This article details how to solve the problem of a Westinghouse freezer not freezing. So if you are looking for solutions, you have come to the right place.
Table of Contents
Westinghouse Freezer Not Freezing – How to Fix
Fixing your Westinghouse freezer that is not freezing could be as easy as fixing any of the following:
1. Freezer Temperature
You could inadvertently adjust the temperature setting of the freezer. This is especially true if your freezer has a control knob instead of digital settings. And if the temperature inside the freezer is higher than 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezer will not freeze. The recommended setting for a freezer 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Gasket
If the gasket of the door is weak or compromised in any way, it is important to replace it as soon as possible. A weak door gasket will easily let warm air into the freezer and inhibit its cooling. Even if you reduce the temperature lower than 0 degrees Fahrenheit, the freezer still won’t freeze.
In addition, check to be sure the seal is not dirty. If it is dirty, clean it thoroughly with mild soap and warm water. A dirty freezer door seal will not be able to seal tightly, leaving a tiny gap for cold air to escape and warm air to seep in.
3. Contents
Packing too many items into the freezer at the same time will cause it to take longer to cool. Too many items can also inhibit the flow of air, reducing the cooling capacity greatly. In fact, in some cases, some items will freeze while others won’t freeze.
Therefore, don’t put too many things into the freezer at the same time. Leave room for air to circulate freely to every part. And don’t store hot food as it could compromise other frozen food or even damage the freezer if it is a regular occurrence.
4. Door Opening
Opening the freezer door regularly definitely compromises the cold air in it. And leaving the door open for too long also reduces its coolness. Ensure you decide what you want from the freezer before opening the door so you don’t spend too long with the door open or have to open it multiple times in a day. This way, the freezer is able to freeze.
However, if all these are in place yet your Westinghouse freezer is not freezing, take a look at the following parts:
5. Start Relay
The compressor gets power from the start relay in order to run successfully. If the start relay is malfunctioning, the compressor may run only intermittently or not at all. And without the compressor running, the freezer will not freeze.
Unmount the start relay from the side of the compressor and test it between the run and start terminals for continuity. If there is no continuity, replace the relay. In addition to the above, if the start relay smells as if it is burnt, replace it. Doing this will tell you if the problem of your Westinghouse freezer not freezing stems from a faulty start relay.
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6. Evaporator Fan Motor
This fan passes air over the evaporator or cooling coils. When it does this, the air cools and then, the fan circulates the cold air in the freezer. Now, if the motor of the fan is not working, the fan cannot circulate the air. As a result, the freezer will not cool or freeze.
To determine if the motor of the fan is faulty, leading to the problem of a Westinghouse freezer not freezing, open the door of the freezer and activate the door switch of the freezer manually. This should get the motor of the fan running again because when you open the door, the motor stops running. But if the motor does not start running again, it is faulty and should be replaced.
7. Condenser Coils
Ensure you clean the condenser coils of the freezer if you can see them under or behind the unit. Because they are exposed, they easily gather dust and other debris, which combine to reduce their efficiency in dissipating heat from the freezer. But regular cleaning leaves them in top shape.
Some condenser coils are built into the walls of the freezer. So, in the event the coils of your freezer model are inside the walls, you don’t need to clean them.
8. Temperature Control Thermostat
The motors of the two fans of the freezer and the compressor will not get the needed voltage to power the refrigerant system if the thermostat is not functioning properly. And if the refrigerant does not run, the freezer will not cool.
Check the thermostat by rotating it from the lowest temperature setting to the highest temperature setting. Listen for an audible click when you get to the highest point. If the click comes, then the thermostat is probably working fine. But if the click does not come, take a multimeter and test it to check for continuity. If there is no continuity, replace the temperature control thermostat.
9. Evaporator Coils
If there is frost or ice on the evaporator coils, they won’t be able to cool the air which the fan passes over them. Consequently, the freezer won’t have cold air in it.
Manually defrost the freezer in order to get the coils working again. Do this by removing everything in the freezer and unplugging it. Leave it without power supply for about 24 hours so that all the ice melts, including that which has accumulated on the coils.
