Fridge problems
Ice Build Up in Your Fridge or Freezer
A little frost on a manual defrost freezer is normal. A thick coat that returns within a week, a sheet of ice on the back wall of a frost free fridge, or ice around the door are not. They mean humid air is getting in or the defrost system has stopped doing its job. Harare Fridge Repairs finds which and fixes it at your home so the ice stays gone.
- Frost free fridges: defrost heaters, timers, bimetals and sensors
- Manual defrost freezers: lid and door gaskets, hinges and alignment
- Frozen drains and ice sheets in freezer drawers
- Ice cleared properly, never chipped
- Fridges and freezers only, nothing else
- Mobile across Harare, no need to transport the unit
- Open 24 hours, 7 days a week
- Price agreed before any work starts
Why is ice building up in my fridge or freezer?
Ice forms when moisture in the air meets a surface below freezing. In a manual defrost freezer that is expected and the frost is cleared every few months. When it builds much faster than that, warm humid air is leaking in through a gasket that has hardened or torn, a lid that no longer sits flat, a door that is out of alignment, or a door left ajar by packed stock. Harare's rainy season humidity makes this worse.
In a frost free fridge or freezer there should be no visible ice at all, because a heater melts the frost off the evaporator several times a day. When the defrost heater, the defrost timer, the bimetal thermostat or the defrost sensor fails, the frost is never cleared. It grows into a block behind the back panel, the fan loses its air path and the fridge section warms. Owners often notice the fan noise or the warm fridge before they see the ice.
Clearing the ice is not the repair. The repair is replacing the failed defrost part or the gasket. We clear the ice properly, using time and warmth rather than tools, test every defrost component, and replace the one that has failed.
Common causes of a ice build up
These are the faults behind this symptom, roughly in the order we find them in Harare.
- 1
Defrost heater failed
The heater element under the evaporator is open circuit, so frost is never melted on a frost free fridge.
- 2
Defrost timer, bimetal or sensor failed
The heater is fine but never gets switched on because the timer, bimetal thermostat or sensor controlling it has failed.
- 3
Door or lid gasket not sealing
Humid air leaks in continuously. Frost is heaviest near the leak, often one corner or along the hinge side.
- 4
Door out of alignment or left ajar
A sagging hinge, an overloaded door shelf or stock pushing the door open lets air in all day.
- 5
Frozen drain
A failed drain heater or a blocked drain on a freezer leaves melt water to refreeze as a sheet in the bottom drawer.
- 6
Fridge in a humid or hot location
A freezer in a damp outbuilding or a fridge next to a stove frosts faster than one in a dry kitchen.
Quick checks before you call
None of these need tools, and the answers help us arrive with the right parts.
- Is the ice thickest at one corner or edge of the door, which points to a gasket leak there?
- On a frost free fridge, is the back wall of the freezer section covered in a sheet of ice?
- Does a strip of paper closed in the door pull out easily anywhere around the gasket?
- Does the door swing shut on its own when opened a few centimetres?
- Is the ice coming back within days of a full defrost?
Please do not
Things that make it worse
Never chip ice with a knife, screwdriver or ice pick; the evaporator tubing is directly underneath.
Do not use a hair dryer close to plastic panels or leave a heater running inside the cabinet.
Do not keep defrosting a frost free fridge every month; it has a failed part that needs replacing.
How we fix it
The services that deal with this problem, each explained on its own page.
FAQ
Ice build up: your questions answered
Why does ice keep building up in my frost free fridge?+
The defrost system has failed. The heater, timer, bimetal or sensor is no longer clearing the frost, so it grows into a block. We test each part and replace the one at fault, then clear the ice properly.
Why does my chest freezer frost up so fast?+
Humid air is getting in past the lid gasket or because the lid is not sitting flat. A new gasket or a hinge adjustment usually solves it.
Can I defrost the fridge myself before you come?+
Yes, switch it off, leave the door open and let the ice melt naturally with towels on the floor. Do not chip at it. The technician will still need to find and replace the failed part.
Ice build up? We can be there today.
Call 0782 886 252 or WhatsApp a photo of the fault with your suburb. Harare Fridge Repairs attends homes and businesses across Harare, 24 hours a day.