Why Isn’t My Frigidaire Freezer Working? How To Fix?

Everyone hates a broken freezer. Most food must be kept at a specific temperature to remain safe for consumption, and when the appliance breaks, it almost always results in spoiled food and wasted money. If your Frigidaire freezer has suddenly stopped working, there may be quite a few reasons for this. 

Your Frigidaire freezer isn’t working because the evaporator coils have frozen over. The evaporator coils are located at the back of the freezer, and when they collect too much dirt the freezer can shut down. There may also be a problem with the thermostat or condenser fan.

Read on to learn the most common reasons your Frigidaire freezer isn’t working. We’ll also talk about how you can fix it — ideally without professional assistance. Let’s get started with our first reason. 

1. The Evaporator Coils Are Frozen

Most freezers come with an automatic defrosting system. Despite this, they can sometimes have frost build up on them. This is a critical problem and will nearly always result in a warm freezer because the machine can’t perform its job if the coils become overloaded with frost. 

This problem is one of the most common in a freezer. Even when a freezer is working properly, there are times when they’ll become overwhelmed.

The evaporator coils are located deep inside the freezer. They often become overloaded with frost when surrounded by too many items, and the freezer can’t do the job of thawing on its own. 

When this happens, you’ll rapidly notice that the freezer isn’t cooling down as well as it should. This is a sign that you need to thaw the coils. 

While thawing the coils is time-consuming and frustrating, it isn’t difficult, and anyone can perform this. 

One thing to make a note of before moving forward is that evaporator coils are often confused with condenser coils. Condenser coils are located on the bottom or back of the freezer and do not freeze over. However, they can become dirty, which can also cause your freezer problems.

Read: How To Reset Frigidaire Freezer Alarm?

How To Fix?

You’ll need to clean the evaporator coils to fix this problem. Cleaning your coils takes some time, especially if the coils are frozen. In this case, all the ice will need to melt before you can clean it. 

Of course, this creates a problem with food storage. That said, a good option is to purchase a heavy-duty ice chest ahead of time and store your food in this throughout the thawing process. 

An even better (and more cost-effective) suggestion is to store all your food at a neighbor’s house. Ensure you remove your food from the freezer as you thaw the ice. 

Once you’ve emptied the freezer, follow the steps below to clean your evaporator coils:

1. To get your freezer set up to check the evaporator coils, you’ll need to unplug the freezer and remove the cover from the evaporator coil box. Lay down some towels on the floor below the freezer. This will help you collect excess water melting from the appliance, and you may need to change them frequently.
2. Perform a careful inspection of the machine. If ice has covered the coils, you’ll need to let it completely thaw. This may take as little as a few hours or a few days, depending on how much frost has built up. 
3. After all, the ice has melted, clean the coils with a damp cloth. You can then put the back cover on and plug the freezer back in.  

Read: Frigidaire Freezer Beeping Alarm Codes: How To Troubleshoot?

2. The Thermostat Is Broken 

Freezers operate much like central air conditioners. You set the temperature to a specific setting, and the device uses a thermostat to ensure that the machine cools down efficiently. 

Sometimes, however, this thermostat might get damaged. This may be because an item has been pushed against it or an internal component came loose. When this happens, the machine has no idea what the freezer’s temperature should be. As a result, the freezer either becomes too cold or too hot.

On some occasions, this might cause the freezer to completely stop working. This is part of the freezer’s defense mechanism to ensure that it doesn’t endure further damage. 

Read: Why Frigidaire Freezer Is Not Working? How To Fix?

How To Fix?

Fixing a broken thermostat is a little more complicated than defrosting evaporator coils. You’ll need a couple of special instruments to test it yourself. 

Before taking additional steps, ensure that you first test whether the thermostat is actually the problem. There’s a pretty simple way to go about doing this: 

1. You’ll need to turn the thermostat and listen for a clicking sound. The clicking sound indicates that the thermostat is working correctly and switching properly from setting to setting. 
2. If you don’t hear this sound, it’s time to test further. You can either hire a professional for this or handle it yourself. If you choose to handle it yourself, you’ll need a tool called a multimeter. A multimeter measures the electrical charges in various devices, such as outlets, and is a common tool among electricians. 
3. You can test the thermostat with your multimeter by removing the front cover and following your multimeter instructions. Usually, this involves inserting one positive and one negative source into the thermostat to test the charges being produced. 
4. If no signal is identified by the multimeter, you’ll need to replace your thermostat altogether. This job is best done by a professional.

3. The Condenser Fan Motor Is Broken

The condenser fan is another essential part of the condenser system. The fan is the part of the machine that switches on to cycle air through the condenser coils. No air equals no cooling. 

One way to tell whether the condenser fan is on is to listen to your Frigidaire freezer. The fan is likely working fine if it’s “kicking on” every fifteen or twenty minutes. However, if you have a silent fridge, you probably have an issue with the condenser fan. 

Read: Frigidaire Freezer Upright Problems You Need To Know Before Buying

How To Fix?

The condenser fan can be challenging to repair on your own, so we would recommend hiring a professional for this job. However, there are a few tests that you can run to see if the condenser fan is the primary issue. 

Follow the instructions below to identify a broken condenser fan motor:

1. Find the condenser fan at the back of the freezer. The condenser fan helps to pull air from the freezer and should be located around the middle of the back cover.
2. Closely examine the fan. Look for signs of frost buildup or damage and ensure that the fan turns easily without resistance. 
3. Assuming the fan isn’t covered in frost, you can test the fan with a multimeter. This should tell you whether or not the fan is receiving power. 

Read: Frigidaire Freezer Door Seal Problems. Whats The Solution?

Final Thoughts

When a Frigidaire freezer isn’t working properly, it’s most commonly because the evaporator coils have become blocked with ice. Other problems may include a broken condenser fan or a damaged thermostat.

Fixing your evaporator coils is as easy as allowing the machine to thaw. The other two require additional instruments, such as a

multimeter, and may require professional assistance. 

If your freezer is experiencing other problems, check out my other article, which covers some common problems Frigidaire freezers face.