Why Is Fridge Freezing Up At The Back? – DIY Appliance Repairs, Home Repair Tips and Tricks

Manufacturers design fridges to create chilly environments the place you possibly can retailer meals safely. Still, your fridge shouldn’t be alleged to freeze up and accumulate ice on the again panel of its compartments. So why would that occur? 

When you discover that your fridge is freezing up the again, it’s possible there’s an air leak across the door letting heat air enter the fridge. The similar downside can even occur if water freezes within the defrost drain and clogs it. Lastly, the freezing might occur as a result of the defrost system has failed, such because the defrost thermostat or defrost heater.

In this information, you’ll be taught the explanations your fridge is freezing up on the again and what you are able to do about it.

Why Has My Fridge Got Ice At The Back?

The first concern to think about when there’s ice in the back of your fridge is that there is perhaps an air leak. The similar downside will even occur if any a part of the defrost system (just like the drain, thermostat, or heater) is experiencing a fault.

This part will dive deeper into every risk and present you methods to repair it.

Read: Does Fridge Need To Be Level And Why?

Air Leak

What’s taking place: The again of your fridge shouldn’t freeze up. But when that occurs, don’t begin the troubleshooting course of by assuming {that a} defective part is inflicting the issue.

Instead, test for an air leak. The compartments in your fridge should keep air-tight always. The downside right here begins when heat air from the surface leaks into the fridge and mixes with the chilly air. When that occurs, frost will kind across the compartment, together with the again panel.

As that buildup of frost turns into extra extreme, it turns into stable ice, which is what you’re seeing in the back of your fridge compartment.

There are two possible the explanation why heat air is leaking into your fridge compartment:

• You didn’t shut the fridge door totally.
• The door gasket (or ‘seal’) has skilled injury or extreme put on and may’t kind a good seal between the door and the fridge.

How to resolve it: To resolve this downside, fastidiously examine the fridge door gasket. If you discover tears, rips, or if the gasket is deformed in any manner, it’s essential to change it with a brand new one.

Replacing a fridge door gasket could be very easy. Just pull the present one out and slide the brand new one into place.

Once you’re certain that the door seal is in wonderful form, you have to be extra aware about closing the fridge door. Be certain to push the door shut with only a tiny little bit of drive, sufficient to make sure the door types a good seal.

Read: Why Maytag Fridge Is Freezing Food? Troubleshooting Guide

Clogged Defrost Drain

What it’s: At the again of your fridge compartment, there’s a small gap that acts as a defrost drain. That drain gives a manner for any water contained in the compartment to shortly circulate out of the fridge.

The defrost drain can be an important a part of the fridge’s auto-defrost function, which runs a number of occasions a day. When the fridge routinely melts any ice or frost buildups, the water from that course of must circulate away via the defrost drain.

What’s taking place: A standard downside for fridges is that ice builds up contained in the defrost drain and clogs it. That’s as a result of the water that flows into the drain is often near freezing and may shortly flip to ice.

To make issues worse, defrost drains in fridges don’t include heating parts to stop freezing.

So when ice clogs the defrost drain and goes unnoticed, the buildup will proceed rising. You’ll begin to discover it when the again of the fridge begins freezing, significantly on the backside sections of the rear panel.

How to resolve it: The simplest option to clear a clogged defrost drain is to soften the ice utilizing scorching water. It’s greatest to slowly pour scorching water on the drain with a turkey baster or one thing related.

Once sufficient ice melts, water will circulate via the defrost drain usually once more.

Read: 5 Reasons Why Refrigerator Is Making A Knocking Sound

Failed Defrost System

What it’s: As you’ve seen above, your fridge has a defrost system that melts away ice and frost a minimum of as soon as a day. Two of essentially the most essential elements of that system are the defrost thermostat or defrost heater.

• Defrost Thermostat: The thermostat frequently senses the temperature in the back of the fridge. It will set off the defrost system to activate when it senses that the again is just too chilly due to a frost or ice buildup. That’s executed to soften away the frost or ice buildup earlier than it turns into too extreme.
• Defrost Heater: When the defrost system activates, it’ll energy a heating component to soften away the frost and ice buildup. You can discover the heating component behind the compartment’s rear panel.

What’s taking place: When the again of the fridge freezes up, it’s possible as a result of the defrost system isn’t working because it ought to. So, with out common defrosting, the buildup of frost and ice continues to grow to be worse every day.

The purpose that occurs is that both the thermostat is defective or the heater isn’t working. A failed thermostat will stop the defrost system from turning the heater on.

On the opposite hand, a heater that doesn’t work received’t soften something away.

How to resolve it: The resolution right here is to switch the thermostat or heater, relying on which one has failed. Unfortunately, neither of those elements is repairable. So, taking them out and placing a brand new one in is the one resolution.

To do this, it’s essential to first empty the fridge compartment and try to take away the rear panel. That will be fairly difficult if the again is already lined in ice. So, you’ll have to fastidiously chip away on the ice or soften it utilizing scorching water.

Once you’re taking the panel off, you’ll have clear entry to the defrost thermostat and heater. All you’d should do at that time is take away the affected half and reinstall a brand new one instead.

Read: Kenmore Elite Refrigerator Temperature Setting

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are a couple of further questions that you simply may need when troubleshooting a fridge that’s freezing up on the again:

Should A Fridge Have Ice On The Back Wall?

No, there may be completely no purpose for a fridge to have ice on its again wall. Most fridges available on the market immediately have auto-defrost features that repeatedly soften any ice or frost buildups. As lengthy as these features are working appropriately, any frost will soften away earlier than turning to ice.

Why Does My Fridge Ice Up On The Back Wall?

Your fridge has ice up on the again wall as a result of its auto-defrost perform shouldn’t be working appropriately. As a outcome, frost builds up on the again wall at any time when heat air enters the compartment. The frost buildup will solidify into ice that sticks to the again wall if left unchecked.

How Do I Get Ice Off The Back Of My Fridge?

You can take away the ice by gently tapping on it with a spatula or one thing related. If the ice buildup is just too stable, you’ll should regularly soften it away. You can do this by defrosting the fridge manually or regularly pouring scorching water on the ice.

How Long Does It Take To Manually Defrost A Refrigerator?

You will want a minimum of 8 hours to defrost a fridge manually by shutting it off and conserving the compartment door open. You can velocity the method up by pointing a fan on the open fridge to extend airflow.

Can I Defrost My Fridge Without Turning It Off?

Yes, there are a number of methods you possibly can defrost your fridge with out turning it off. For instance, you possibly can drive the fridge to enter defrost mode. Check the person guide to search out the precise steps that apply to your fridge model and mannequin.

Besides that, you possibly can defrost it by leaving a pot of scorching water contained in the fridge compartment. The warmth from the pot will soften any frost or ice buildups within the fridge compartment.

Read: How To Put Maytag Fridge In Defrost Mode?