Kenmore refrigerator freezing food. When you fire up your fridge to find frozen food, it can be discouraging.
If the refrigerator isn’t working as expected there might be a problem with the temperature control thermostat because this controls the voltage going to the refrigerator’s compressor, evaporator fan motor, and condenser fan motor (if applicable).
If the temperature control thermostat isn’t working properly, it may be causing your refrigerator to freeze things for longer than necessary.
Kenmore refrigerator freezing food
The most common issues with Kenmore refrigerator freezing food are an Air Damper that is stuck closed or does not close properly, a faulty or defective Thermostat, and a Defrost Timer that has been damaged during installation.
Faulty Thermistor
To see whether or not there is a problem with the refrigerator’s temperature control setting, use a multimeter to check its resistance. It should change depending on the temperature of the refrigerator.
If that fails to happen, then you probably have a broken refrigeration sensor and should replace it as soon as possible.
The thermistor is what the refrigerator uses to sense the temperature of air inside of it. It then stores this reading onto the control board which in turn uses these values to regulate the power to your compressor and evaporator fan motor.
Defective Air Damper
Check the boot of the door to ensure it’s closed. Double-check for open latches and other possible entry points for pests. Check under all the shelves to make sure there aren’t any holes that may be causing a draft in your refrigerator.
In addition to all of that, there are other components that could be responsible for such a malfunction too! But they’re likely less likely to be at fault. So make sure you check everything first before going straight in search of these parts!
Thermostat’s problem
Turn up the thermostat and count for it to click into place. If you hear one, then your thermostat is fine but if you don’t then test it for continuity.
No continuity is confirming that the thermostat is bad and should be replaced. The sensor acts as an on-off switch that controls how long your refrigerator runs which in turn dictates how cold your freezer or fridge gets.
Problem with Defrost Timer
Check the defrost timer and make sure it’s not broken by testing for continuity with a multimeter. If there is no continuity, replace the defrost timer.
The timer turns on and off the heater, so if it’s stuck in “cooling mode” then your freezer won’t be able to properly defrost after a period.
Defective Main Control Board
The control board on the main fridge may have malfunctioned. These boards are often faulty but if a refrigerator has power and the temperature is not being properly maintained, there may be more obvious causes for this and it’s best to start testing them rather than trying to replace the board immediately.
Temperature setting issue
A low temperature is one common reason why your fridge works too hard. If this is the case, you’ll need to adjust the internal temperature and increase the heat setting (or add more heat sources).
Check that the controls are set at between 37-42 degrees Fahrenheit ((3-6) Celsius). If your model features a dial, select “5” or “C” for 5 on the cold side and 5 on the warm side. A digital display offers a range of options for precise settings.
Less food stored
Keeping your fridge stocked up with enough food is very important in order to keep it from freezing. If you don’t have enough food, the items that are constantly coming into contact with the cold air, such as raw meats and cheeses can begin to freeze and become damaged or ruined!
To solve this issue, try not to leave any empty spots in your fridge; we recommend keeping at least half of your drawers/compartments filled.
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