A century and a half ago, in the pre-refrigerator era, many households used an icebox for storing food and drinks. That was a simple non-mechanical device. Refrigerators were introduced into homes in the 1930s, but the history of artificial refrigeration dated back to the 1750s, when the Scottish scientist William Cullen created the first refrigerating machine.
For the following two centuries a lot of scientists, engineers, and amateurs all over the world were trying to invent a commercially successful refrigerating device: Oliver Evans, Michael Faraday, Jacob Perkins, John Gorrie, Alexander Twining, James Harrison, Carl von Linde, Fred W. Wolf, Nathaniel B. Wales among them. Each of them made a contribution to the development of the refrigerator that today can be seen in almost every household.
Frigidaire, Electrolux, General Electric, as well as Postum Company (the predecessor of General Foods) were among the pioneers in this sphere.
Freezers that are used in households can be a part of a fridge or a separate unit. One can find a number of upscale models equipped with not only ice dispensers, but also thermostat displays and flat-screen televisions.
When a freezer gets broken most people book an engineer at once. Do not hurry! It is very likely that the household appliance is just experiencing a minor issue that you can easily resolve on your own. Of course, to do this you need an easy to understand guide on freezers troubleshooting. This is exactly what you will find on this website.
It is not surprising; freezers break down periodically. Different factors can provoke a breakdown: power supply voltage swing, natural obsolescence of parts, a long service life, etc. Some freezers have «weak points» – the parts or the assembly units that break down most often. Summing up all breakdowns and putting them into one picture, our troubleshooting table with faults` codes for Frigidaire freezers is presented below.
| OCCURRENCE | SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| Freezer does not run | • Check to ensure that freezer is not plugged into a circuit that has ground fault interrupt. If you are unsure about the outlet, have it checked by a certified technician. |
| • Temperature control is in the OFF position. | |
| • Freezer may not be plugged in or plug may be loose. Be sure plug is tightly pushed into electrical outlet. | |
| • House fuse has blown or circuit breaker has tripped. Check / reset circuit breaker or replace fuse with 15 amp time delay fuse. | |
| • Power outage. Check house lights. Call local electric company. | |
| Freezer runs too much or too long | • Room or outside weather is too hot. It is normal for the freezer to work harder under these conditions. |
| • Freezer has recently been disconnected for a period of time. Freezer requires 4 hours to cool down completely. | |
| • Large amounts of warm water or hot food have been stored recently. Warm food will cause the freezer to run more until the desired temperature is reached. | |
| • Door is kept open too long or too frequently. Warm air enters the freezer every time the door is opened. Open the door less often. | |
| • Freezer door may be slightly open. | |
| • Temperature control is set too cold. Turn the control knob to a warmer setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. | |
| • Freezer gasket is dirty, worn, cracked, or poorly fitted. Clean or change gasket. Leaks in the door seal will cause freezer to run longer in order to maintain desired temperature. | |
| Temperature inside freezer are too cold | • Temperature control is set too cold. Turn the control to a warmer setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. |
| Temperature Inside freezer are too warm | • Temperature control is set too warm. Turn the control to a colder setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. |
| • Door is kept open too long or too frequently. Warm air enters the freezer every time the door is opened. Open the door less often. | |
| • Freezer door may be slightly open. | |
| • Large amounts of warm water or hot food have been stored recently. Wait until the freezer has had a chance to reach its selected temperature. | |
| • Freezer has recently been disconnected for a period of time. Freezer requires 4 hours to cool down completely. | |
| Temperature of external freezer surface is warm | • The exterior freezer walls can be as much as 30°F warmer than room temperature. This is normal while the compressor works to transfer heat from inside the freezer cabinet. |
| Louder sound levels whenever freezer is ON | • Modern freezers have increased storage capabilities and more even temperatures. They require a high efficiency compressor. When the surrounding noise level is low, you might hear the compressor running while it cools the interior. |
| Louder sound levels when compressor comes ON | • Freezer operates at higher pressures during the start of the ON cycle. This is normal. Sound will level off or disappear as freezer continues to run. |
| Popping or cracking sound when compressor comes ON | • Metal parts undergo expansion and contraction, as in hot water pipes. This is normal. Sound will level off or disappear as freezer continues to run. |
| Bubbling or gurgling sound, like water boiling | • Refrigerant (used to cool freezer) is circulating throughout the system. This is normal. |
| Vibrating or rattling noise | • Freezer is not level. It rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. Level the unit. |
| • Floor is uneven or weak. Freezer rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. Be sure floor can adequately support freezer. Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under part of the freezer. | |
| • Freezer is touching the wall. Level the freezer or move freezer slightly. | |
| Moisture forms on inside freezer walls | • Weather is hot and humid, which increases internal rate of frost buildup. This is normal. |
| • Door is slightly open. | |
