- Home
- ›
- Refrigerator Repair
- ›
- Refrigerator problem
Frost Building Up in Your Freezer? Don't Just Chip It Out.
Frost build-up isn't normal — your freezer has a defrost cycle specifically to prevent it. When you see frost on the back wall or food getting freezer-burned, the defrost system has failed and the fridge will follow within weeks.
What's actually wrong
Most common. The heater coil that melts frost during defrost cycles has failed — open circuit. Quick test with a multimeter.
The bi-metal thermostat that triggers the defrost cycle can fail in the open or closed position. Either way, no defrost happens.
On older units, a mechanical timer; on newer units, the main control. Either can fail to call for the defrost cycle.
Humid air constantly entering the freezer accelerates frost build-up. Check the gasket before assuming it's the defrost system.
Quick checks you can do
- Open the freezer and look at the back wall. Frost only on the back panel = defrost system. Frost on food and walls = door seal issue.
- Manually defrost the unit (unplug for 24 hours with doors open) and see how long it takes for frost to return. Days = defrost issue. Hours = door seal issue.
- Press the door gasket and look for gaps. A dollar bill should be hard to pull through when the door is closed.
Defrost system parts are inexpensive (~$30-60) but diagnosis matters — replacing the wrong part doesn't fix anything. We carry common defrost heaters, thermostats, and timers on the truck.
Call (631) 316-1756