Freezers
The following information should help you repair your Freezer. The information applies to appliance repair for most makes and models including: Admiral, Amana, Bosch, Crosley, Electrolux, Estate, Frigidaire, Gaggenau, General Electric, Gibson, Haier, Hotpoint, JC Penney, Jenn Air, Kelvinator, Kenmore, Kitchen Aid, Magic Chef, Maytag, Montgomery Ward, Norge, RCA, Roper, Sears, Tappan, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, White-Westinghouse and more.
How do Freezers work?
The way that a freezer works is very simple and most freezers operate in a similar fashion. They take warm air and make it cooler by transferring the heat using evaporation principles. All freezers have these components: a compressor, condenser, evaporator, capillary tube, and a thermostat. Freezers with an automatic defrost cycle have small heaters in strategic places to defrost ice buildup and a timer to control the defrost cycle.
The compressor runs any time the thermostat sends electricity to it and turns it on. If the freezer has an automatic defrost cycle, the compressor will not run during it. The compressor compresses a refrigerant gas that is low-pressure, and by the act of compression, it makes it a hot, high-pressure gas. The hot gas flows through a set of condenser coils where it dissipates its heat, and condenses into a liquid.
The condenser coil is a system of bent tubes that run through thin pieces of metal. These thin pieces of metal are sometimes referred to as fins. These fins resemble a radiator that you would see in a car. The high-pressure gas from the compressor flows into the condenser coils and changes state to become a liquid. As this change takes place, the tubes radiate heat from the refrigerant gas. This heat is conducted away from the coils by the fins attached to the tubes. The capillary tube connects the condenser to the evaporator coils, and it controls the pressure of the refrigerant as it enters the coils.
As the refrigerant passes through the exit of the capillary tube, the liquid refrigerant expands, boils, and evaporates into the evaporator coils, where it becomes a cold, low-pressure gas. This cold gas flows through the evaporator coils, which allows the gas to absorb heat, and by absorbing that heat; it cools down the air flowing past the coils. The fan inside the freezer’s compartment circulates the air to keep the temperature uniform and constant. Because the evaporator coils are so cold, they cause any humidity in the air to freeze onto the evaporator coils as ice or frost. The refrigerant is then sucked back into the compressor where the process is repeated. A thermostat controls the process, helping to keep frozen foods at the desired temperature to maintain freshness.
All freezers have a thermostat. A thermostat is usually a very simple device. When the freezer air reaches the desired temperature, the thermostat cuts the electricity to the compressor. When the temperature rises again, the thermostat restores power to the compressor, beginning the cycle again.
The automatic defrost system has three major components; these three are the defrost heater, thermostat, and timer. The defrost heater has an electric heating element, and is found just beneath the evaporator coils. This heater element gets hot, and due to its proximity to the coils, any ice or frost build-up usually melts pretty fast.
Most defrost timers, approximately every 6 to 12 hours, turn off the cooling system, and turn on the defrost heater. As the ice melts, it drips through a drain hole, through a tube, and into an evaporation pan where it evaporates with the help of a fan that blows warm compressor air over it to improve evaporation.
When the timer says time is up, or when the defrost thermostat near the evaporator coils senses that the heat near the coils has reached a specific temperature, the timer triggers the compressor to begin the cycle again.
Common Questions about Freezers (FAQs)
Here are some common questions about Freezers
Important! Always unplug or disconnect your appliance from its power source before attempting any repairs.- Why doesn't the Freezer work at all?
- Why doesn’t my Freezer freeze?
- How do I clean my Freezer's condenser and evaporator coils?
- How often should I clean the coils?
- What’s the best way to clean my Freezer?
- Why is there a lot of frost built up inside the Freezer?
- Why does the Freezer keep running?
- Why is the Freezer leaking?
- Do I need to leave a space behind my Freezer?
- Why is it noisy near the bottom of the Freezer?
- Why is it noisy inside the Freezer?
- Why is it noisy in back of the Freezer?
- Why do my frozen foods taste funny?
- Why does my ice taste bad?
- Why do my frozen meats look burned?
- How cold does my Freezer need to be?
- Can I keep my kids out of the Freezer?
- How often should I defrost my manual defrost Freezer?
- Can I pack my Freezer too full?
- Why do I feel cold air when I stand next to my Freezer?
- What can I do to preserve my food during a power interruption?
- Why won't the Freezer door close properly?
- Why does the Freezer rock back and forth when I open or close the door?
- Why does my Freezer door pop open when I close the Refrigerator door?
- How do I repair scratches on my Freezer?
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