Does your Samsung freezer always seem to be on defrost mode? Does it keep thawing out?
You might have accidentally tampered with your fridge’s temperature settings. Or a part of your fridge’s refrigerating might have given out without you noticing.
There are a handful of reasons your fridge might be on constant defrost mode, and we’re here to dive into each one of them with you. So unplug your fridge for a while and read on to understand more.
Why does my Samsung freezer keep thawing out?
One of the common reasons your Samsung freezer keeps defrosting is because parts of its defrost system have failed and the door seal has worn down.
Before checking the mentioned components, check that defrost settings aren’t activated and that the fridge’s temperature level isn’t more than 5°F.
Furthermore, your Samsung fridge is programmed to auto-defrost to reduce ice buildup. It will automatically defrost all compartments in your fridge several times a day, for at least 20 minutes.
But if your freezer can no longer hold or form ice due to persistent defrosting, let this guide help you figure out where the issue lies.
We’ve listed common reasons that force your freezer to continuously thaw out ice. Find out more about them below.
Common Reasons a Samsung Freezer Keeps Thawing Out or Defrosting
Your fridge has a defrost system that regulates ice buildup inside the freezer. When the mechanism for this system trips, it typically cuts off the freezer’s ability to chill.
In some cases, the opposite can also happen. That might be why your freezer keeps thawing out.
We’ve listed which parts of your fridge’s defrost system might be responsible for this issue in the table below.
| Causes | Solution |
| Defrost or Temperature Setting | Turn the Force Defrost setting off by pressing and holding the Energy Saver and Power Freeze buttons at the same time for at least 4 seconds. Additionally, check the temperature on the fridge’s control panel. The ideal temperature for the freezer compartment is no more than 5°F or -15°C. Adjust the temperature accordingly. |
| Loose or Damaged Door Gasket | Hold a hand near the freezer door while it’s closed and feel for any escaping cool air. Close the freezer door around a piece of paper and check if you can pull the paper out freely. If the paper slides out without resistance, replace the door gasket. |
| Faulty Defrost Timer | Unplug your refrigerator and locate the defrost assembly at the back portion of the fridge or freezer. Take the defrost timer out and turn it using a flathead screwdriver. Once the timer enters defrost mode by being turned, observe if it can move on its own. If it can’t, replace the timer. |
| Malfunctioning Defrost Heater | Unplug your refrigerator and locate the defrost assembly at the back portion of the fridge or freezer. Locate the defrost heater and run a continuity test on it. If there is no continuity, replace the heater. |
| Faulty Defrost Sensor or Thermostat | Unplug your refrigerator and locate the defrost assembly at the back portion of the fridge or freezer. Check the defrost sensor and defrost thermostat for continuity. If there’s no continuity, replace them. |
| Burnt or Damaged Defrost Control Board | Unplug your refrigerator and locate the defrost assembly at the back portion of the fridge or freezer. Inspect the solder points of the board for any burn marks or signs of shorting out. Replace it if necessary. |
| Damaged Condenser Coils | Unplug the refrigerator and check the coils for dust buildup. Clean them out with a brush or a vacuum. If the coils are damaged, call for service to replace them. |
| Clogged or Damaged Evaporator Fan | Unplug your refrigerator and access the fan motor on the evaporator assembly at the very back of your fridge’s interior. Unscrew the evaporator cover and carefully unplug the wires around the fan. Check the fan for any clogging or damage. Turn it by hand to check for any obstruction. Clean out the fan or replace it if necessary. |
| Faulty Compressor Start Relay | Unplug your refrigerator and open the bottom access part at the rear end of your refrigerator. Carefully detach the start relay from the assembly to test it for continuity. If there’s no continuity, replace the start relay. |
Defrost or Temperature Setting
Before troubleshooting more technical parts of your Samsung freezer, first check if your fridge’s defrost settings are activated.
Samsung fridges have two defrost settings: Manual Defrost and Force Defrost. Triggering these settings will thaw out your fridge outside of its auto-defrost cycles.
The Manual Defrost setting is programmed to thaw away frost buildup in the fresh food section. When this is activated, it bypasses the frost on the freezer.
On the other hand, Force Defrost turns on all the heaters in your fridge, including the freezer. When left activated, this can continuously defrost your freezer.
Solution: Check if the Force Defrost setting is activated.
To turn this setting off, you have to press two buttons at once for at least 4 seconds. On most models, these buttons are Energy Saver and Power Freeze.
Otherwise, refer to your fridge’s manual for which buttons to press.
Additionally, check the temperature on the fridge’s control panel. The ideal temperature for the freezer compartment is no more than 5°F or -15°C.
Adjust the temperature accordingly.
Loose or Damaged Door Gasket
Any appliance which uses temperature settings has a rubber seal around its door cavity.
This rubber seal is known as the door gasket, and its main function is to regulate the temperature inside the appliance.
Specifically, for your Samsung freezer, that means that the door gasket is responsible for keeping warm air out of the freezer.
The door gasket can wear down or come loose over time. Furthermore, if it regularly comes into contact with foreign items, it might get damaged.
When putting food in your freezer, especially food in containers, make sure that they’re not touching the door gasket.
Solution: To check if the door gasket has come loose, close the freezer door and let your hand hover near it. If you can feel cool air coming out, this means that the gasket needs to be replaced.
Alternatively, you can close the freezer door around a piece of paper and check if you can pull the paper out freely. If the paper is stuck, that means the door gasket is fine.
But if the paper slides out without resistance, that means the door gasket is loose and needs to be replaced.
Furthermore, every time you clean out your refrigerator, you should clean the door gasket gently as well. Use a soft cloth damp with water and mild soap.
