Situation when suddenly The freezer has stopped freezing in your LG refrigerator, always takes you by surprise. This can lead to spoilage of a large stock of food, defrosting of meat and loss of quality of frozen vegetables. Equipment owners often face panic, not knowing whether they can fix the breakdown themselves or whether they need to urgently call a technician.
Refrigeration equipment of the Korean brand LG is famous for its reliability and the use of innovative technologies, such as the system No Frost and linear compressors. However, even the most advanced equipment is subject to wear, power surges or manufacturing defects. Understanding the structure of your unit will help you quickly localize the problem.
In this article we will analyze in detail why the cold in the lower or upper chamber disappeared, how to carry out initial diagnostics and which components most often fail. You will learn how to distinguish a software failure from a serious mechanical failure that requires replacement of expensive components.
Primary diagnostics: checking simple causes
Before disassembling the back wall or calling service, it is necessary to eliminate common operating errors. It often happens that freezer compartment works properly, but the cold does not spread due to external factors. First of all, check whether the door closes tightly and whether sticking ice or foreign objects are preventing it.
Pay attention to the temperature settings. Perhaps one of the family members accidentally touched the control panel and switched the mode to minimum cooling. Models with electronic control are characterized by electronic failure after a power surge, which may require a simple restart of the system.
- ❄️ Check the tightness of the sealing rubber around the entire perimeter of the door.
- 🔌 Make sure that the plug fits tightly in the socket and the voltage in the network is stable.
- 🌡️ Check the set temperature with the recommended values in the instructions.
- 🚫 Inspect the chamber for products blocking the ventilation holes.
⚠️ Attention: If you notice that the rubber door seal has lost elasticity or is torn, the cold will escape constantly, causing the compressor wears out without reaching the desired temperature.
An important step is complete defrosting. Even systems No Frost require periodic shutdown for hygienic cleaning and inspection. If after 24 hours of turning it off and on again, the problem persists, then the problem lies deeper, in the technical components of the unit.
Faults in the defrost system and freezing of ice
One of the most common reasons why The freezer does not freeze in an LG refrigerator is a failure in the defrost system. In models with automatic defrosting, the ice that forms on the evaporator must melt regularly. If this process is disrupted, the ice coat grows and blocks the circulation of cold air.
The air simply cannot pass through the channel clogged with ice to the food. As a result, the chamber is warm, although the evaporator itself may be covered with frost. Most often, the culprit is a defrost heating element that burns out, or a defrost thermostat that does not give a command to turn on the heating.
| System component | Function | Failure symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Heating element defrost | Heats the evaporator to melt the ice | Ice build-up, lack of cold |
| Defrost thermostat | Controls the heating temperature | The heating element does not turn on or heats up constantly |
| Defrost timer | Regulates cooling and defrosting cycles | Chaotic operation, lack of defrosting cycles |
For diagnostics, you will need to remove the back panel inside the freezer. A visual inspection will show the amount of ice. If you see a huge lump of ice hiding the radiator fins, this is a clear sign of a faulty defrost circuit. Replacing heating elements or sensors requires skills in working with a multimeter.
Problems with the compressor and start relay
The heart of any refrigerator is compressor. LG appliances often use linear inverter compressors, which are quieter and more economical than traditional ones. However, if you hear that the motor hums, clicks, but does not start, or turns on for a couple of seconds and immediately stalls, the problem is in the starting mechanism.
The starting relay is responsible for supplying a starting pulse to the motor windings. If it burns out, the compressor cannot start and refrigerant does not circulate through the system. In older models, the relay can be replaced independently by selecting an analogue. In new inverter systems, the situation is more complicated, since the starting electronic board is built into the compressor itself.
- 🔊 A loud knock or click when trying to start indicates a relay malfunction.
- 🔥 Strong heating of the compressor housing when the cooling is not working is an alarming sign.
- ⚡ Lack of response to connection to the network may indicate a burnt-out control board.
If the compressor runs constantly without turning off, but the temperature does not drop below -5°C, this may indicate a loss of performance of the piston group or a freon leak. In this case, simply replacing the relay will not help; more serious repairs with the participation of a specialist will be required.
Refrigerant leakage and capillary system blockage
Refrigerant (freon) is a working fluid that transfers heat from the chamber to the outside. If LG freezer it stops freezing and the compressor works without interruption, there is a high probability of a gas leak. Freon can escape through microcracks in the condenser tubes, which are often hidden in a foamed casing, or through soldering points.
