Freezer Not Freezing

Checks you can do safely before you call

1. Measure before you change anything. Set an appliance thermometer between packages in the middle of the freezer and leave it overnight with the door shut. The target is 0°F (-18°C), and a reading above 5°F (-15°C) confirms the freezer is running warm.
2. Look at the control. Make sure the dial or touch panel wasn't moved toward the warm end, and set it to the middle of its range or the setting the manual recommends.
3. Check the seal with a strip of paper. Shut the door or lid on a strip of paper in four or five spots around the edge and tug it. Where it slides out with no drag, the gasket isn't sealing. Check that no package or basket is holding the door open.
4. Clear dust from the condenser. Pull the plug or turn off the breaker first. Vacuum dust off coils at the back or behind the base vent with a soft brush, minding the sharp fins. Most chest freezers hide the condenser inside the outer walls, so keep their sides clear. Leave screwed-on covers in place. Slide a loaded upright out with a helper, never tipping it, to give it the clearance the manual lists.
5. Clear the air path inside. On a frost-free upright, move packages away from the vent openings on the back wall so cold air can circulate.
6. Restart it once and listen. If the light is off, check the breaker and any GFCI outlet's reset button first. Unplug the freezer for about 10 minutes, then plug it into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. Allow up to half an hour: some controls delay the compressor, and a frost-free model may finish a defrost first. A steady hum from the base means the compressor started. A click, a brief buzz and quiet, again and again, means it can't start, so unplug it again and call.

When to call a technician

• The reading stays above 5°F (-15°C) a day after you cleaned the condenser and confirmed the seal.
• You hear the click-and-buzz pattern at the base and the compressor never settles into a hum.
• Frost covers the back panel of a frost-free model while the food softens.
• The compressor runs, the condenser is clean, and the cabinet still won't get cold.
• The freezer stays quiet for more than an hour with power at the outlet.

When the freezer is part of a refrigerator, start with refrigerator not cooling instead.

What happens at the diagnostic visit

The technician measures the cabinet and coil temperatures, checks the control and its sensor, tests the fans and the defrost heater, defrost thermostat and control on models that have them, and confirms whether the compressor starts and draws normal current. If the sealed system is at fault, the technician says so and explains your choices.

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 is on the table before a single part is touched. For the chest, upright and built-in freezers we work on, see freezer repair.

Brand and model notes

• Kenmore: the first three digits of a Kenmore model number name the company that built it, such as 253 for Electrolux, the maker of Frigidaire, or 106 for Whirlpool. That prefix tells the technician which design and parts the freezer uses. See Kenmore and Frigidaire.
• Whirlpool and Amana: both are Whirlpool Corporation brands. On their frost-free uprights, a cabinet that warms while the compressor keeps running points to the evaporator fan or defrost parts behind the inside rear panel, or the condenser fan at the base. See Whirlpool and Amana.
• Sub-Zero: on full-size Classic units the condenser sits behind the louvered panel at the top, so dust there warms the whole cabinet. Write down any alarm or code on the display before you call. See Sub-Zero.
• Thermador: Freedom freezer columns have an electronic control that can sound an alarm as the column warms. Note what the display shows before you call. See Thermador.