Today, frost-free refrigerator-freezers are one of those kitchen appliances most people take for granted. However, this wasn't always the case. Once upon a time, freezers had to be manually defrosted on a regular basis to remove the frost that continually built up inside of them.
The Cause of Frost Inside of Freezers
The frost buildup in a freezer is caused by moist outside air being introduced into the freezer each time the door is opened. As the moisture in the air freezes, it creates frost buildup inside of the freezer compartment.
Since defrosting a freezer is time-consuming and a logistical problem when a freezer is connected to a refrigeration compartment, frost-free freezers were invented to automate the process. Technically, frost-free freezers do still accumulate some frost, but as soon as it starts to build up, the freezer's automatic defrost system turns on and melts it away.
The Automatic Defrost Cycle and Its Parts
Since it isn't convenient or enjoyable to manually defrost your kitchen's freezer every few weeks, the freezer does it by itself utilizing three simple parts:
The bi-metal sensor has two metal plates that freeze together when the freezer is cold and doesn't have a lot of frost. The plates come apart when the temperature of the freezer rises. When the sensor opens, then electricity flows to the electronic control board that in turn makes the heating element start the defrost cycle.
When Frost Isn't Being Removed
If your freezer compartment has ice inside of it, then one of the three components listed above has failed. Each part can easily be replaced by a refrigerator repair technician and none of them are very expensive.
Warm Refrigerators are Caused by Frozen-Shut Diffusers
Sometimes modern freezers accumulate ice near the duct opening between the freezer and refrigerator. The opening has a flap known as a diffuser and if too much ice builds up in the duct then the diffusor will freeze in place.
A frozen diffusor will lead to a warm refrigerator you may believe has failed and needs to be replaced. However, this problem has a simple solution - unplug the refrigerator and let the cooling duct defrost. Once the ice defrosts, then the diffuser will open again and let the cold air flow between the freezer and the refrigerator.
If You Aren't Able to Fix Your Frost-Free Refrigerator
If you are unable to fix your frost-free refrigerator by unplugging it and giving it a good manual defrost, then it always makes sense to have it looked at by a refrigerator repair technician before you head out to purchase a new appliance. Many times they can be fixed and work well for many more years to come.
Share26 September 2018
After I purchased my first home, I realized that there were a few issues with my kitchen appliances. It just seemed like nothing worked like it should, and it was really frustrating. To ward off problems in the future, I started looking around for an appliances repair services business that could help. I was able to find a great company that came out, evaluated our equipment, and made the necessary changes. This blog is all about the different things to look for if your appliances start to fail. You never know, you might be able to ward off some serious expenses in the future.