Frigidaire Freezer Not Freezing

Let’s just say that it can be a frustrating experience to have a broken freezer. 

It can create instant panic as the food can quickly go bad if the appliance fails to become operational again within a few hours. In most instances, people end up wasting a lot of precious time they could have spent diagnosing the problem. 

Frigidaire is a well-known brand that produces refrigerators, freezers, countertop ice makers, along with other home appliances.

As freezers from the brand are pretty common in most homes, we thought of listing some of the issues that might cause the freezer to stop working. 

We have also provided possible solutions to revive the freezer before calling for help, so without further ado, let’s get started! 

What To Do When The Frigidaire Freezer Isn’t Freezing? 

Here are some of the things you can do to check on a Frigidaire Freezer when it isn’t working properly:  

1. Inspect The Evaporator Fan Motor 

Often, a freezer may stop operating if there’s some kind of fault in the evaporator fan. You can open the freezer door and press on the door switch to check whether the fan is operating properly. If it fails to start, you’ll need to get the motor of the evaporator fan changed as soon as possible. 

Without a working evaporator fan, the freezer wouldn’t be able to circulate cool air after transferring it through the cooling coils. As a result, the freezer would fail to maintain the temperature needed to keep your food frozen. 

2. Observe The Start Relay

The start relay lies on the side of the compressor, and without it, the latter may fail to work. Remember to disconnect the freezer from the electrical source before checking on the start relay.

Then, test the start and run terminal sockets of the start relay for continuity, and if there’s a burning smell, get it changed immediately to revive the freezer. 

Some people even shake the start relay to hear a rattling sound that might suggest the part is broken. Without a working start relay, the compressor would fail to run optimally, which would stop the freezer from working. 

3. Check The Condenser And Evaporator Coils 

The most common cause behind a Frigidaire freezer not freezing would be dirty condenser coils. You can find the condenser coils either under or on the back of the freezer, so check to see if they are dirty. And clean the coils with a dry cloth to improve their ability to remove heat for better cooling. 

You should also check on the evaporator coils, typically present at the back of a freezer. Rather than gathering dust, these coils are more prone to getting covered in ice or frost. In models without auto defrost, a hair dryer can be used to remove the frost manually from the coils. 

However, if your freezer is supposed to have an automatic defrost cycle and still there’s frost on the evaporator coils, then it might be due to a faulty defrost heater. Frozen coils cannot transport the cold air to the evaporator fan, disrupting the circulation, which is responsible for keeping the freezer cool. 

4. Have A Look At The Temperature Control Thermostat

As you can understand, the temperature control thermostat helps maintain the cold temperature within the freezer. You should first turn the knob to the lowest temperature and then turn it to the highest setting to hear if there’s a click.

The click suggests that the thermostat is working fine, or you may need to get it replaced. 

Those who have access to tools may also test the thermostat with a multimeter to check if there’s continuity and determine whether a replacement is necessary. Power wouldn’t reach the compressor and fan motors without a working thermostat, stopping the refrigerant system from running to keep the freezer cold. 

5. Check The Condenser Fan Motor

Another part that you need to check is the condenser fan to see if it’s working correctly. When the fan is spinning well without sudden stops, it points to a healthy condenser fan motor. 

You can use a multimeter to check on the fan to ensure that continuity is there. If not, it needs to be replaced, as a defective condenser fan motor will fail to draw in cool air for the freezer. 

6. Leaky Seals 

The loss of temperature or coolness in a freezer can also be caused by a leaky door seal. You can check if anything is sticking out from the freezer that is preventing the door from closing properly. If not, then the door seal might have just worn out. 

Unfortunately, there’s no way to fix this problem, and in most cases, you will need to get a new freezer. 

Apart from checking on the parts mentioned above, you should pay attention to the main control board and display to ensure they are working properly.

You can even run a complete restart when you initially find out that the Frigidaire freezer is faulty to try and solve the issue. 

