Freezer repair · Tulsa, OK
A chest or upright freezer full of food that’s going soft. Here’s what to check right now, and what usually causes it.
Before you call
Keep the lid shut while you sort it out. Every opening lets the cold out, and a full freezer holds its cold far longer than a half-empty one.
What usually causes it
Warm air sneaking past a worn or torn gasket makes the freezer run nonstop and frost up near the opening. On an upright, a door sagging on its hinges does the same.
Colby checks the seal and the hinges, and replaces the gasket if it won’t seal.
Many chest freezers have their condenser built into the outer walls, which is why the sides feel warm. Pushed against a wall, boxed in or sitting in a hot garage, a freezer can’t shed heat fast enough.
He checks the airflow, cleans the coils on models that have them, and tests the fan where there is one.
The control turns the compressor on when the freezer warms up. When it fails, the compressor stops coming on, or runs too seldom to keep up.
He tests the control against the freezer’s real temperature and replaces it if it’s off.
A click from the compressor, a hum, then nothing, over and over, means it’s trying to start and can’t. The start relay is the usual cause; sometimes the compressor itself is worn out.
He tests the relay and the overload first, then the compressor.
Upright freezers that never need defrosting have a fan and a defrost heater behind a panel inside. When the defrost fails, ice blocks the coil and the cold fades.
He tests the heater, the defrost thermostat and the control, and replaces the part that failed.
Questions
AMany can, but check the manual for the room temperatures yours is built for. A hot garage makes any freezer work harder, and some models struggle when the garage gets very cold, too.
AA seal, a control or a start relay usually is. A refrigerant leak often isn’t, because the tubing runs inside the walls. Colby will tell you which you’re dealing with before you spend anything.
AYes. There’s a diagnostic fee for the visit, and if you have Colby do the repair, the diagnostic fee is waived.
AMost appointments are within 48 hours, many within 24, and often the same day. Call or text and Colby will give you the soonest time he has.
Rather type it out?
Tell us what's wrong and how to reach you. Colby will call or text you back.
