Freezer Problems

Freezers are commonly present as part of the refrigerator. Usually the freezer is located above, below or on the side of the refrigerator component. It is used to mainly store food at or below 0 degree Fahrenheit temperature. The food stored here can be safe for quite long periods of time. Further cooling or reduction in freezer temperature may not achieve the right balance of cooling required for the refrigerator. Modern freezers usually include ice makers built into their doors.

Listed below are a few questions answered by the Experts on freezer problems.

Can I clean the insulation of my freezer and get rid of the odor after the ground fault malfunctioned causing the freezer to defrost?

An untrained person cannot usually clean the insulation. Since the freezer has defrosted, the contents could have rotted causing odor to build up. This smell will usually disappear but it will take time. The porous nature of plastic could retain the smell especially if contained inside the refrigerator. Clean it out completely, spray the unit with a freshener and place at least four boxes of baking soda inside the unit. Turn on the refrigerator and let it run empty for at least two weeks. This could eradicate the smell completely.

My Kenmore upright freezer’s fan is working and the evaporator coils behind the back panel of the freezer are not frosted, could this be the reason the freezer is not working?

This seems to be a problem either with the sealed system or the compressor. Sealed systems and Freon pressure needs to be checked for a leak by a certified technician. If the system needs a Freon refill, the labor charges could be costly as the person needs to be licensed and authorized to handle sealed systems which require certification to deal with. If there is no leakage and the pressure is normal, the compressor could have short circuited due to a power surge. In such a scenario, a new compressor is needed.. It would be more reasonable to buy a new freezer in such a case.

My Amana bottom freezer door handle is loose and the mounting screws are lost, how can I tighten it?

Usually the handle of the freezer attaches through two bolts going through the door. Hold the handle and pull it hard to the left in a jerky motion. This would release the clips. Pull the handle off completely which will provide you an opportunity to refit and tighten the bolts.

What should I do to remove the ice collected in my Whirlpool bottom freezer?

The defrost drain could be clogged thereby not allowing the water to go down the defrost drain. Instead it is seeping into the freezer and leaking out on to the freezer floor. Unplug the refrigerator; remove all the items from the freezer including the ice maker in order to reach the back panel of the freezer. Remove the back panel and check the evaporator coils. These evaporator coils defrost every ten hours. The drain for defrost is usually located on the floor directly below the coils and is around the size of a dime. Clear the ice from the hole and ensure the fan blade of the fan motor is not loose and is ice free. Pour warm water down the hole. If the hole is still not clear use a flexible object to insert and push down a couple of inches. Remove the lower panel from the back of your refrigerator and find the tube which ends just over the drain pan. A small amount of water should have collected in the pan, which indicates you have cleared the issue. The water will evaporate from this drain pan.

My freezer’s back wall is covered with frost and is not cooling properly. The refrigerator is not cold either. How can I restore the coolness?

This issue seems to be quite common and indicates improper defrosting in the freezer due to which the refrigerator is unable to receive sufficient air to cool down. First option would be to unplug the unit for 24 hours. The second option would be to empty the contents of the freezer, remove the lower back panel by removing the screws on it and defrost using a hair dryer. Once the frost has thawed out, the freezer will start working. To ensure the problem does not recur, replace the defrost heater.

It is important to equip yourself with basic information to handle issues that may crop up with your freezers. Engaging the services of a technician for simple issues which can be handled by you will prove to be expensive as well as unnecessary. Basic issues such as defrosting or ensuring the cooling vents are unclogged can be managed by you if you have someone to guide you. Therefore insights and information from Experts will be helpful and useful to tackle the problem immediately and effectively.