Plug the freezer back in and give it another 24 hours to cool enough to store food. This will also let you know if the freezing problem has been solved.
The likeliest reason for ice on the evaporator coils is the failure of the defrost system. The defrost heater is meant to turn on at certain times to melt ice or frost from the coils. If the heater has malfunctioned, it won’t be able to perform this task.
Another likely reason is a faulty defrost thermostat or a faulty defrost timer. You can check the parts for faults or have a refrigerator repair agent check them and replace faulty ones.
10. Condenser Fan Motor
The condenser fan passes air through the condenser and then takes it over the condenser coils. If the motor of the fan is faulty, the fan will not work.
So, if your Westinghouse freezer is not freezing, check the motor of the fan by spinning the blades with your hand. If the blades don’t spin well, it is a sign that the bearings of the motor are worn out and the motor needs to be changed. But if the blades spin well yet the motor is not running, test the motor with a multimeter for continuity. If you don’t find continuity, replace the condenser fan motor.
To add to the above, you can have a qualified refrigerator technician run a test on the sealed system of the freezer to check for leaks. Chat with any of our professional technicians here. That is if there is nothing wrong with any of the freezer parts we have talked about. If there is a leak, the technician is in the best position to advise you on what to do.
But before you check the sealed system, check the compressor, the user control and display board and the main control board. If any of these fail, it could lead to the freezer not freezing.
Watch this video to learn more about fixing a Westinghouse freezer that is not freezing…
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Westinghouse Fridge Not Cooling or Freezing – Solutions
Check the following if a Westinghouse fridge is not cooling or freezing:
1. Condenser Fan Motor
The compressor of the fridge does not overheat because of the condenser fan. It pulls air through the condenser and takes it over the compressor. If the motor of the fan is faulty, the fan won’t work. Now, if the fan doesn’t work, the compressor could overheat and not run. And if the compressor does not run, the fridge won’t cool.
Try and spin the blades of the fan with your hand. They should spin freely but if they don’t, the motor has stopped working and should be replaced. If they spin freely and nothing is keeping the blades from spinning, test the motor with a multimeter to check for continuity. If there is no continuity, replace the condenser fan motor.
2. Condenser Coils
Dirty condenser coils cannot effectively remove heat from the refrigerant that passes through them to keep it from carrying it into the fridge. The unit would have to work extra to maintain the proper temperature if the coils fail in their duty.
Clean the condenser coils to remove dust, debris and grime. Use a washcloth with mild soap and warm water to wipe them if they feel greasy. Repeat this process once a year or twice if you have pets that shed hair.
3. Evaporator Fan Motor
A poorly working evaporator fan motor or one that is not working at all will make the fan unable to circulate cold air in the fridge. While the freezer may get cold, the fridge won’t cool at all.
Spin the blades of the fan by hand to see if they spin without stiffness. If the blades spin well, the motor is probably fine. But if the blades don’t spin well, it is an indication that the motor is defective and needs to be replaced.
If the motor of the fan is noisy, change it. And if the motor does not run at all, check windings of the motor for continuity using a multimeter. If there is no continuity in the windings, replace the motor.
4. Temperature Control Thermostat
The thermostat is responsible for sending voltage to the compressor, the condenser fan motor and the evaporator fan motor. If the thermostat is faulty, it cannot send voltage and the parts won’t operate. And if these parts don’t operate, it is possible the refrigerant won’t run and the fridge won’t cool.
Turn the thermostat from low to high and wait to hear a click as the rest of the fridge kicks into action. If you don’t hear the click, the thermostat is likely defective. To make doubly sure, test it with a multimeter to check for continuity. If there is no continuity at any temperature setting, replace the thermostat.
5. Start Capacitor
Before the compressor can start, the start capacitor supplies it with a power boost. Without the capacitor, the compressor is likely not to start. And if the compressor does not start, the fridge won’t run or cool.
