This time of the year, the freezer gets a lot of work. It could spoil a holiday dinner or cost you hundreds in lost groceries if it goes down. Either way, it is something we want you to avoid at all costs. If you start to notice your freezer is not holding temperature, we have put together a few tips to troubleshoot the problem.
Why Freezers Lose Temperature
Dirty Condenser Coils
This is a fairly common problem as they are often forgotten about by most people. If the coils get dirty, it can prevent them from performing properly, but it is an easy fix. Unplug the unit and vacuum off the coils.
Evaporator Fan
The purpose of the fan is to circulate the cool air around inside the freezer. If the fan is broken or not working at 100 percent, it will impact the cooling ability of the freezer.
Broken Start Relay
Your compressor is powered by a start relay. Without a working compressor, the air will not circulate through the freezer, so this shuts down the entire circulation system inside the freezer. One sure sign that this is the problem is that you will hear a notable clicking sound coming from the freezer.
Faulty Thermostat
Sometimes, the problem is literally staring us right in the face. If the thermostat is not working properly or outright broken, the freezer will not know how cold or hot the freezer is.
Do I need to call a repairman?
We all hate those extra bills, but a broken appliance does not necessarily mean that you need to pick up the phone just yet. If you find that your freezer is not working, one of the very first things you want to do is to check to see if the refrigerator is working. If the fridge is working, you already know to focus on troubleshooting only the freezer.
You can work your way through our checklist above to try to isolate the problem to see if it is something that you can fix on your own. The one thing we always warn about, however, is to ensure you do not risk voiding your warranty. It is far better to absorb a small bill from a local appliance repair technician than it is to void the warranty of an appliance that costs more than $1,000.
