.
● Power down the freezer.
● Remove all movable parts from within the unit.
● Distribute towels on the floor to soak up water where you’ll be working.
● Place bowls of hot water inside the freezer or use a hairdryer to encourage the frost to melt faster—don’t allow water or frost to come into contact with the hairdryer!
● As the ice begins to melt, chip away at the pieces using a plastic spatula and toss them in your sink.
● Clean the freezer walls, power up the unit, and wait to see if it reaches normal operating temperature before replacing the contents.
If you have an auto-defrost freezer, excessive interior frost almost always indicates a component malfunction. You’ll need to contact a freezer repair specialist to diagnose the issue and repair the problem.
#4: Examine and Clean the Coils
Under normal circumstances, your freezer’s evaporator coils absorb warmth from the unit and dissipate that warmth through the condenser coils to maintain a freezing temperature. But when the unit’s coils are covered in dust and grime, they cannot efficiently perform their job, which results in a higher-than-normal freezer temperature.
To determine if dirty coils are the issue, pull your freezer away from the wall and using a vacuum, clean the coils with a brush or crevice attachment. If freshly cleaned coils don’t solve your non-freezing freezer problem, it’s time to contact a freezer repair service.
If none of the above DIY routes get your freezer to chill out, you’re most likely dealing with a damaged or worn freezer component that must be replaced. To avoid damaging the machine further or voiding your appliance warranty, please, do not attempt DIY parts replacement. Reach out to our team to schedule your repair service, and we’ll get the job done in no time.
Looking for Freezer Repair in New York? Contact G&G Appliance Service Today
When you need prompt, professional freezer repair, our team at G&G Appliance is here to serve you. We specialize in all forms of appliance repair—it doesn’t matter whether your machine is from a major manufacturer or a lesser-known brand. For over 20 years, we’ve been serving residents across our great state, and we’d love the opportunity to serve you, too! To learn more about our appliance repair services or to schedule your appointment, give our central scheduling center a call at 718-848-2100 or send us a message on our contact page, and we’ll be in touch! Need an estimate? Feel free to request your diagnostic quote online.