Originally Created on: September 30, 2022 @ 6:24 pm
There are many benefits of owning a mini-fridge. It keeps your food and drinks cold without consuming a lot of space. As convenient as they are, mini-refrigerators sometimes freeze everything you put inside them.
This is a prevalent problem that many people experience. If you have recently noticed that your fridge keeps freezing drinks and food, you are probably wondering why this is happening and how you can solve this problem.
This guide will look at why a mini-refrigerator keeps freezing up and how you can address this issue. Let’s get straight into it!
Table of Content
Why Does My Mini Fridge Freeze Everything?
There are several reasons why a mini-fridge could be experiencing this problem. It could be due to dirty cooling coils, a damaged gasket, faulty temperature controls, and certain habits such as setting the temperatures too low or opening and closing the mini-fridges door too frequently.
Below is an in-depth explanation of why a mini-fridge keeps freezing all the food and beverages you put inside.
Reasons Why Fridge Freeze Everything
Low-Temperature Settings
A mini-fridge operates just like a regular fridge. There is a temperature control dial that allows you to set the desired freezing temperature. Sometimes, you can set a low temperature by accident, forcing the mini-fridge to freeze everything. Or, your kids may have set low temperatures when playing with the mini-fridge.
A Damaged Door Gasket
The other culprit that could be causing your fridge to freeze everything is a damaged gasket. In case the door gasket is loose or damaged, it will welcome warm air from outside into the refrigerator. This air is rich in humidity, and when it cools down, it turns into chunks of ice buildup. Also, when warm air enters from outside, the mini-fridge works extra hard to keep things cold. This can result in abnormal freezing of items in the mini-fridge.
A Faulty Thermostat
A thermostat in the mini-fridge signals it to know when to cool the temperatures or stop when the desired temperatures have been reached. If it’s faulty, it can send mixed signals.
Certain Habits
Some habits can force your fridge to freeze anything placed inside it. For instance, if you habitually put wet or hot food in the mini-fridge, it releases moisture which is then cooled into ice crystals. If you often open and close the door of the mini-fridge, moisture will enter and turn into ice buildup.
Other reasons why a mini-fridge freezes everything is due to leaks and faulty compressors or start relays.
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Why is My Mini Refrigerator Freezing Food and Drinks on the Warmest Setting?
If a mini-fridge is on the warmest setting, you may be more confused by why it’s freezing everything. Well, there are several reasons your fridge could be freezing everything, even if it’s in the warmest setting.
Some of these reasons include;
You may be confusing the lowest and warmest settings. There is a lot of confusion about the numbers on the dial in a refrigerator. Zero is usually the lowest temperature setting on a digital thermostat in most mini-fridges. To avoid confusion, check your manual on which is the correct setting.
If you have too little food or drinks in the fridge, even if it’s the warmest setting, everything may end up frozen. When there is little food in the refrigerator, the cool air may be too much for the food to withstand the low temperatures.
Also, if the condenser coils are faulty or damaged, the mini-fridge will over-cool even in the warmest setting. The condenser coils and temperature dial work together to regulate temperatures. If the coils are dirty, they will not be in sync with the temperature dial, and food will freeze.
Finally, if you have leaky door seals, the fridge will over-cool, even if it’s in the warmest setting. The mini-refrigerator will continuously develop ice buildup as long as humidity can gain access.
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How Do I Prevent My Mini Refrigerator from Freezing Everything?
The only way to stop a mini-fridge from freezing everything is by identifying the root cause. If it’s the thermostat settings, go back to your manual and check which is the lowest or warmest setting. As for the habits that may lead to this issue, such as frequent opening and closing of the fridge. These should be stopped. Warn your kids not to play with the fridge.
If this behavior is caused by faulty or damaged components of the mini-fridge, you should seek professional help. Unless you have some experience with fixing thermostats and replacing condenser coils and damaged gaskets, you will need the help of an expert electrician. Find one near your home and have them look at the mini-fridge to find out why it’s freezing your food.
As for dirty coils, refer to your manual and learn how to remove and clean them. Dirty coils are known for overcooling mini-fridges. Always inspect their condition.
What to Do When Your Fridge Freezes Everything?
Mini-fridges are designed to keep your drinks and food cool. Its purpose is not to freeze them. In case it starts to freeze everything, there are several approaches you can take.
First, start by checking the temperature settings. Most of the time, a mini-fridge will freeze all your food and drinks due to low-temperature settings. It doesn’t always mean it’s faulty. If the settings were pretty low, turn things a notch higher and observe.
If this doesn’t work, re-arrange your food. Items kept near the air vents will always be colder. Try and distribute the drinks and food more evenly. You can also stop the habits we have highlighted earlier, such as opening the fridge frequently and storing hot meals.
Should the problem persist, inspect the issues mentioned earlier, such as the door gasket, condenser coils, and thermostat.
If these components are faulty, the only option is to schedule a service for the mini-fridge. An expert can diagnose and fix this problem for you.
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Final Thoughts
A mini-refrigerator that freezes all your groceries, food, and drinks is not only annoying, but it can be a sign of a serious issue. Therefore, it’s important that you fix it as soon as possible.
However, before you take it for servicing, it’s imperative to check the settings, which may have been changed accidentally. Also, if your fridge is over-cooling due to some of the habits mentioned above, such as frequent opening and closing of the door, follow the tips we have shared and observe if the problem persists.
Hopefully, our guide above has answered your question on why does my mini-fridge freeze everything, and puts you in a much better space in finding the right solution to this problem.