If every part seems to be working fine, then only a technician from Frigidaire would be able to diagnose the issue. Note that you should refrain from taking out any parts of the freezer when it’s still under warranty to avoid a breach of terms and conditions. 

Parts To Check When A Frigidaire Refrigerator Fails To Cool Or Freeze 

Here are some of the parts to check if the freezer of your Frigidaire refrigerator fails to work properly: 

1. Condenser Fan Motor 

The freezer section in your Frigidaire fridge may get affected due to an ill-functioning condenser fan motor. Ensure that it’s spinning smoothly without any obstruction and run it through a multimeter to test for continuity. 

Often a refrigerator fails to maintain its cool temperature due to a faulty motor that prevents the fan from drawing in air to use on the coils. 

2. Condenser Coils 

Most of us don’t bother to clean the backs of our refrigerators, but it’s necessary to keep the condenser coils in good health. When the freezer isn’t working properly, you can check on the coils to see if they are covered in dust.

Clean coils help release heat from the refrigerant to stop it from raising the internal temperatures of the fridge. 

3. Evaporator Fan Motor 

Do you think that the evaporator fan is being a bit too noisy? If yes, then the motor needs a thorough check as it might be the reason for the improper cooling of your fridge.

Similar to that of the condenser fan motor, test if the fan is spinning correctly and use a multimeter to detect continuity. You may need to replace the motor when the windings provide inconsistent results. 

4. Temperature Control Thermostat

Check the temperature control thermostat to see if you can hear a click when turning the knob from the lowest temperature setting to the highest one. This click is an assurance that the thermostat is working fine, or you may need to replace it. 

5. Start Relay 

Close to the compressor, you’ll find the start relay, which helps the fridge run without interruptions. When there’s a burnt smell coming from the start relay, or if it rattles on shaking, you have to make a replacement.

To be assured that the fault lies in the start relay, we recommend checking its start and run terminals with a multimeter for continuity. 

6. Thermistor

The thermistor of your fridge monitors the air temperature and passes the message to the control board.

But a faulty thermistor sends wrong inputs to the control board, making it difficult for the fridge to maintain the proper temperature. You’ll need to change the thermistor if its resistance is stable while testing with a multimeter.  

7. Start Capacitor

Lastly, after checking the other parts check the start capacitor to make sure that it’s working correctly to power the compressor. You may test it with a multimeter if the compressor seems to be unresponsive. 

How To Fix The Top Shelf Of Frigidaire Upright Freezer That Fails To Freeze 

Here are some quick solutions to fix the top shelf of a Frigidaire upright freezer: 

1. Check The Fan 

The most common cause of a Frigidaire upright freezer failing to freeze is a jammed fan caused by frost buildup. After checking, you can perform a manual defrost cycle to free up the fan blades.

Other than blockages, there might be problems with the motor, which should be fixed or replaced by a professional technician.  

2. Check The Air Circulation 

When there’s poor air circulation in the freezer, the top shelf might be left deprived of cool air. It might also cause excess ice buildup on the bottom shelf.

So, check if anything is blocking the air vents in the top half and remove it to restore the cold air circulation. 

3. Check The Air Filter 

If you’re using a Frigidaire upright freezer, keep an eye on the air filter and change it regularly. While a worn-out or clogged air filter doesn’t really stop a freezer from freezing, it may hinder proper air circulation and slow down cooling.

We recommend consulting a Frigidaire technician if the air filter of your freezer keeps getting clogged frequently. 

Final Words 

That’s everything we had to tell you about what to do when a Frigidaire freezer fails to maintain a freezing temperature. We hope that this guide will help you diagnose any issue and fix it as early as possible to have a well-functioning freezer. 

Note that these are only a few problems that a freezer might face. There can be other underlying issues that only an expert from Frigidaire may detect.

Moreover, those who have no experience working with appliances like freezers should seek professional help, mainly if the item is still under warranty.