Are you facing an issue with your fridge where its refrigerator is working, but the freezer is not freezing? There are two significant compartments in a refrigerator. The fridge makes the food and beverages bearably cool for short-term storage, and the freezer is the colder compartment for longer preservation.
If your refrigerator is working, but the freezer is not freezing, this happens when the freezer door sealer is faulty or the evaporator fan is frosting. To fix this, plug out the fridge power cable, clean its inner and outer components, including the evaporator fan, and restore the power. If this doesn’t help, test the freezer door sealer with a thin paper and replace it if needed.
Below, we’ll discuss why is refrigerator working but freezer not freezing in detail and how you can fix this issue before making a trip to a repair shop.
why is my freezer not freezing but fridge works?
Several issues or errors can cause the freezer to stop working. When this happens, you’ll realize it’s no longer cold enough to freeze food items in the compartment.
Some problems are more common than others, but that does not mean something is seriously wrong with your fridge.
This list explains the reasons, starting with the most likely causes responsible for the refrigerator working but freezer not freezing problem.
Faulty Door Sealer
The refrigerator door is responsible for keeping the cool air in the compartment. The freezer and fridge are joined together for some refrigerators but have different doors.
The temperature inside this refrigerator is much lower than in the external environment, but if the freezer door seal is faulty, cold air keeps escaping, and hot air enters the freezer. This issue usually occurs in mechanical accidents or frequent openings.
This exchange might not reduce the cooling permanently. But it makes the freezer’s content less cold than the fridge’s. If this continues for a long, the freezer could stop freezing while the fridge keeps working fine.
Content Arrangement
Sometimes, your freezer is working just fine, but the issue is a matter of content arrangement in it.
Poor packing can block the air coming from the fan. The location of the fan in a freezer varies depending on the design. The air cannot circulate properly if the arrangement is blocking this fan, resulting in the refrigerator working but the freezer not freezing.
Evaporator Fan Frosting
The evaporator fan brings cool air to the freezer. However, the freezer can experience a reduction in performance due to the malfunctioning of this component.
Sometimes, cold air initiates the ice building on the evaporator fan, resulting in disturbing air distribution.
Again, the fridge will work fine in this situation because the refrigerator is still getting cold air. But it might not be enough for the freezer.
Dirty Condenser
A fridge condenser is one of the most critical systems in a fridge, which is a system of coils responsible for heat exchange. The condenser receives the circulating refrigerant, which is vaporized in this state.
In optimal working conditions, a condenser removes heat from the received refrigerant by exchanging it with the environment. It eliminates the heat until the refrigerant changes from vapor to liquid.
The heat exchange is limited when this condenser or its coils are dirty. Due to this limitation, the excess heat stores up in the condenser. When the heat rises, the interaction between the two components reduces.
Freezers require a large amount of condensed refrigerant. In such situations, the refrigerant at the end of the circulation is not condensed to a temperature that can freeze. This results in the refrigerator working but the freezer is not freezing issue.
Faulty Thermostat
The thermostat is responsible for regulating the freezer’s internal temperature. It allows cooling to the point of freezing when the temperature is high. This component also stops the cooling process when the temperature is too low.
The thermostat turns the compressor on and off based on the freezer’s temperature. However, a faulty thermostat cannot detect the correct temperature needed for freezing.
This error means that the thermostat shuts off the compressor, which causes your freezer to stop working.
Low Freon Pressure
Freon is the refrigerant in your freezer. It is compressed at high pressure and travels to freeze the objects in the fridge. If the force of this refrigerant reduces, the freezer stops working, but the refrigerator will still be okay.
At first, it could still be working by cooling the freezer’s contents, but the low pressure means the freon is insufficient to keep them frozen. But eventually, your freezer stops working completely. The reduction in temperature is most likely a result of the leak.
Start Relay Is Inconsistent
The start or PTC relay provides power for the compressor. The compressor, in turn, distributes the refrigerant using this power.
If the start relay fails to perform optimally, it does not release constant energy to the compressor. The intermittent power supply is insufficient to keep your freezer working, but your refrigerator might work fine.
How do you fix a freezer that doesn’t freeze?
To fix a freezer that doesn’t freeze, clean the dirty condenser using a vacuum hose by passing it over the coils. Also, change the thermostat setting to high and wait for a click sound. If you can’t hear it, check the thermostat with a multimeter and replace it with a new one.
Here are 5 solutions to fix your refrigerator working but freezer not freezing issue before taking it to a repair shop.
Test Freezer Door Sealer
Detecting a faulty door seal is a simple process. All you need is a simple paper test.
To do this, place a thin piece of paper on the door receiver and close the freezer. Pull the form gently. The door sealer is faulty if there is little or no resistance to pulling the paper.
The solution is to replace the door sealer with a newer model.
Defrost Evaporator Fan
The first step is locating the evaporator fan and arranging the contents to allow airflow. You might also need to reduce the content in the freezer at that time.
If this doesn’t work, It would be best if you defrosted the fans. It is a simple process of removing the refrigerator from its power source.
You can transfer the contents in the freezer to a temporary cooling unit while the whole setup melts. Next, start cleaning the inner and outer components of the fridge. Also, clean the evaporator fan and restore power to the freezer.
This step should solve the problem.
Clean Dirty Condensor
Once you can confirm that the problem with your freezer is a dirty condenser, you can clean it using a vacuum hose. Make sure to pass the hole over the coils to clean out the dirt.
This issue is widespread. Hence, checking the condenser first to diagnose the problems with your freezer is excellent troubleshooting practice.
Check Thermostat
A simple solution is to check the working condition of the freezer thermostat. A multimeter is all that is needed for this test.
Alternatively, you can change the thermostat’s settings from low to high. You should hear a click. If there is none, then the solution is to replace the thermostat.
Check Compressor Leakage
Check for a possible leak at the back or the underside of the freezer, depending on your fridge design.
A gentle whooshing sound would suggest leakage at a point in the compressor. It would be best if you had the expertise of a technician at this point to detect and block the leak. You might also need to refill the refrigerant.
However, we suggest you ask a professional to carry out this work to avoid permanently damaging your appliance.
Detect System Relay Issues
Detecting issues with the relay system is not easy because of the location of this component. The best option is to seek help from repair experts.
Final Thoughts
No specialized hardware is immune to issues. Hence, it is necessary to understand the problems. So in this article, we’ve discussed why is your refrigerator working but freezer not freezing, along with various fixes.
Your freezer needs to be at its optimal state if it is going to keep the food from thawing. Keeping the freezer clean and following maintenance protocols will help prevent or, at the very least, reduce issues.
Detecting the particular problem with your freezer is the first step towards efficient repair. We hope that you are one step away from a working freezer with the right solution.
