Why Is My Freezer Frosting Up? How to Fix [SOLVED] – ErrorFixIt

Is your Freezer Frosting Up? Then you have arrived at the right place. Here we have given steps on how to troubleshoot and fix the issue. If your refrigerator has ice buildup in freezer, then there are some DIY fixes you can do to fix the problem.

How to Fix Freezer Frosting Up Issue?

Freezers help us in making ice, but sometimes if some parts malfunction then there will be ice buildup in freezer. This excess ice not only takes up space, but it can also clog ventilation fans, decrease the efficiency of the refrigerator and may in some cases even damage the fridge. Check also the refrigerator temperature settings and see if its in the correct temperature or not. But don’t worry, here are some of the steps you can do to troubleshoot and solve the problem.

Fix#1: Faulty or Broken Door Lid or Gasket

If your freezer is Frosting Up, then it can be due to a broken or faulty door lid or gasket. The main function of the gasket is to provide an airtight seal and keep the cold air inside the freezer. Overtime the gasket can get damaged or become faulty. If this happens, then the moist warm air can enter the freezer, which will result in the frost build up inside the freezer. You can do the test below to check if the gasket is working or not.

1. Take a thin piece of paper.
2. Place the paper between the fridge door frame and the gasket.
3. Now try to pull out the paper.
4. If you observe that the paper is coming out easily then Gasket seal is faulty and needs to be repaired or replaced.

If you observe that the frost is forming in one specific area, then there might be a leak in the gasket in that particular area. If you see any cracks or signs of damage, then replace the gasket.

Fix#2: Faulty Defrost Thermostat

The man function of defrost thermostat is to control the cooling system which includes evaporator, compressor and the condenser. If you observe that the frost is building up around the evaporator, then it might be due to the faulty Defrost Thermostat.

Normally in a frost-free freezer, thermostat job is supply the power to the fridge heater, and when the defrost cycle is completed, it will cut off the power. if it fails then you can get the freezer frosting up issue. So, to test whether thermostat is working or not, do the following steps:

1. First check that all the lights are working, open the fridge and if the lights are on, then move on to the next step.
2. Check the power indicator and make sure that thermostat is turned on.
3. Carefully try to listen to the sound of the freezer to make sure it’s working.
4. Take a multi-meter.
5.  Use it to test the continuity test at freezing temperature and at cold temperature (approx 2-3 degrees Celsius).
6. It should pass the continuity test at freezing temperature and should have an open circuit at cold temperature.

If there is no continuity in the thermostat, then it will not be able to send power to heater and hence frost will build up. Replace the faulty parts.

Fix#3: Faulty Defrost Timer

If you are noticing the build up of frost in the freezer, then it can be due to the faulty defrost time. In most frost-free freezers, a defrost heater will be there, which mainly helps in melting the excess frost before it starts to build up. The defrost timer sends signals to the heater so that it can work on at regular intervals and keep the freezer frost free.

If due to some issue, the defrost timer becomes faulty, then the heater will not know when to run and hence will not run as required and may work continuously due to it. One thing you can do is to manually start the defrost timer which will begin the defrost cycle and will remove the defrost. If you see that the defrost timer is faulty then replace it.

Fix#4: Faulty Defrost Heater

The main function of the defrost heater as already stated above is to melt the ice and make the freezer frost free. You can find the heater below the evaporator. if you are facing the issue of freezer frosting up, then it might be due to the faulty heater. In that case, do the following steps:

1. Remove the evaporator cover panel.
2. Find the heater, it will look like wire filament which is covered by glass or aluminium tube.
3. Now take a multi-meter.
4. Test the defrost heater with multi-meter, You should get a reading between 200-400 ohms. If it is out of this range then you need to replace the heater.

Hopefully now the problem will be solved.

We hope that now your refrigerator is working correctly. Please comment with your comments or suggestions and we will be happy to answer. Please keep visiting ErrorFixIt for more DIY solution.