Freezer Frost Buildup

Checks you can do safely before you call

1. Find out which kind of freezer you have. Look for "frost-free" or "manual defrost" on the model label or in the use and care guide. Frost on a manual-defrost model is expected, and it is time to defrost when the layer reaches about a quarter inch (6 mm).
2. Defrost a manual-defrost freezer with the power off. Unplug it or switch off its breaker, move the food to coolers, and lay towels around the base. Open the defrost drain where there is one, with a shallow pan under the outlet, and leave the door or lid open. Pans of hot tap water, never boiling, set inside on a towel speed things up. Dry the inside before you restart it, and let it get cold before you reload.
3. Don't chip the ice. Never pry or chip ice with a knife, screwdriver or ice pick: the cooling tubing runs just behind the inner walls and shelves and punctures easily. Skip the hair dryer and heat gun as well, since an electric tool near melting ice and water is a shock risk and the heat can warp the liner.
4. Clean and inspect the gasket. Wipe the seal with warm, soapy water, dry it, and look for tears, flattened sections and gaps at the corners. A gasket that stays stiff or torn after cleaning needs replacing.
5. Make sure the door closes on its own. An upright should sit level side to side and lean back slightly so the door swings shut. Turn the front leveling legs with the cabinet standing on the floor, never by tipping a loaded freezer, and clear any package that touches the seal.

When to call a technician

• A frost-free upright has a thick coat on the rear wall and the food is softening.
• Frost comes back within days of a complete manual defrost.
• Ice returns on the floor of the cabinet once you've melted it out.
• The gasket is torn, or the door still won't pull closed after leveling.

Frost in the freezer section of a refrigerator has its own page: ice buildup in a refrigerator's freezer. When melt water reaches the floor, see freezer leaking water.

What happens at the diagnostic visit

On a frost-free freezer the technician removes the rear panel to see how the evaporator coil has frosted, then tests the defrost heater, the defrost thermostat or sensor, and the timer or control that starts defrost. The drain and the door gasket are checked as well. A coil frosted on only part of its surface can point to a refrigerant problem, and if that is the finding, the technician tells you and lays out the options.

The diagnostic visit is $89 for a standard residential appliance and $129 for a built-in unit or commercial equipment; a premium brand on its own doesn't make an appliance built-in. The repair price comes before any work. Our freezer repair page covers the freezers we work on across Santa Clarita and the San Fernando Valley.

Brand and model notes

• Frigidaire, Whirlpool and Amana chest freezers: these are manual-defrost models unless the label says otherwise, and some include a drain spout near the base, at the front on many models, for draining defrost water. See Frigidaire, Whirlpool and Amana.
• Frost-free uprights: Frigidaire, GE and Whirlpool all sell frost-free uprights, and heavy frost on the rear wall of one points to the defrost heater, its thermostat or the control rather than to normal use. See GE.
• Sub-Zero and U-Line undercounter freezers and drawers: frost along the front of a drawer points to a drawer that isn't closing flush, from an overfilled bin, a worn gasket or a slide out of adjustment. See Sub-Zero and U-Line.