The appearance of ice or blocks of ice on the back wall of the refrigerator compartment is a signal that cannot be ignored. If you notice that snow coat forms on only one side, this narrows the range of possible faults and points to specific components of the unit. In contrast to uniform freezing of the entire surface, one-sided ice growth most often indicates a violation of tightness or a local failure in the defrosting system.
Modern models operating on the system No Frostshould not be covered with ice inside the chamber at all, so the appearance of crystals there indicates serious damage. In older single-compressor models with a drip defrosting system, a thin crust of ice is acceptable, but only if it is evenly distributed over the entire area of the evaporator. When the ice build-up is shifted to the left or right, it disrupts air circulation and causes the compressor to wear out.
In this article we will analyze the main causes of abnormal freezing and propose an action algorithm. You will learn how to carry out initial diagnostics yourself and in which cases calling a specialist will become an inevitable necessity. A correct understanding of the processes occurring inside refrigerator cabinetwill help save your budget and preserve food.
Failure of the door seal
The most common reason why ice freezes on one side lies in a loose door fit. Rubber seal (cuff) loses elasticity over time, becomes deformed or becomes dirty. If a gap has formed on one side of the door, warm, moist air from the room constantly penetrates there.
When encountering cold, moisture instantly crystallizes. Since the air flow is directed to a specific point of leakage, the ice crust builds up locally - on the right or left, depending on where the circuit is damaged. This often happens on the side of the hinges, where the rubber profile experiences the greatest tension when opening.
You can check the tightness in a simple way: clamp a strip of paper between the door and the body around the entire perimeter. If in some place the paper falls out or is pulled out without resistance, then there is a gap there. Also carefully inspect the rubber for cracks, tears or sticky deposits that interfere with tight contact.
⚠️ Attention: If the seal is simply dirty, wipe it with warm water and a mild detergent. If the rubber is hardened or torn, no traditional methods such as ironing will give a lasting effect - a complete replacement of the cuff is required. Ignoring the problem with the seal leads not only to the formation of ice. The constant influx of warm air forces cuff replacement.
Ignoring a seal problem will not only lead to ice formation. The constant flow of warm air makes compressor to work almost non-stop, trying to compensate for the loss of cold. This is a direct path to overheating of the motor and its premature failure, as well as to a significant increase in electricity bills.
Faults in the defrost system (heating element, sensor, timer)
In refrigerators with a system No Frost or a “crying” wall is responsible for removing moisture automatic defrost cycle. If ice freezes on one side, this may indicate that the defrost system is not working correctly or the evaporator does not have time to completely defrost in the allotted time.
The key elements of this system are Defrost heating element, a temperature sensor and a timer (or electronic module). If the heating element is burnt out or works at half strength, the ice melts unevenly. The water that should drain into the drainage hole partially remains and freezes again, forming massive build-ups, often shifted to one side of the chamber.
The defrost sensor can “lie”, telling the control module that the evaporator is already warm, when in fact the ice has not yet melted. As a result, the defrost cycle is terminated prematurely. Accumulative moisture gradually turns into an ice block that blocks the channels for air circulation.