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REFRIGERATION

Troubleshooting

Fridge too cold or freezing food

Freezing in a refrigerator damages food quality as surely as warmth damages safety. Salad leaves turn to mush, eggs crack, dairy separates and some sauces split. Often only one spot freezes, usually right in front of the cold-air outlet, while the rest of the cabinet is fine. If everything is freezing, the setpoint or the control system is at fault. Find out which before you change anything, because turning the setpoint warmer to fix a single cold spot can leave the rest of the cabinet above 5 °C.

First, check these

  1. Place thermometers in glasses of water on the top, middle and bottom shelves and near the fan outlet. Read them after an hour to see if freezing is local or general.
  2. Check the setpoint on the controller. Many refrigerators hold food well at around +3 to +4 °C; anything below about +1 °C invites freezing.
  3. Look for food stacked directly against the evaporator cover or in front of the air outlet.
  4. Check whether the compressor ever stops. If it runs continuously while the cabinet is already below setpoint, the control is not switching it off.

Likely causes

  1. 1. Setpoint too low

    You can check this

    Signs: All shelves are near or below 0 °C; setpoint has been changed recently.

    Fix: Restore a setpoint that keeps food at or below 5 °C without freezing, commonly +3 to +4 °C. Lock or password-protect the controller if staff keep changing it.

  2. 2. Food placed in front of the cold-air outlet

    You can check this

    Signs: Only items near the fan or the back wall freeze; the rest of the cabinet is normal.

    Fix: Keep a gap in front of the evaporator outlet and along the back wall. Store robust items such as raw meat or drinks nearest the outlet and delicate produce away from it.

  3. 3. Temperature sensor dislodged or misplaced

    Technician job

    Signs: Display reads warmer than your thermometer; sensor clip has fallen out of position or the probe is buried in a warm spot.

    Fix: Check whether the probe sits where the manual shows. If it is loose or damaged, a technician should refit or replace it.

  4. 4. Controller fault or wrong parameters

    Technician job

    Signs: Compressor runs constantly or the cut-out temperature does not match the setpoint, parameters changed after a service or power surge.

    Fix: A technician should check the controller parameters, sensor readings and output. Do not change hidden parameters yourself without the manual.

  5. 5. Stuck relay or contactor

    Technician job

    Signs: Compressor keeps running even when the controller shows it off or the display is blank.

    Fix: Isolate power and call a technician. A welded relay contact will freeze everything and overwork the compressor.

  6. 6. Food touching a cold back wall (static-cooled units)

    You can check this

    Signs: Unit has no internal fan and a plain cold plate or frosty back wall; packs that touch it freeze and stick, the rest is fine.

    Fix: Keep stock a few centimetres off the back wall, use the shelf stops if fitted, and do not lean bags or trays against it. This also lets the wall defrost and drain properly.

When to call a technician

If correcting the setpoint and rearranging stock does not solve it within a few hours, or the compressor never cycles off, call a technician. Note the setpoint, the display reading and your thermometer readings by shelf. Until the visit, keep frost-sensitive food on the warmer shelves and check it frequently.

Isolate power before removing any internal cover to reach a sensor. Relays, contactors and controllers sit at mains voltage, and hydrocarbon refrigerant systems (R290 or R600a) must only be opened by a trained technician.

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