Freezer Repair in Metro Atlanta

Common Freezer Problems

• Not freezing at all. The compressor is not running, or it runs but the cold is not getting into the cabinet. A failed start relay, condenser fan or control board is more common than a dead compressor.
• Freezing, but not cold enough. Ice cream is soft, ice cubes are wet. A dirty condenser coil, a weak evaporator fan or partial frost on the coil can all leave the freezer a few degrees too warm.
• Thick frost or ice on the back wall. In a frost-free freezer, that means the defrost system has stopped working — the heater, the defrost thermostat, or the timer or board that starts the cycle.
• Frost around the door. A torn gasket, a door that does not close fully or a freezer that is not level lets humid air in, and the moisture turns into frost.
• Running all the time. Some long run time is normal, especially on hot days in a garage. Running nonstop while staying warm is not.
• Loud noises. A fan blade hitting ice makes a scraping or ticking sound. A worn fan motor squeals or hums.
• Water under the freezer. A blocked defrost drain or a leaking ice maker water line.
• Ice maker stopped. The water valve, a frozen fill tube or the ice maker module.
• Freezer feels warm on the outside. Some warmth on the sides is normal — many freezers run the condenser tubing through the cabinet walls. Very hot sides plus a warm inside means the system is struggling.

Freezers We Repair

Refrigerator freezers. Top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side and French-door models. In these, the freezer is the cold source for the whole unit, so a freezer problem usually turns into a fridge problem within a day or two.

Upright freezers. Frost-free uprights have the same fans and defrost parts as a refrigerator. Manual-defrost uprights are simpler but still have thermostats, door seals and compressors that wear out.

Chest freezers. Simple and tough, but a chest freezer in a hot Georgia garage works hard. We see failed thermostats, start relays and condenser problems most often.

Garage freezers. A freezer in an unconditioned space has to handle summer heat and the occasional cold snap. Not every model is designed for that, and we will tell you if yours is part of the problem.

Frost-Free or Manual Defrost: Why It Matters

Frost-free freezers heat the evaporator coil several times a day to melt frost away. That keeps the freezer clean, but it adds parts: a defrost heater, a defrost thermostat, a timer or control board, and a drain that carries the water out to a pan under the unit. When any of those fail, frost builds up slowly and the freezer warms over a few days.

Manual-defrost freezers — most chest freezers and some uprights — have no defrost system. Frost builds up on the walls, and you defrost the freezer by hand from time to time. They have fewer parts to fail, and their problems are usually the thermostat, the start relay, the compressor or the door seal.

Knowing which type you have tells us where to look first, so mention it when you book.

How We Fix a Freezer

Find the cause first. The technician checks the temperature, listens to the compressor and fans, looks at the condenser coil, and tests the defrost heater, thermostat and controls. If frost is the issue, we find out why the defrost system stopped, instead of only melting the ice.

Explain before we start. You hear what failed and what the repair involves, in plain words, and you decide whether to go ahead.

Repair and confirm. We install genuine or OEM-approved parts, restart the freezer and check that it is pulling temperature down. Sealed-system work is done by EPA 608 certified technicians. The repair is covered by our warranty of up to 6 months on parts and labor.

Save Your Food While You Wait

• Keep the door closed. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours and a half-full one for about 24 hours with the door shut (USDA guidance).
• Group food together. Packed items stay frozen longer than items spread out.
• Use a cooler with ice for anything you cannot afford to lose.
• Check before refreezing. Food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen, per the USDA. When in doubt, throw it out.
• Do not chip at the ice. Knives and scrapers puncture evaporator coils, and that turns a simple defrost repair into a sealed-system repair.

Freezer Noises: What Is Normal and What Is Not

Freezers are not silent, and new owners often call about sounds that are part of normal operation. Here is how to tell the difference.

Normal sounds

• A low hum when the compressor runs.
• Clicks when the compressor or the defrost cycle starts and stops.
• Hissing, popping or gurgling during and after a defrost cycle, as frost melts and refrigerant moves.
• The ice maker dropping ice and refilling with water.

Sounds worth a service call

• Scraping, ticking or rattling from the back wall — often a fan blade hitting ice.
• A loud squeal or grinding that changes when you open the door — a fan motor wearing out.
• A compressor that clicks on, buzzes for a few seconds and clicks off again, over and over.
• A constant knocking from the bottom of the unit.

Simple Care for a Long-Lasting Freezer

• Clean the condenser coil once or twice a year, especially on a garage or basement freezer that collects dust.
• Keep the freezer reasonably full. Frozen food helps hold the temperature when the door is opened. Jugs of water work if you do not have enough food.
• Check the door seal. Close the door on a sheet of paper; if it slides out easily, the gasket needs attention.
• Defrost manual freezers when frost gets about a quarter inch thick. Thick frost makes the unit work harder.
• Leave space for air around the freezer, as the owner's manual describes.

When Is a Freezer Worth Fixing?

Most freezer failures are fans, defrost parts, thermostats, start relays, gaskets or control boards. Those are repairs, not reasons to replace the freezer.

The harder call is a failed compressor or a refrigerant leak on an older chest or upright freezer. In that case we give you the facts and let you weigh the repair against a new unit. We do not push either way.

Other Appliances We Repair

• Refrigerator Repair — warm fridge, leaks, ice makers, noises.
• Oven Repair — no heat, uneven baking, error codes.
• Stove & Range Repair — burners, igniters, cooktops.
• See all our services on the Moon Appliance Repair home page.

After a Power Outage

Georgia summer storms knock out power often enough that every freezer owner should know what to do afterward.

• Keep the door closed while the power is out. A full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours, a half-full one about 24 hours (USDA guidance).
• Check the temperature when power returns. An appliance thermometer in the freezer tells you whether the food stayed at a safe temperature. Food with ice crystals or at 40°F or below can be refrozen, per the USDA.
• Give it time. A warm freezer needs several hours to pull back down to 0°F. Do not judge it in the first hour.
• Watch for error codes or a dark display. Some models need a reset after an outage; your owner's manual explains how.
• If it does not restart, check the breaker and outlet first. A power surge can also damage the control board or the start relay, and that is a repair we handle.
• Consider a surge protector rated for appliances if outages are frequent where you live.

Areas We Serve

We repair freezers across Metro Atlanta, including Alpharetta, Roswell, Suwanee, Cumming and Norcross. Enter your ZIP code in the form to confirm your address is in our area.

Where to find us: 8601 Dunwoody Place, Sandy Springs, GA 30350.

Book Your Freezer Repair

Call (470) 523-1606 — phones are answered 24/7 — or send the form, and we will call you back about a freezer repair.