Another similar problem is a clogged capillary tube. An ice or oil plug may form in the refrigerant circulation system, blocking the flow of gas. Visually, this manifests itself as follows: the compressor is hot and humming, the condenser (grid at the back) is only partially cold or warm, and the chamber is warm.
Symptoms of freon leakage:1. The compressor operates continuously.
2. The back wall of the refrigerator is hot.
3. The temperature inside the cells is higher than normal.
4. No characteristic gurgling noise during operation.
It is almost impossible to independently find the location of the leak and fill the system without special equipment: a vacuum pump, a pressure gauge station and scales for accurate gas dosing. In addition, knowledge of the type of freon used in your model (R600a, R134a) is required, as they are not interchangeable.
⚠️ Warning: Attempting to solder pipes or refill freon yourself without a license and equipment is dangerous. An incorrect dose of gas will lead to compressor failure.
Faults of sensors and electronic module
Modern refrigerators LG are stuffed with electronics. Special sensors (thermistors) are responsible for temperature. If the evaporator or chamber air temperature sensor gives incorrect readings, the “brain” of the refrigerator may “think” that there is already cold and does not turn on the compressor.
The defrost sensor often fails, which leads to the problems with icing described above. The electronic control module is also susceptible to voltage surges. Burnt tracks or swollen capacitors on the board can block the operation of the entire unit or its individual components, for example, a fan.
Diagnostics of electronics requires testing the sensors to ensure that their resistance corresponds to a certain temperature. Resistance tables can be found in service manuals. If the resistance of the sensor does not change during heating or cooling, it must be replaced.
- 📉 Evaporator temperature sensor - controls the defrosting cycle.
- 🌡️ Air sensor in the chamber - regulates the operation of the compressor.
- 💨 Fan operation sensor - reports about air circulation.
☑️ Electronics diagnostics
In some cases, resetting errors helps. To do this, disconnect the refrigerator from the network for 15-20 minutes. If after switching on the error repeats and a fault code is displayed on the display (or indication), you need to decipher it according to the instructions for a specific model.
Failure of the blower fan
In systems No Frost the fan is responsible for the distribution of cold. If it stops rotating, cold air remains in the evaporator area (usually behind the back wall) and does not enter the main chamber. As a result, the food in the freezer begins to melt, although technically the cold is produced.
The reasons for the fan stopping may be the freezing of its blades, the ingress of a foreign object, or the failure of the electric motor. The bearing also often breaks, causing the fan to make noise, hum and eventually stop.
You can check the operation of the fan by opening the freezer door (on many models it turns off when opened, but there are exceptions) or by forcibly turning it on in test mode. If the blades do not rotate by hand or rotate with difficulty, the unit requires replacement.
Mechanical damage and wear of seals
Do not forget about the physical condition of the camera. Mechanical damage, such as dents on the housing, can compromise the seal of the thermal insulation. But most often the problem lies in the door seal. Over time, it hardens, cracks or becomes deformed.
Warm, moist air constantly enters the chamber through a loose door. This leads to increased frost formation and system overload. The compressor works at the limit of its capabilities, trying to compensate for the heat flow, but cannot cope.
You can check the tightness with a simple test with a sheet of paper. Clamp the sheet with the door around the perimeter. If it is pulled out without effort or falls out easily, the seal does not hold. You can try to restore it with boiling water or replace it with a new one.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why does the LG freezer work, but the temperature is only -5 degrees?
Most likely, there is a freon leak or the capillary system is clogged. The compressor works, but the refrigerant does not circulate fully. There may also be a malfunction of the temperature sensor, which “lies” to the control module.
How long does it take to defrost the LG refrigerator to eliminate the error?
To completely defrost the No Frost system and melt the ice in the hidden channels, you must keep the refrigerator unplugged for at least 24 hours, preferably 30-36 hours with the doors open.
Is it possible to operate the refrigerator if it has stopped freezing?
Short-term - yes, for diagnostics. But long-term operation of a faulty unit (especially with a leak or a non-working fan) can lead to combustion of the compressor, the repair of which is not economically feasible.
What does the flashing temperature indicator on the LG panel mean?
A flashing indicator usually signals that the temperature in the chamber is above normal. This can be either a consequence of loading warm products or a symptom of a technical malfunction if the operating mode is not restored after a few hours.