4 Reasons Your Refrigerator Is Freezing Food
It's annoying when you pull something out of your refrigerator and it's frozen. Some foods might even be ruined once they freeze, so it's important to make sure the temperature is just right in your refrigerator.
A refrigerator that freezes food might have a simple problem that you can fix yourself, but you might need to call a refrigerator repair technician to track down the problem and replace a broken part. Here are four things that could cause your refrigerator to start freezing food.
1. The Thermostat Is Malfunctioning
Check the thermostat in your refrigerator first. The knob might have been bumped accidentally and changed the temperature setting. Adjust the setting, if necessary, to see if that fixes the problem. However, the thermostat might be broken, and if so, it may cause the refrigerator to get too cold.
Try turning the refrigerator all the way to the warmest setting and listening for it to click off. If you don't hear a click, a refrigerator repair technician may need to put in a new thermostat. They can verify that the part is bad by checking it with a multimeter.
2. The Door Gasket Is Leaking
The rubber gasket around your refrigerator door might be leaking. Try cleaning the gasket first and looking for damaged areas. If the door seal leaks, the refrigerator may need to run continuously to compensate. This can cause the temperature inside the refrigerator to get too cold in certain areas and make food freeze.
You might be able to change the door gasket yourself. Be sure to buy the right replacement part and consult your manual or watch videos for instructions. If it seems too complicated, call a refrigerator repair technician to replace the gasket so the strain of excessive running is relieved from your appliance.
3. The Thermistor Is Bad
Your refrigerator should have at least two thermistors, with one in the freezer and one in the refrigerator. The refrigerator thermistor monitors the temperature in the refrigerator and sends it to the refrigerator control board. The reading tells the control board when to trigger the compressor to turn on and cool down the refrigeration compartment. If the thermistor is faulty, it can cause your refrigerator to run too long and freeze your food.
An appliance repair technician can check the thermistor with a multimeter to identify the source of the problem. If the thermistor is not working properly, it needs to be replaced.
4. The Damper Is Malfunctioning
The damper in your refrigerator looks like a small vent mounted on the inside wall. This vent connects to the freezer, and it allows cold air from the freezer to enter the refrigerator to help maintain the proper temperature. If the damper malfunctions, it might let too much cold air come through, and that could cause food near the damper to freeze.
Refrigerators are made in different ways, and it may be difficult to take the damper out if the motor and other parts have to be disconnected in the freezer first. Call a refrigerator repair technician to test the damper and replace it if it's malfunctioning.
Contact a refrigerator repair company for more information.
Share