Faulty Defrost Timer
The defrost timer is an essential part of your Samsung fridge’s overall defrost system. It switches your fridge between cooling and defrost mode, which is how your fridge goes into auto-defrost.
When a faulty defrost timer stops in defrost mode, it will continue to defrost all of the fridge’s compartments, including the freezer, indefinitely.
Likewise, when it stops in cooling mode, the fridge won’t be able to defrost until the timer is replaced.
Solution: Unplug your refrigerator.
Locate the defrost assembly inside the fridge or freezer. For this, you’ll have to remove bins and drawers to access the panel at the back of your fridge’s or freezer’s interior.
Take the defrost timer out to test it for damage by taking a flathead screwdriver and turning the timer clockwise.
Wait for the click that signifies the timer has reentered defrost mode. Observe if the timer will move on its own.
If it doesn’t, that means your fridge is stuck in defrost mode and the timer has to be replaced.
Alternatively, you can run a continuity test on the timer using a multimeter.
Before replacing it, however, troubleshoot the rest of the defrost assembly first.
Malfunctioning Defrost Heater
Another part of your fridge’s defrost system is the defrost heater. This part melts the frost around the evaporator coils and ensures that the coils can regulate the airflow inside the fridge.
A damaged defrost heater can continuously warm up the coils, causing them to be unable to produce cool air for the freezer to freeze items.
Solution: Upon accessing the defrost assembly, run a continuity test on the defrost heater. If there is no continuity, replace the heater.
Faulty Defrost Sensor or Thermostat
The defrost sensor and defrost thermostat are responsible for detecting the temperature around the evaporator coils.
They signal the heater when to turn on or off, depending on the temperature changes when the defrost setting is activated.
These two usually function together, so when one of them malfunctions, so will the other. However, they’re typically the last ones in the defrost system to get damaged.
Solution: Check the defrost sensor and defrost thermostat for continuity. If there’s no continuity, replace them.
Burnt or Damaged Defrost Control Board
Your Samsung fridge’s defrost system consists of the timer, the heater, and the thermostat and sensor. At the heart of this system lies the defrost control board, which is responsible for powering up the defrost system.
The defrost control board as an entire unit rarely gets damaged, however, it’s not immune to burning or shorting out.
When this happens, the control board might not be able to pump enough power for the defrost system to begin or stop defrosting.
Before replacing the entire control board, troubleshoot other parts of the defrost system first to see if any other parts are malfunctioning.
Solution: Inspect the solder points of the board for any burn marks or signs of shorting out.
If you find any, check the other parts of the defrost system for malfunctions before replacing the defrost control board.
Damaged Condenser Coils
Your fridge’s air conditioning system is made up of two coils: the “cold” coils and the “warm” coils.
The cold coils are also known as the evaporator coils. They regulate the temperature inside the fridge and make sure that the fridge and freezer are getting enough cold air when not on defrost mode.
Evaporator coils are also directly in contact with the defrost system and can be signalled by the defrost control board when to stop releasing cool air inside.
Meanwhile, condenser coils are warm coils because they release hot air outwards from the fridge. They’re usually located in the backside of your refrigerator and are the reason that part of the refrigerator is warmer than the rest.
When the warm coils are clogged with dust and lint buildup, the airflow is obstructed and warm air from the fridge or the freezer won’t be able to escape.
When warm air is trapped inside your freezer, it will continuously defrost the ice even when defrost mode is deactivated.
Solution: Unplug the refrigerator and check the coils for dust buildup. Clean them out with a brush or a vacuum.
If the coils are damaged, call for service to replace them.
We also recommend cleaning the condenser coils once or twice a year to avoid clogging.
Clogged or Damaged Evaporator Fan
The evaporator fan is a part of your freezer’s refrigerating system. When the fan is at work, it removes warm air in the refrigerator via the evaporator coils inside.
As it pulls warm air out, it circulates cold air in both the fridge and the freezer compartment.
When the fan is clogged or damaged, warm air will stay inside the fridge, causing it to defrost involuntarily.
Solution: Unplug your refrigerator and access the fan motor on the evaporator assembly at the very back of your fridge’s interior.
For this, you’ll have to take the shelves and drawers out of the way.
Unscrew the evaporator cover and carefully unplug the wires connecting it to the fridge’s walls.
The fan motor is behind this evaporator cover; unplug all the wires around it to access the fan.
Once the fan is detached from the evaporator cover, check it for any clogging or damage. Turn it by hand to check for any obstruction.
Clean out the fan or replace it if necessary.
Faulty Compressor Relay
Another essential part of your fridge’s overall refrigerating system is the refrigerator compressor. It’s responsible for compressing the liquid material that your fridge uses to keep the inside of the refrigerator cool.
When on defrost mode, the refrigerator compressor powers off and only comes back on again when the fridge has defrosted.
What’s responsible for signalling the compressor to turn on is the compressor start relay.
With a faulty start relay, the compressor doesn’t leave defrost mode. Hence, your fridge won’t be able to generate cold air at all.
Solution: Unplug your refrigerator and open the bottom access part at the rear end of your refrigerator.
The start relay is typically located at the farthest left corner, protected by a cover box.
Carefully detach the start relay from the assembly to test it for continuity. If there’s no continuity, replace the start relay.
If your freezing keeps thawing out, this is likely a result of not having enough cool air inside the compartment to begin with. In most cases, it’s not just the freezer that suffers, but the entire fridge as well.
This is a technical issue that would involve disassembling a handful of the heavier bulks of your fridge. Call a professional for assistance if troubleshooting gets too complicated for you to follow.