To check if the capacitor is faulty, test it using a multimeter. If there is no reading on the multimeter, the capacitor is faulty and must be replaced.
6. Start Relay
Together with the start winding, the start relay enables the compressor to run smoothly. It is possible the compressor will run but only for brief periods if the start relay is defective. Sometimes, it will not run at all.
Replace the start relay if there is no continuity between its two terminal sockets. And if it smells burnt, get a new relay to replace it.
7. Thermistor
The thermistor is in charge of monitoring the temperature of the fridge and sending the results of the monitoring to the control board. With the results, the control board sends power to the evaporator fan and the compressor so that they can run according to the needs of the fridge.
If the thermistor is faulty, it cannot read the temperature correctly and the control board cannot send power to the fan and compressor. Consequently, the fridge won’t run so won’t cool.
Test the thermistor using a multimeter. The resistance of the thermistor should change when the temperature of the fridge changes. But if the resistance does not change, then you know that the thermistor is likely defective. And if there is no continuity from the thermistor, replace it as soon as possible.
There are other important parts to troubleshoot if the more likely parts are not defective. Check the compressor, the temperature control board or the main control board. One of them could become faulty or damaged, causing the fridge to stop cooling or freezing.
Other Fixes
Not every fault in a Westinghouse fridge stems from a technical issue. Sometimes, the fix is simple. Here are some simple factors that could also cause a fridge to stop cooling or freezing and what to do:
1. Location
As simple as this sounds, the location of a fridge can affect how well it cools or even freezes anything. Check the temperature of the room to see if it is conducive for the fridge. Also, check to see if there is any source of heat close to it or hitting it directly.
Move the fridge away from direct sunlight or any other heat source to give the fridge a chance to cool. And if the temperature in the room is too high, you may have to relocate the fridge to another part of the house with better room temperature.
2. Temperature Setting
The point at which the temperature inside the fridge is set also affects how well it cools. There is a recommended temperature setting for Westinghouse fridge, according to your model. Consult your owner’s manual to find yours and set it accordingly.
If the temperature is high, the fridge won’t perform optimally. As a result, items won’t cool fast or won’t cool at all.
3. Door Seal
The state of the door seal of your Westinghouse fridge makes all the difference. A loose or broken door seal will compromise the cold air in the fridge. And if the seal is dirty, the seal won’t work well.
To check if the seal still seals tightly, close the door of the fridge on a dollar bill. If the seal is still highly effective, the bill will hold without falling out. And you won’t be able to pull it out easily. However, if you can pull the dollar bill out without opening the door of the fridge, this tells you that the seal is no longer sealing as it should. It is time to replace it.
To add to this, avoid opening and closing the door of the fridge too often. Doing this lets the cold air in the fridge out and the warm air outside in easily. And holding the door open while you decide what you want to take lets the air out, too.
4. Air Circulation
A fridge does not cool or freeze as well as a freezer does. So putting too many items into it at the same time reduces its cooling speed. This is because the cold air from the vents or the damper has little or no space to circulate and effectively cool the fridge.
Therefore, keep items from blocking the vents. Don’t overstuff the fridge; it can only take so much. Leave room for the air to move around so that the efficiency of the fridge is not reduced.
5. Content
Hot food should not be stored in a fridge or even a freezer, for that matter. Not only will it take longer to cool but it can also potentially damage the unit. To store food in a fridge, allow it to cool completely. It is easier for the fridge to cool and preserve the food that way.
As we have mentioned earlier, avoid overstuffing the fridge. Leave enough room for the cold air to circulate effectively. But don’t leave it too empty.
This video further explains how to fix a fridge that is not cooling…
Recap
Fixing a Westinghouse freezer that is not freezing should not be a Herculean task. The same goes for a Westinghouse fridge that is not cooling or freezing. No matter the type of freezer or fridge you have – side-by-side, bottom-freezer, top freezer, 3-door French door, 4-door French door, chest freezer – this detailed article guides you on what to do.
You can chat with any of our professional refrigerator technicians to help you fix any fault with your fridge or freezer.
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