Why is the freezer frosting up? The Causes and tips to prevent frost build-up

Last Updated on October 21, 2021 by CHANDRAMANI

Frost build-up in the inside of the cabin walls of the freezer not only decreases the storage space but can also spoil the stored food. As soon as you notice the freezer frosting, you should pay immediate attention to it to prevent food spoilage.

The freezer frost build-up happens when excessive moisture enters the freezer. When moisture comes in contact with the cool air circulating inside the freezer compartment it freezes and frost build-up starts.

The excess moisture can enter and freezer frosts due to various reasons, let’s understand them.

Check out the guide on how to defrost a freezer quickly.

Causes of Freezer Frosting

1. Door Gasket goes Bad

If the door sealings become bad due to it being old, brittle, cracked, or dry then it will not seal the door. The unsealed door can easily allow the moisture to enter the freezer compartment from outside along with the air from outside.

To check this you can perform the dollar bill test.

Take a dollar bill and put it between the gasket and the freezer. Close the door while keeping the bill in between. Now take out the bill while keeping the door closed. You should notice resistance while pulling out the dollar bill. Perform this test on all sides of the door.

If you can pull the dollar bill easily without any resistance then this means the door gasket is not working properly and you have to replace it. Check the video below to understand it better.

2. Opened Door for long Period

If you leave the door opened for a long period then it allows the moisture-laden air to enter the freezer compartment and ultimately it leads to frost build-up.

3. Door not getting closed due to excess stored food

Many people excessively fill their freezer and sometimes the excess storage doesn’t allow the door to close properly as the food near the door hinders the gasket sealing. Always make sure that the door is getting closed properly as the incomplete closed door can allow the moisture-laden air inside the freezer and lead to the frosting.

4. Don’t store too much or too less food

As the cooled stored food helps to keep the air inside cold, when you open and close the freezer door the cold food quickly cools the warm air which entered while you opened the door, therefore preventing frost build-up. But too much-stored food can prevent the circulating cool air and leads to frost build-up.

5. Malfunctioning defrost sensor

Modern freezers are equipped with defrost system which defrosts the freezer at regular intervals thus preventing ice build-up, but if the defrost sensor is not working then it will not start the defrost system and leads to frost build-up.

Tips to Prevent Frosting your freezer

  • Do not leave your freezer door opened for too long: The atmospkeric air contains moisture and when you leave the door opened for too long excess moisture enters the freezer compartment leading to frost build-up.
  • Make sure the Door is getting closed properly: The door cannot close properly if the gasket is not sealing the door or the food stored near the door can prevent it from being closed. When you buy a new fridge it can also have some packing material wrapped near the gasket, make sure to remove them inorder to allow the gasket to seal the door properly.
  • Keep the food Organized: An organized freezer makes it easy to find any food and ultimately will prevent the door being opened for a long time as you can quickly get the food and close the dootr.
  • Store food after Drying up: When you buy food from the grocery store and bring it home, it starts defrosting and moisture build-ups over the surface, Make sure to dry it by wiping it with a piece of cloth.
  • Use Airtight Containers: Airtight containers prevent the mositure to come in contact with the stored food.
  • Cool food before storing in a freezer: You should cool off the cooked food before storing in a freezer as the hot food give out water vaour that can lead to frost build-up.

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