Defrost system problems, dirty condenser coils, fan failures, leaky door gaskets or control problems can lead to your freezer not getting cold enough. Although you may see the cooling problem start in the freezer, you’ll typically soon find the refrigerator and freezer not cool enough. You’ll want to fix the problem quickly to avoid food spoilage.

How to prevent air leaks that keep your freezer from getting cold enough

If your freezer is too warm to keep the ice cream firmly frozen and you see lots of frost inside the entire freezer compartment, then warm, moist air may be leaking into the refrigerator.

• Check all door gaskets for damage and replace any damaged door gaskets.

• If the gaskets are in good shape but a door sags on its hinges and creates gaps between the door gasket and the cabinet around the door openings, adjust the refrigerator door hinges so the gaskets seal properly to the cabinet around the door openings.

• If you see frost buildup only on the back freezer compartment wall, then the automatic defrost system may have failed. When working properly, the defrost system melts frost off the evaporator coils every 8 hours or so to keep the air paths through the evaporator clear so the freezer and refrigerator compartments cool properly. If the automatic defrost system breaks, frost builds up on the evaporator and back freezer compartment wall. The frost buildup blocks cooling air paths through the evaporator so the freezer doesn’t cool well.Our video troubleshooting defrost system problems in refrigerators will help you diagnose and repair the defrost system in a common top-freezer refrigerator. You can also use the basic steps in the video to troubleshoot defrost system problems in side-by-sides and bottom-freezer refrigerators. If the defrost system in your refrigerator isn’t working, you may need to replace the defrost sensor, defrost heater or other defrost components depending on the type of defrost system that your refrigerator uses.

How to fix other problems that prevent your freezer from getting cold enough

If you notice that the evaporator fan isn’t running when you check for cooling inside the freezer compartment, our video troubleshooting evaporator fan problems in refrigerators can help you figure out why the evaporator fan isn’t working. Replace the evaporator fan if it’s bad.

Dirty condenser coils can cause cooling problems in the freezer. Unplug the refrigerator and check the condenser coils for dust and dirt buildup. Clean the condenser coils if they’re dirty. Continue to clean the coils when you perform routine refrigerator maintenance.

Check to see if the condenser fan works when you see the freezer not getting cold enough. The condenser won’t cool refrigerant efficiently if the condenser fan doesn’t run. Replace the condenser fan if it doesn’t run when activated.

Faulty temperature sensors or controls can also prevent the freezer from cooling well. Our video troubleshooting thermistor problems in refrigerators provides advice on diagnosing and fixing temperature control problems in a common top-freezer refrigerator. Follow the guidelines in the video to check temperature sensors and controls in your refrigerator and replace any failed parts. If you have different type of refrigerator than the one shown in the video, follow the basic troubleshooting principles shown in the video to diagnose and repair the control system and temperature sensors in your refrigerator.