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Not Cooling

When the freezer section of a combined fridge-freezer freezes solid—developing excessive ice buildup around the internal cooling fins—it directly starves the fresh food (fridge) compartment of cold air.

Here is step-by-step how a frozen freezer prevents your fridge from cooling:

1. The Single Cooling Source System

In most standard refrigerators, there is only one set of cooling coils (the evaporator), and it is located entirely inside the freezer compartment. The main fridge section does not generate its own cold temperature; instead, it relies entirely on borrowing cold air pulled from the freezer.

2. The Air Vents Get Blocked with Ice

A small electric fan (the evaporator fan) behind the freezer wall pushes cold air through narrow air ducts into the fridge compartment.

  • When frost and ice build up excessively inside the freezer walls, it migrates into these air passages.

  • The ice completely blocks the supply vent or the return air duct, cutting off the airflow into the fridge.

3. Thermal Insulation Over the Cooling Coils

If the evaporator coils themselves freeze into a solid block of ice, the ice acts as a thick layer of insulation.

  • The refrigerant inside the coils cannot absorb heat from the surrounding air because the ice barrier is in the way.

  • Even if the fan is spinning, it ends up blowing warmer air because the coils can no longer chill the air moving across them.

4. The Thermostat Trap

As the fresh food compartment warms up due to blocked airflow, the fridge's temperature sensor tells the compressor to run continuously to try to drop the temperature.

  • Because the compressor runs non-stop, the freezer gets progressively colder and builds more ice, worsening the blockage.

  • Meanwhile, the fridge section grows warmer, eventually reaching room temperature.

How to Fix It

  • Manual Defrost: Turn off the appliance, open both doors, and allow it to sit completely unplugged for 24 to 48 hours to melt all ice buried inside the internal air ducts.

  • Clear Air Circulation: Once restarted, ensure food packages inside the freezer are not placed directly against the back wall or blocking the air vents.