| • Door is kept open too long, or is opened too frequently. Open the door less often. | |
| Moisture forms on outside of freezer | • Door is slightly open, causing the cold air from inside the freezer to meet warm moist air from outside. |
| Odor in freezer | • Interior needs to be cleaned. Clean interior with sponge, warm water and baking soda. |
| • Foods with strong odors are in the freezer. Cover the food tightly. | |
| Door will not close | • Freezer is not level. It rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. This condition can force the cabinet out of square and misalign the door. |
| • Floor is uneven or weak. Freezer rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. Be sure floor can adequately support freezer. Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under the freezer or brace the floor supporting the freezer. | |
| Light bulb is not on | • Light bulb is burned out. Follow directions under “Interior Light" in the 'Freezer Features" section. |
| • No electric current is reaching the freezer. |
| Problems | Cause | Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Freezer does not run. | * Freezer is plugged into a circuit that has a ground fault interrupt. | * Use another circuit. If you are unsure about the outlet, have it checked by a certified technician. |
| * Temperature control is in the "OFF" position. | ||
| * Freezer may not be plugged in, or plug may be loose. | * Ensure plug is tightly pushed into outlet. | |
| * House fuse blown or tripped circuit breaker. | * Check/replace fuse with a 15 amp time delay fuse. Reset circuit breaker. | |
| * Power outage | * Check house lights. Call local Electric Company. | |
| Freezer runs too much or too long. | * Room or outside weather is hot. | * It’s normal for the freezer to work harder under these conditions. |
| * Freezer has recently been disconnected for a period of time. | * It takes 24 hours for the freezer to cool down completely. | |
| * Large amount of warm or hot food have been stored recently. | * Warm food will cause freezer to run more until the desired temperature is reached. | |
| * Door/lid is opened too frequently or kept open too long. | * Warm air entering the freezer causes it to run more. Open the door/lid less often. | |
| * Freezer door/lid may be slightly open. | ||
| * Temperature control is set too low. | * Turn control knob to a warmer setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. | |
| * Freezer gaskets are dirty, worn, cracked or poorly fitted. | * Clean or change gasket. Leaks in the door/lid seal willcause freezer to run longer in order to maintain desired temperature. | |
| Interior freezer temperature is too cold. | * Temperature control is set too low. | * Turn control knob to a warmer setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. |
| Interior freezer temperature is too warm. | * Temperature control is set too warm. | * Turn control knob to a colder setting. Allow several hours for the temperature to stabilize. |
| * Door/lid is opened too frequently or kept open too long. | * Warm air entering the freezer causes it to run more. Open the door/lid less often. | |
| * Freezer door/lid may be slightly open. | ||
| * Large amount of warm or hot food have been stored recently. | * Wait until the freezer has had a chance to reach its selected temperature. | |
| * Freezer has recently been disconnected for a period of time. | * Freezer requires 24 hours to cool down completely. | |
| Freezer external surface temperature is warm. | * The external freezer walls can be as much as 30°F warmer than room temperature. | * This is normal while the compressor works to transfer heat from inside the freezer cabinet. |
| Louder sound levels whenever freezer is on. | * Modern freezers have increased storage capacity and more stable temperatures. They require high efficiency compressors. | * This is normal. When the surrounding noise level is low. you might hear the compressor running while it cools the interior. |
| Louder sound levels when compressor comes on. | * Freezer operates at higher pressures during the start of the ON cycle. | * This is normal. Sound will level off or disappear as freezer continues to run. |
| Popping or cracking sound when compressor comes on. | * Metal parts undergo expansion and contraction, as in hot water pipes. | * This is normal. Sound will level off or disappear as freezer continues to run. |
| Bubbling or gurgling sound, | * Refrigerant (used to cool freezer) is circulating throughout the system. | * This is normal. |
| Vibrating or rattling noise. | * Freezer is not level. It rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. | * Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under part of the freezer. |
| * Floor is uneven or weak. | * Ensure floor can adequately support freezer. Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under part of the freezer. | |
| * Freezer is touching the wall. | * Re-level freezer or move freezer slightly. | |
| Moisture forms on inside freezer walls. | * Weather is hot and humid, which increases internal rate of frost buildup. | * This is normal. |
| * Door/lid is slightly open. | ||
| * Door/lid is kept open too long or is opened too frequently. | * Open the door/lid less often. | |
| Moisture forms on outside freezer walls. | * Door/lid is slightly open. | |
| Odors in freezer. | * Interior needs to be cleaned. | * Clean interior with sponge, warm water, and baking soda. |
| * Foods with strong odors are in the freezer. | * Cover the food tightly. | |
| Door/lid will not dose. | * Freezer is not level. It rocks on the floor when it is moved slightly. | * Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under part of the freezer. |
| * Floor is uneven or weak. | * Ensure floor can adequately support freezer. Level the freezer by putting wood or metal shims under part of the freezer. | |
| Light bulb is not on. | * The fluorescent lamp or light bulb is burned out. | |
| * No electric current is reaching the appliance. |