Why Does My Frigidaire Fridge Keep Freezing Food

Most people don’t realize how essential a refrigerator is in our day-to-day lives, that is, until it starts malfunctioning.  

Like other electronic appliances, refrigerators may fail to work every once in a while, so don’t be too surprised if your fridge begins presenting problems. Common issues include the refrigerator getting warm or the freezer failing to freeze. Not only that, sometimes, you might also find the fridge section freezing all your food.

Regardless of the issue with your refrigerator, you can rest assured that there is a solution to it. This guide explains why your Frigidaire fridge freezes food and what you can do to prevent it. So, make it a point to read it till the end. 

Why Is Your Frigidaire Fridge Freezing Food?

Here is a list of factors that could be causing your Frigidaire Fridge to freeze food:

1. Dirty Coils

If the coils of your fridge are dusty or dirty, it will most likely make the compressor run twice as hard. Thus, it will, in turn, produce more cold air than required and end up freezing the food in your Frigidaire fridge.    

2. Low-Temperature Settings

Although this is pretty obvious, most people tend to miss it. If the temperature dial of your fridge is set too low, the fridge might get too cold and start freezing food.

3. Punctured Door Seals

Your freezer and refrigerator doors have seals around them that ensure that the cold air is kept in. If both or one of the seals is leaking, your fridge will work harder to ensure that it maintains an optimal temperature. Thus, it could lead to a fridge that is too cold, thus causing the food inside it to freeze.  

4. Food Storage

Fridges utilize air vents to spread cold air and maintain an optimal temperature all over the storage area. You must ensure there is enough room for decent airflow between the refrigerator and freezer section.

If the foods block these vents, they will be susceptible to freezing up as they will be exposed to more cold air than required. So, make sure that the foods don’t block the vents. Furthermore, we recommend stocking your refrigerator with as much food as possible as a fully stocked fridge absorbs cold air better.

If there aren’t enough food items in the fridge, the cold air will most likely settle on the bottom shelf, potentially freezing the food items.        

5. A Faulty Part

More often than not, the issue of a Frigidaire refrigerator freezing food occurs due to a malfunctioning part of the fridge. Below, we have mentioned a few parts that could jeopardize the functioning of your fridge if not checked on time.

A) Thermistor

The thermistor of a fridge reads and monitors the air temperature and sends the readings to the temperature control board.

Now, the temperature control board uses those readings to administer power to the refrigerant system. A broken thermistor is likely to result in an inappropriate power supply to the refrigerant system of the fridge.

Thus, it might cause the evaporator fans and the compressor to work continually, resulting in the temperature of the fridge becoming too low. 

To prevent this, use a multimeter to keep an eye on the thermistor resistance. Also, consider setting the refrigerator to a higher or lower temperature and checking if the resistance of the thermistor changes. If it doesn’t, it means the thermistor is broken.  

B) Thermostat Control 

The primary function of a thermostat is to direct voltage to the evaporator fan, compressor, and condenser. On top of that, it is responsible for checking the air temperature and switching the refrigerator on and off.

If the thermostat is faulty, it will make the compressor work more than what is required, which will, in turn, cause the fridge to get colder. 

To determine whether the thermostat is defective, switch on the refrigerator and keep the compressor running. Next, listen closely for a click sound as you adjust the temperature dial from the lowest setting to the highest setting. If you hear the click, the thermostat is working fine, as the sound suggests that the refrigerant system has turned off.

C) Damper Control

This is an essential component in the fridge that closes and opens to control the quantity of cold air circulated into the refrigerator. If broken, it could stay open and cause the temperature in the fridge to go down.

D) Main Control Board

As far as the main control board is concerned, it manages the power supplied to the entire fridge and control systems. If it starts malfunctioning, it can affect the operations of the other components of the fridge.

Additionally, a faulty main control board could be responsible for sending continuous voltage to the refrigerant system, which might cause the refrigerator to become too cold.

