Why the refrigerator does not freeze: common faults and solutions to the problem

It's always unpleasant when expensive equipment breaks down, especially something as important as a refrigerator.Since this promises a lot of inconvenience, as well as financial losses.

Still, when the refrigerator does not freeze, its owner should not indulge in sadness, because not in all cases such a phenomenon as a breakdown is complex. In addition, you can often carry out repairs yourself, and quickly, which makes the situation easier.

Let's look together at the main types of refrigerator breakdowns and how to fix them.

Main types of faults

Since all refrigerators have typical breakdowns, they have characteristic symptoms. Therefore, not always, but in some cases, any person will be able to diagnose independently and quickly.

All you need to do is know the main features of faults. This will make it possible to make the most correct decision about what to do in the current situation: carry out the repairs yourself or call a specialist and pay him money.

Even the main types of breakdowns of the refrigerator are quite numerous, but they are all typical, that is, they have characteristic features, which simplifies the task of detecting and eliminating them

Malfunctions can be divided into the following:

• simple - that is, they are easily solvable, even by the owner himself;
• complex - in this case, everything will end with the product being repaired by a specialist, who will have to be called;
• hopeless - they happen rarely, but usually result in the purchase of a new unit.

Each of these categories includes a number of reasons, the ability to identify which helps to identify a breakdown, take appropriate measures and even prevent it. And this helps the owner save time and money.

Category #1 - simple types of breakdowns

Minor troubles include a whole group of malfunctions. If any of them is identified, the user can almost guarantee the operation of the refrigeration unit on their own.

Moreover, in many situations this will take a matter of minutes. This means that a person will not have to rack his brains about where to put the stored products or take other actions related to the breakdown.

When the owner discovers that the device does not freeze well or does not produce cold at all, then first of all it is necessary to inspect it in order to determine signs of breakdown

Signs of easily solvable problems are:

1. Insufficient cooling of products, and in some cases, their spoilage.
2. The refrigerator refuses to freeze without visible signs of failure.
3. The fan is not working.
4. Always on compressor.
5. Incorrect temperature setting.
6. The indicator indicating the set mode does not light up.
7. Incorrect location.

The tightness of its door closing. If the product is not able to cool food to the required temperature, then the owner should pay attention to how tightly its door is closed.

It often happens that the handle of a pan, foreign objects stuck to the seal, body or something else prevents it from being completely covered. As a result, the unit is unable to freeze or cool stored products.

All of the above indicates that any person, after a careful examination, will be able to cope with the problem immediately after determining the cause that led to abnormal operation.

Seal wear. A more complex type of this problem often occurs, which is seal wear. But even in this situation it is quite easy to get out of the situation.

Why you need to measure the door around the perimeter and buy the necessary rubber band at the nearest hardware store. Even if it is not specialized, the user will still be able to quickly solve the problem and then start searching suitable seal.

Often the causes of breakdowns are simple, which allows the owner to eliminate them himself. For example, the photo shows the replacement of a worn out seal

Door misalignment. In addition, when the refrigerator is unable to freeze or cool food, you need to pay attention to the position of the door. During operation, it often changes its original position under the influence of its own weight or load.

As a result, a skew of the door is created, which becomes unable to seal the interior of the refrigerator. This often happens with ordinary doors.

The solution is adjustment, which will not cause any difficulties for most people. Even if you don’t have the skills, desire and tools to do everything yourself, calling a specialist to restore functionality will cost a pittance.

Temperature. In addition, a person needs to control the set temperature.

Moreover, you need to check whether special programs are turned on/off, which include quick freezing and defrosting.All this significantly affects the performance of any refrigerator.

The instructions included with each unit will tell you what to do correctly in such cases. If it is lost, then the official Internet resource of the manufacturer or its representative will help, where everything you need is posted.

To replace a worn seal, it is enough to buy a new set of such consumables. The task is further simplified by the fact that the side that will be adjacent to the door is treated with a special adhesive material

Thermostat failure. When the indicator does not light up at all, then the person should inspect the wire, plug, their contacts, as well as the socket to which the listed elements are connected. If there is no external damage, then the voltage should be checked.

In the absence of special equipment, you can connect any electrical device to the network, which will indicate what is faulty: the socket, other elements of the electrical circuit, or the refrigerator itself. When everything is normal, this may well indicate thermostat failure.

When inspecting the refrigerator, you should always pay attention to the signals displayed by the display and warning lights. Since they often suggest the causes of the malfunction

Fan. When there are no signs of failure and the temperature inside the unit is insufficient, the fan should be checked for functionality.

This device is designed to ensure the distribution of cold masses throughout the entire volume of the refrigerator. And when it does not function, there will definitely be problems with freezing and cooling food.

But this does not indicate its failure. Since the fan is often covered with a layer of ice and simply freezes.This problem can be identified by the absence of the characteristic noise that accompanies the operation of any fan.

The problem can be eliminated by regular defrosting, the duration of which should not be less than 10 hours.

