How To Repair A Freezer That's Too Warm
- Rated as REALLY EASY
- 10 repair stories
- 3 step by step videos
Temperature Control or Thermostat
If your freezer does not get cold enough, you may have a problem with the temperature control thermostat. The rotary dial thermostat or temperature control uses a capillary tube sensor that attaches to the inside liner of the freezer to monitor the temperature, and also has a set of internal electrical contacts that supply power to the compressor circuit. When the temperature at the sensor rises, a pressure change occurs at the control and the switch contacts will close and turn on the compressor. If the contacts become corroded, or if the sensor bulb is damaged, the compressor may not start and the internal temperature of the freezer will continue to rise. If you need to adjust the thermostat to the highest setting to get the compressor to start then the control is likely defective. Inspect the sensor bulb to ensure that it is properly positioned before replacing the control.
User Control or Electronic Display Board
If your electronic display model freezer seems to be too warm, then you may have a problem with the user control display board. On some models this electronic control is used to display, monitor and adjust the internal temperature of the freezer, as well as to control the operation of the compressor, evaporator fan motor and defrost heater circuits. If the control has failed, it may not detect the temperature correctly resulting in the freezer not being cold enough. You should also check the thermistor temperature sensor for a defect before you condemn the control board.
Defrost Timer
If your freezer is a frost free model and doesn’t get cold enough, then you may have a problem with the defrost timer. These models use a defrost heater to melt any frost that accumulates on the evaporator coil. The timer is part of this circuit and is used to cycle the heater on at regular intervals to maintain a frost free evaporator. If the timer fails, the heater may not get energized and the evaporator will become blocked with frost or ice, restricting air flow and causing the temperature to rise. You can manually advance the defrost timer to start the defrost cycle and if the evaporator defrosts normally, then you will need to replace the timer.
More Repair Parts
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