What is worse after prepping a big holiday dinner and putting away all those leftovers only to realize your freezer is not working properly. If you are like me, you spent most of the days leading up to the holiday evening making and filling food saver bags to get ready for the big day. But, if you found that freezer was not working properly, we have a few quick tips that may be able to fix the problem so you don’t have to call an appliance repair technician in to fix it.
The Issues
Was it closed? Yes, I know that sounds like a stupid question but I am asking this one out of experience. This time of year, it is quite easy to overstuff the freezer to the point that it may not close all the way or eventually be nudged open. Before you panic, and especially if you see frost that you have never seen before, make sure that door is closing all the way.
Dirty condenser coils on the back could also be the problem, especially if you have not been using your freezer too much to this point. If the freezer has not had to work to stay cold, all that extra food could put it to the test. If those coils on the back for the fridge have a big dust buildup, it will hurt their effectiveness. Just pull out the fridge and give those coils a quick vacuum (after disconnecting the power) to see if that helps.
Check your evaporator fan to make sure it is working. This is what circulates the cold air in the freezer and if it breaks down, your freezer will not be keeping temperature properly. This is generally located in the back of the freezer, so you should be able to tell if it is working properly or not.
Check the start relay to make sure it is working properly. One of the tell-tale signs that is broken is if you are hearing a constant clicking noise. This will require a repair technician to fix.
If you are electronic controls are defective or are not set properly, it will throw off the performance of the freezer. While we are talking about controls, you will also want to make sure the thermostat if functioning properly. If you see a frost buildup, this is a good sign that the thermostat may not be functioning properly.