This is guaranteed to allow the structural element to become operational again. If this procedure does not help, then it can be considered out of order.

It is necessary to identify a malfunction at the first sign of it. Since ignoring them will only worsen the situation. For example, this happened with the engine shown in the photo. It overheated due to lack of air for cooling, but the owners did not pay attention to this and as a result the unit burned out

Refrigerator installation location.The user should pay attention to the installation location of his refrigerator.

Its location in direct sunlight, next to any devices that emit heat, or simply next to walls or furniture is considered unsuccessful and it is better for a person to eliminate such a defect.

Because all of the above leads to overheating and other consequences. To avoid this, you need to move the refrigerator at least 10 cm away from any other appliance or wall, and it also needs to be protected from the rays of the sun, especially in summer.

If you ignore all of the above, then even in the absence of any external manifestations, the household appliance will have to withstand a large load, which leads to premature wear of its components.

An unpleasant odor inside the chambers does not indicate a breakdown. The user should be aware of this fact.

This is the result of the vital activity of a large number of bacteria, and an outbreak of their reproduction usually occurs while the refrigerator has been defrosted or simply not used.In this case, you can solve the problem with the help of detergents.

The best ways to get rid of unpleasant odors in the refrigerator can be read in this material.

The photo shows traces of coked oil. This was caused by overheating of the electric motor, which is a common cause of breakdown. And it can often be prevented

When performing any work, the owner of the refrigeration unit must observe safety measures and act on the principle of “do no harm.” That is, if you are not sure, then it is better to invite a specialist, otherwise the situation can worsen.

Category #2 - complex fault variants

If the user has followed the recommendations outlined in the previous paragraph, but has not been able to find out why the refrigerator he is using is not freezing, then he will have to call a technician.

Since the causes of failure are more complex and they are identified and eliminated only with special knowledge, skills and the necessary tools.

Their signs may be:

1. Long pauses in the operation of the electric motor at an insufficiently low temperature.
2. Incorrect operation of the temperature sensor.
3. Electric motor overheating.
4. Freon leak.
5. Abnormal compressor operation.
6. The unit doesn't work at all.
7. Broken heater. This applies only to No Frost units.

Thermal sensor failure. It often happens that a refrigerator, when properly selected, does not freeze food well enough. And the electric motor operates in normal mode, that is, with long pauses.

This situation indicates that the temperature sensor is transmitting incorrect signals to the control system. Sometimes it may happen that the engine starts and stops working after a short time.

Such cases indicate a breakdown of the temperature sensor, which should be replaced and the functionality checked. Any master, and if desired, the user himself, can do this work well.

A frozen fan is a common cause of abnormal refrigerator operation. All that is needed to eliminate the problem is to defrost the unit. Even if it turns out that the fan is burnt out, most men can handle the replacement

Overheating and breakdown of the electric motor. One of the common reasons for poor freezing of food is overheating of the electric motor.

In the described situation, it turns on normally and works for some time, even for a long time, but the cycle duration is still not enough to perform the functions in full.

The reason for the shutdowns is that the protection system forcibly stops the operation of the electric motor, so the required temperature is not maintained.

In this case, the owner needs to check whether there is free air access to the back wall, move the refrigerator itself no less than the required 10 cm from any surface - walls, furniture, other appliances.

If these manipulations do not help, then you will have to call a specialist who will perform diagnostics. But if there are signs of overheating, you must be prepared to replace the electric motor.

And if the refrigerator is no longer new, then replace it, which will be the optimal solution.

The warning light, together with the indicator of the selected mode, can indicate that the operating program has been selected incorrectly by the user. Therefore, you should check whether the button that activates defrosting or quick freezing is turned off

Overheating should not be confused with short operating cycles of the refrigerator.In such cases, the electric motor turns on for a short 10-15 seconds.

After which a stop occurs, while freezing, unlike the previous case, is not performed at all. This feature clearly indicates a serious breakdown of the engine or compressor.

Failure of these same structural elements is indicated by unsuccessful attempts by the control system to turn on the unit. In this case, the owner can hear clicks of varying volumes, beyond which the matter does not move.

In addition, malfunctions of the control module and start-up relay have the same symptoms. In all such situations, repairs are performed by replacing the faulty element.

Refrigerant leak and clogging of the cooling system - a common cause of refrigerator loss of performance. If this happens, then freezing will be performed poorly, and if there is significant damage to the cooling system, it will not be performed at all.

This may be indicated by the formation of ice deposits on the back surface of the refrigerator. In addition, this also happens when the cooling system is clogged, since the plugs do not allow freon to circulate.

Which of the two reasons prevents the refrigeration unit from working fully can only be determined by a called technician.

Modern refrigerators are controlled electronically, so malfunctions often occur. To eliminate such a malfunction, de-energizing helps, the duration of which should be from 15 minutes, and preferably at least several hours. If this does not work, then a master should deal with the consequences.

