Opening your refrigerator only to find it warm while the freezer is covered in ice? That’s a clear sign your evaporator coils have frozen over, one of the most common causes of cooling failure in fridges. When these coils ice up, cold air can’t circulate properly, leaving your fridge too warm and your freezer packed with frost.

At Just Call Appliance Repair, we help homeowners across Charlotte, Concord, Matthews, and surrounding cities fix refrigerators with frozen evaporator coils and defrost system issues every day. From faulty sensors to broken fan motors, our technicians can pinpoint the cause quickly and get your fridge cooling efficiently again. Schedule your fridge repair service today.

Why Do Evaporator Coils Freeze in a Fridge?

1. Defrost System Failure

Your fridge automatically defrosts several times a day to prevent ice buildup. If the defrost heater, thermostat, or control board stops working, frost accumulates and eventually blocks airflow over the coils. This is common in Samsung, Whirlpool, and LG refrigerators, where sensor or heater issues can lead to solid ice on the back wall.

2. Faulty Evaporator Fan Motor

The fan circulates cold air over the coils. If it fails, the cold stays trapped in one area and quickly freezes the evaporator. We often see this in GE and Frigidaire models, where the fan blades ice over or the motor seizes after years of wear.

3. Damaged Door Gasket

When warm air sneaks in through a worn door seal, moisture condenses and freezes around the evaporator coils. Over time, this creates thick frost and uneven cooling. Kenmore and Whirlpool units frequently show this problem after years of door wear.

4. Clogged Defrost Drain

If melted frost can’t drain properly, the water refreezes around the coils. Samsung bottom-freezer models are especially known for drain tube blockages that cause recurring ice buildup and puddles under the drawers.

5. Thermistor or Temperature Control Failure

The thermistor tells the control board when to turn the compressor on or off. A faulty sensor can cause the compressor to run constantly, overcooling the coils until they freeze solid. This is often found in LG, Maytag, and KitchenAid refrigerators.

6. Poor Airflow Inside the Fridge

Overpacked shelves or items pushed against the back wall block vents and trap cold air near the coils. This can quickly lead to frost buildup and temperature imbalance throughout the fridge. Learn more about proper fridge storage and maintenance from energy-saving tips for refrigerators.

DIY Steps to Try Before Calling a Technician

If your fridge isn’t cooling properly and you suspect frozen coils, try these safe troubleshooting steps first:

• Manually defrost the fridge – Unplug it and leave doors open for at least 24 hours to melt all ice. This can temporarily restore airflow until the issue is fixed properly.
• Inspect the door seals – Check if the gasket is cracked, loose, or not sealing tightly. Replace if necessary to prevent warm air leaks.
• Check for drain blockages – Look under the crisper drawers for standing water or ice buildup. A clogged drain can refreeze and block the evaporator area.
• Rearrange your food – Keep vents clear, especially at the back wall and near fan outlets.
• Reset your fridge – After a manual defrost, plug it back in, set the fridge to 37°F and the freezer to 0°F, and monitor for 24 hours.

If frost returns within a few days or the back panel ices over again, the defrost system or sensors likely need professional repair.

Professional Fridge Repair for Frozen Coils in Charlotte

More than just an inconvenience, frozen evaporator coils can cause your refrigerator to overwork its compressor and spoil your food. We determine the exact root cause of your coils’ freezing by using the latest diagnostic instruments. To make sure the entire system is working as it is supposed to, our certified technicians test components like the fan motor, control board, thermistor, and defrost heater.

We can restore your refrigerator to maintaining the ideal temperature for food, whether it’s a Samsung with a clogged drain, a Whirlpool with an inaccurate defrost timer, or an LG with a sensor fault.

Make an appointment with our Charlotte refrigerator maintenance experts today to get your appliance fully functional for good. You won’t be concerned about frost buildup or a warm fridge again.