Since it is difficult for the untrained eye to inspect the main control board and tell if it is malfunctioning, we strongly recommend checking the other components. This will help you determine if there are loose wires, signs of burning, or if a part has shorted out, causing the main control board to not work properly. 

If you find any such issue during the inspection, you will most likely have to repair or replace the main control board. 

E) Temperature Control Board

A malfunctioning temperature control board will most likely fail to power the compressors and the fan. Alternatively, it could send continuous voltage to the parts, which will make the fridge get too cold. 

Problems with the temperature control board are often difficult to diagnose, as it is with the main control board. So, first, you should check the other parts and only think of replacing the temperature control board if the other parts are working fine. 

How To Prevent Your Frigidaire Fridge From Freezing Food

In this section, we have discussed a few steps you can take to prevent your fridge from freezing food. 

1. Keep The Coils Clean

Ensure that the fridge coils are clean to prevent your Frigidaire Fridge from freezing food.

First off, you need to turn off the refrigerator and detach the power cord from the socket. Next, pull the machine from the wall to get access to its coils. Make sure you clean the coils properly. Once done, push the fridge back to its position. After that, switch it back on. 

If dirty coils were the culprit, cleaning them should have resolved the issue.  

2. Increase The Temperature

Check whether or not the temperature of the fridge is set too low. If it is, then shift the dial up a bit and wait for a couple of minutes to determine if the issue is resolved. On a side note, make sure that you don’t raise the temperature too much; the ideal temperature is between 38 and 42 degrees Fahrenheit.

If increasing the temperature doesn’t help, something else is causing the issue.     

3. Inspect The Door Seals Of Your Refrigerator 

Make sure that the door seals of your refrigerator are in optimal condition. If they are worn, warped, or torn, have them replaced as soon as possible. 

4. Rearrange The Food Items

Ensure that the food items in your Frigidaire refrigerator do not come in contact with the air vents. Also, try distributing the food items evenly across the fridge to allow air to circulate evenly.

5. Get The Faulty Parts Replaced

In the previous section, we have already discussed how to check for malfunctioning components of your fridge that could cause it to freeze the food. Therefore, inspect the components of the fridge for faults and replace them if necessary. 

It is worth noting that the issue lies in the control thermostat with most Frigidaire refrigerators. So, we have discussed the process of replacing the thermostat in the following section.

Frigidaire vegetable drawer freezing

Frigidaire vegetable drawer freezing can be a frustrating issue, it can cause the vegetables to spoil and can also lead to frost buildup in the drawer.

The first step to fix this issue is to check the temperature setting of the refrigerator and make sure that it is set to the proper level for vegetables, it should be around 37-40F.

If the temperature is set correctly, check the gasket around the drawer to make sure it is clean and tight. A damaged or dirty gasket can cause cold air to leak into the drawer.

If the gasket is in good condition and the problem persists, it may be necessary to contact a professional service for further assistance.

How To Replace The Temperature Control Thermostat Of A Frigidaire Fridge?

First, switch the fridge off and unplug it from the power socket. Then take out the screws and shelving to remove the damper covers and conduit. After that, take out the thermostat sensor from the damper and then remove the control panel.

Next, detach the wires from the thermostat and replace the old one with the replacement part. Make sure to put the control panel back in place and reattach all the knobs and wires. Lastly, replace the damper covers and conduit and tighten the screws.

There you have it; now you know how to replace a temperature control thermostat.  

Final Thoughts

It has been a long ride, but hopefully, you have figured out why your Frigidaire fridge keeps freezing food. Before we sign off, here’s our last bit of advice: if you aren’t confident enough to replace the temperature control thermostat of the fridge, hire a professional. 

That said, this fridge component is tricky to work with and may require an expert who is skilled and experienced at fixing electronic appliances. On the flip side, attempting to change the temperature control thermostat by yourself may lead to further damage.

It is now time for us to wrap things up. Until next time, folks!