Why does refrigerator freeze

If yoghurts, vegetables or other types of food are placed in contact with this panel, they may freeze due to capillary action. We recommend taking care to ensure that no foods are placed in contact with the fridge's rear panel.

If your refrigerator is filled with too much food, the cold air will not be able to circulate properly and will become concentrated in particular areas inside the appliance, which may cause some of the items to freeze. To ensure the circulating cold air is distributed evenly throughout your fridge, we recommend not overfilling it. If your fridge's thermostat is set too low, this could cause your food to freeze.

To test if this is the case, we recommend increasing the thermostat setting to raise the temperature. Adjust the thermostat as required based on the results you get. If your fridge is too cold, check that the thermostat is not set too high. If it's already at the lowest setting, it's probably damaged, which means the appliance could be cooling non-stop, causing your food to freeze. Live Chat Click to say hi. Schedule Online. Text Call Text Us. Schedule Service. Customer Reviews.

Track your Technician. Sometimes, the issue can be as simple as user error or neglect, like accidental setting changes or lack of maintenance. A frozen refrigerator may also indicate that a minor component i. Closely monitoring your fridge and refrigerator temperature is the easiest way to ensure proper functioning in the future. New refrigerators have a display that shows the temperature. Users working with an older model should invest in a small fridge thermometer. If you or a family member accidentally changed the temperature once, it can happen again, so keep track of any changes.

In short, refrigerators continually evaporate refrigerant to keep your food cold. Anything that inhibits or exacerbates this process freezes the fridge. A common culprit is user error or neglect, such as accidentally changing the temperature settings or letting dust gather on the back coils.

However, a frozen refrigerator may indicate you need to make adjustments or replace appliance parts. The best defense against these issues is regular maintenance and temperature checks. Pros And Cons Of Each. American Home Shield provides warranty coverage for your essential home appliances and systems. Compare all plans. How Does a Refrigerator Work If you do not know how a refrigerator works, anything we tell you will get lost in translation.

What Is Refrigerant? Parts Compressor: The compressor is the component of your refrigerator that makes everything happen. It circulates refrigerant throughout the system and compresses the gas for practical storage. Since compressors generate heat from doing their job, they run hot. Condenser: Have you ever noticed the long coil running along the back of the refrigerator?

In order to ensure the proper temperature, you need to allow room for proper air flow between the freezer and refrigerator compartments. If food is blocking these air vents, it will be exposed to more cold air and may freeze over time. You may also need to put more food in your refrigerator: A fully stocked fridge does a better job at absorbing cold air.

The seals around your refrigerator and freezer doors help keep cold air in. If one or both of these seals are leaking, your refrigerator will work harder to maintain a constant temperature.

If food is freezing in your refrigerator, there are steps you can take to try to solve the problem. If your refrigerator is too cold, locate the temperature gage and adjust it accordingly. Not sure which temperature is correct? You can also try to distribute food more evenly throughout the refrigerator or add more foods to your fridge. To learn more about how to store food in your refrigerator, check out our guide. If they are torn, warped or worn, replace them immediately.

If your refrigerator needs to be replaced, we can help—our guide can help you discover the right refrigerator for your kitchen. Looking to improve your kitchen in other ways? Check out our upright freezers and chest freezers today. What causes freezer burn? The answer is fairly simple — when food is exposed to cold, dry air, the outer layers lose moisture.