But it is obvious that the cause of the leak is a violation of the tightness due to wear of the elements of the circuit through which freon circulates, and its mechanical damage.

For example, you can break something while trying to clean the inside surface of the refrigerator or freezer from any dirt or ice.

In most cases, this problem is eliminated by restoring the tightness of the circuit and pumping freon, which in some cases the master can do on the spot.

When a blockage occurs, most often the fault lies with the wrong actions of the owner, who skimped on preventive maintenance or did not even know about its necessity.

A freon leak can be identified by a characteristic hissing sound and the formation of a large amount of foam, which can be found on the back panel of the refrigerator

Control module. When the unit refuses to turn on, this may indicate a faulty control module.

But it is better to start diagnostics by checking the correct connection, the serviceability of the wiring, and the plug. And often the cause of the problem can be oxidized contacts.

A failure of the control module is indicated by a lit red light, and sometimes by a corresponding sound signal. In this case, it is better to turn off the power to the refrigeration unit for a while and then turn it on again.

You can try to reduce the amount of food in the freezer and wait a few hours, as these signals may indicate that the refrigerator has an overwhelming task.

But you still need to understand that in many cases you will have to call a specialist and change the control module.

heating element. All No Frost refrigerators are equipped with thermal heaters, failure of which will lead to freezing of the cooling radiator, followed by freezing of the fan.

Therefore, normal operation is not possible.The cause of the malfunction is always eliminated by replacing the heating elements.

Category #3 - Hopeless types of problems

It is almost always possible to repair any household appliance. Since spare parts for all modern and not so modern models are available in sufficient quantities.

But sometimes common sense indicates that It’s better to buy a new unit than to spend money on expensive repairs.

Freon leaks are caused by breakdowns like the one shown in the photo. Most often this is a consequence of improper operation of the refrigerator by the owner.

For example, this happens if the refrigerator is already 7-10 years old, and repairing the breakdown promises significant expenses. The fact is that the indicated period is the average duration of operation of this type of equipment.

Therefore, the owner does not need to pay a quarter of the cost to replace a broken engine and at the same time wait several weeks for the delivery of the required structural element. Because a new incident may occur next.

Owner's procedure in case of breakdown

Any malfunctions can be caused by violations of operating rules, manufacturing defects, or premature wear of one or more structural elements.

But since they are usually typical and some of them are easily identified, any person can do the same as a master. That is, identify the cause, decide what to do next, and sometimes eliminate the defect.

Therefore, you should not rush to call a specialist or prematurely think about what to do with frozen, perishable products. First of all, you need to try to identify the problem yourself - it’s cheaper and faster.

The list of problems is impressive, but you should start your search with the simplest ones and then move on to more complex ones.

To do this, you need to perform an external inspection of the refrigerator. During this process, you should check whether the doors are closed, whether they provide a tight seal, and whether the seal is in good condition.

The photo shows seemingly minor damage caused by the dishes, but just behind the panel there are tubes through which freon circulates. As a result, one careless movement led to the complete failure of the refrigerator

Next, you need to find out whether the operating mode is selected correctly, for which you use the instructions attached to the unit. You also need to make sure that there are no warning lights or warning lights.

Then check the integrity of the structure, the absence of mechanical damage, the condition of the wiring, plugs, and whether the contacts are oxidized. It is imperative to find out whether there is air access to the engine and measure the distance to the nearest surface.

If frost appears in the No Frost refrigerator, but it cannot freeze food, this means that the heating elements have malfunctioned, and then the fan has frozen

If an external examination does not reveal the cause of poor freezing of food, then the owner should pay attention to the sounds made by the engine and compressor, the duration of the operating cycle, and the absence or presence of vibration.

A freon leak can be identified by characteristic hissing sounds or the presence of a “snow cap” on the rear surface of the unit.

When the cause of the problem is not found, you should turn off the power to your refrigerator for at least 10 hours.

Next, the unit is reconnected to the network, after which, during observation, it is determined whether the signs of abnormal operation have resolved themselves or continue to appear.De-energizing often “treats” a number of problems, including electronics failures and fan freezing.

If, during all of these manipulations, the user has not figured out why the equipment he is using is not freezing or cooling, then only then should he call a technician, who will continue to search for the reasons.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video will help you understand how to identify and repair thermostat failure yourself:

The following material will help you understand how to check the performance of the electric motor, the relay working in tandem with it, as well as the intricacies of adjusting the thermostat:

The latest video describes how to repair damage to the tubes intended for freon circulation:

Modern refrigerators are quite reliable units, but breakdowns still happen from time to time. To reduce their likelihood, the owner must operate the equipment according to the instructions.

And if signs of abnormal operation are nevertheless identified, then you should try to find out the reasons yourself. Since in many cases this will help save money and prevent the inconvenience caused by equipment breakdown.

If you have had to deal with refrigerator repairs, please tell other site visitors what kind of breakdown you had to fix and how you managed to cope with the problem. Write your comments, share your experience, ask questions about the topic of the article - the contact block is located below.