Freezer Repair in Rockford, IL

The basement chest freezer

A chest or upright freezer in a basement or garage is easy to forget until something in it thaws. It is the one appliance where a failure can cost more in food than in repair, so a thermometer check now and then pays for itself.

What to check first

• Is it actually at 0°F? Put an appliance thermometer inside; the FDA says the freezer should be at 0°F (FDA).
• Is the lid or door gasket sealing all the way around? Frost on one edge usually points to a leak there.
• Is it in a room that gets very cold? Refrigeration appliances are designed for a room temperature range; Whirlpool states 55°F to 110°F for its refrigerators (Whirlpool). Check your freezer's manual for its own range.
• Is the condenser area clear of dust and stored boxes? Airflow over the coils is how the heat leaves.

What the repair usually is

HomeGuide lists freezer repairs at $100 to $400, with the evaporator fan motor and start relay as the easier fixes, and notes that replacing coils or a compressor costs nearly as much as buying a new freezer. It puts a new chest or deep freezer at $350 to $1,100 for the unit and says most freezers last 12 to 20 years (HomeGuide). InterNACHI's life expectancy chart gives 10 to 20 years (InterNACHI).

Refrigerant work and disposal

Anything that opens the sealed system needs a technician certified under EPA Section 608 (EPA). If the freezer is done, it cannot simply go to the landfill: Illinois banned white goods with their refrigerant still in them from landfills in 1994 (Illinois EPA). See getting rid of an old fridge or freezer.

Food during a failure

FoodSafety.gov says a full freezer holds a safe temperature for about 48 hours, 24 hours if half full, with the door kept closed, and that food that still has ice crystals or is at 40°F or below can be refrozen (FoodSafety.gov).