There are two significant compartments in a refrigerator. The fridge is the cool compartment, and the freezer is the colder compartment.
Each part is essential, and they house different contents. Sometimes, when both parts fail to work, it would suggest the power connection is severed.
However, in some cases, the freezer stops working, but the fridge is okay.
When this happens, you’ll realize that it’s no longer cold enough to freeze food items in the compartment.
There are several causes behind this problem. It is necessary to know these causes and their possible solutions.
Reasons Why The Freezer Stops Working And Possible Solutions
Several issues or errors can cause the freezer to stop working. Some problems are more common than others.
These issues do not always need serious steps when looking for a solution.
This list explains the reasons, starting with the most likely causes and the easily doable solution. Here are the common reasons:
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.
So, if the freezer door seal is faulty, cold air keeps escaping, and hot air enters the freezer.
This issue usually occurs by mechanical accidents or frequent openings.
This exchange might not reduce the cooling permanently. But it makes the freezer’s content less cold than those in the fridge.
If this continues for long, the freezer could stop working while the fridge keeps working fine.
Possible Solution
Detecting a faulty door seal is a simple process. All you need is a simple paper test.
Place a thin paper on the door receiver and close the freezer. Pull the paper gently. If there is little or no resistance to pulling the paper, the door sealer is faulty.
The solution is to replace the door sealer with a newer model.
Content Arrangement
Sometimes, your equipment is working just fine. The issue at hand is a matter of content arrangement in the freeze.
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.
This situation might make it seem like the freezer stopped working and only the fridge is okay. But that’s not the case.
Possible Solution
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.
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 building of ice on the evaporator fan. The ice builds up and disturbs 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.
So, the freezer stops working in this case, but the fridge is still in good condition.
Possible Solution
It would be best if you defrosted the fans. It is a simple process of removing the refrigerator from its power source.
The content in the freezer can be transferred to a temporary cooling unit while the whole setup melts.
Clean 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.
Dirty Condenser
A condenser is one of the most critical systems in a fridge. It is a system of coils responsible for heat exchange.
The condenser receives the circulating refrigerant. The refrigerant is vaporized at this state.
A condenser is an optimal working condition that removes the heat from the received refrigerant. The condenser exchanges the heat with the environment.
It eliminates the heat until the refrigerant changes from vapor to liquid. The transition from vapor to liquid is the condenser.
When this condenser or its coils are dirty, the exchange of heat is limited. Due to this limitation, the excess heat stores up in the condenser.
When the heat rises, the interaction between the two components reduces.
In situations like this, the refrigerant at the end of the circulation is not condensed to a temperature that can freeze.
Freezers require a large amount of condensed refrigerant. When this amount becomes small, the freezer seems to stop working.
However, the fridge will still be okay.
Possible Solution
The solution to this problem is relatively easy.
Once you can confirm that the problem with your freezer is a dirty condenser, you can clean it using a vacuum hose.
Pass the hole over the coils to clean out the dirt.
This issue is widespread. Hence, checking the condenser first to diagnose issues with your freezer is excellent.
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.
The thermostat 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.
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.
Possible Solution
A simple step is to check the working condition of this component. 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.
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 fridge 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 not enough to keep them frozen.
Eventually, your freezer stops working completely. The reduction in temperature is most likely a result of the leak.
Possible Solution
Check for a possible leak at the back or the underside of the freezer, depending on the 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.
Start Relay Is Inconsistent
The start 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 fridge might be working fine.
Solution
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
Your freezer needs to be at its optimal state if it is going to keep the foods from thawing.
Keeping the freezer in a clean environment and following maintenance protocols will help to prevent or, at the very least, reduce issues.
It also prevents issues where your freezer stops working, but the fridge is still okay.
Despite this, no specialized hardware is immune to issues. Hence, it is necessary to understand the problems.
Detecting the particular problem with your freezer is the first step towards efficient repair.
You are one step away from a working freezer with the right solution.