Upright and chest freezers · including garage freezers
Frigidaire Freezer Repair
We repair Frigidaire upright and chest freezers that won't freeze, build up frost, run constantly or click without starting — including the many garage freezers that struggle through Las Vegas summers. Diagnosis at your home, and the price for your approval before any work.
$75 service call, applied toward the approved repair
Last reviewed
Upright vs. chest: why the type matters
Frigidaire makes both, and they are built differently enough that the same symptom can mean different things.
Upright freezers
Chest freezers
Defrost
Many are frost-free, with an evaporator coil behind a rear panel, a fan and a defrost system. Others are manual-defrost with cold shelves.
Almost always manual defrost. The cold comes from tubing in the cabinet walls.
Condenser
Often a coil and fan at the bottom back, or tubing in the cabinet walls
Usually tubing inside the outer walls ("hot wall") — the sides feel warm when it runs
Common component repairs
Evaporator and condenser fans, defrost heater and thermostat, control, gasket
Start relay and overload, temperature control, lid gasket
Sealed-system outlook
Similar to a refrigerator: often repairable
A leak inside the walls is often not economical to repair
Not sure which you have? A frost-free upright has a solid rear panel inside and shelves that aren't cooling coils; a manual-defrost unit has visible cold shelves or walls that build frost over time.
Freezer not freezing
Compressor clicks on and off without running: start relay or overload, wiring, temperature control, or a compressor that won't start. Start components fail far more often than compressors.
Compressor running, no fan noise (frost-free uprights): evaporator fan motor, or a coil iced over from a defrost failure.
Running constantly, freezer slowly warming: condenser airflow (dusty coil, stopped condenser fan), a door or lid that isn't sealing, or a refrigerant problem.
Freezer works at night but not on hot afternoons: the heat is overwhelming the condenser side — very common in garages.
Frost and ice buildup
On a frost-free upright, heavy frost on the rear panel points to a defrost failure (heater, defrost thermostat or control) or a blocked defrost drain. Frost concentrated around the door edge points to the door gasket or a door left ajar.
On a chest or manual-defrost upright, some frost is normal. Fast buildup usually means the lid or door gasket isn't sealing, the freezer is opened often, or it sits in humid air. Defrosting it manually is normal maintenance.
Garage freezers in the Las Vegas heat
A huge number of valley freezers live in garages. Garages here can get far hotter than the outdoor temperature on summer afternoons, and many freezers aren't designed to run in that heat. Check the ambient temperature range in your use and care guide; some models are rated for garage use and some aren't.
What helps:
Leave space around the freezer for airflow, especially at the back and sides on hot-wall chest freezers.
Keep the condenser coil (if accessible) clean of dust and lint, with the freezer unplugged.
Keep it out of direct afternoon sun from an open garage door.
If it struggles only in summer, tell us — that points toward the condenser side and start components.
Sealed-system problems
Leaks, restrictions and compressor failures are handled by EPA Section 608-certified technicians with recovery, vacuum and charging equipment, the same way we handle refrigerator sealed-system repair. On chest freezers, the condenser and evaporator tubing is usually foamed inside the cabinet walls; if the leak is there, a repair is rarely practical, and we'll tell you so before you spend money on it.
Freezer repair costs
Freezer repairs — estimated total repair ranges
Repair
Typical range
Notes
Temperature control / thermostat
$180–$330
Compressor start relay / overload
$180–$330
Door gasket
$180–$330
A torn or warped gasket lets in warm air and causes frost.
Evaporator fan motor (frost-free uprights)
$180–$390
Condenser fan motor
$180–$390
Models with a fan-cooled condenser.
Defrost system (frost-free uprights)
$180–$440
Electronic control board
$250–$610
Refrigerant leak repair and recharge EPA 608
$400–$1,210
EPA 608 work. Leaks in a chest freezer's in-wall condenser often can't be repaired economically.
Compressor replacement EPA 608
$650–$1,430
EPA 608 work. Includes filter-drier, evacuation and weighed-in charge.
Estimates for typical repairs, not quotes. Your exact price is given for approval after diagnosis, before work begins. The $75 service call is applied toward an approved repair. How our pricing works.
Typical freezer repairs
Typical Repair Example
Garage upright freezer not freezing in summer
Frigidaire frost-free upright freezer in a garage
Symptom
Food softening in July; the freezer ran almost constantly and felt hot along the bottom.
Diagnostic finding
The compressor was running, but the condenser fan had stopped and the condenser coil was caked with dust. Without airflow, the system couldn't shed heat in a hot garage.
Repair performed
Replaced the condenser fan motor and cleaned the condenser coil.
Parts involved
Condenser fan motor
Result
Freezer pulled back down to temperature and began cycling normally.
Approximate total $335
Typical Repair Example
Heavy frost on the back panel, shelves getting warmer
Frigidaire frost-free upright freezer
Symptom
Thick frost on the rear panel and slowly rising temperatures over a week.
Diagnostic finding
The evaporator coil was fully iced over. The defrost heater tested open; the defrost thermostat and control were working.
Repair performed
Cleared the ice, replaced the defrost heater and verified a full defrost cycle.
Parts involved
Defrost heater
Result
Clean coil, normal airflow and steady temperatures.
Approximate total $385
Typical Repair Example
Chest freezer clicking but not cooling
Frigidaire chest freezer
Symptom
Freezer warm; a click every few minutes from the back.
Diagnostic finding
The compressor windings tested good, but the start relay had failed, so the compressor kept tripping its overload instead of starting.
Repair performed
Replaced the start relay and overload and confirmed compressor amperage and cooling.
Parts involved
Start relay, overload
Result
Compressor started normally and the freezer returned to temperature overnight.
Approximate total $265
Typical repair examples describe common scenarios and representative pricing. They are not individual customer records, and your diagnosis and price may differ.
Need your Frigidaire freezer looked at?
$75 service call, applied toward the repair. You get the price before any work starts.
How long will food stay frozen if my freezer stops?
A full freezer that stays closed generally keeps food frozen far longer than a half-empty one, typically around a day or two depending on how full it is. Keep the door shut, and follow food-safety guidance for anything that thawed.
Why is my chest freezer warm on the outside?
That's normal on most chest freezers. The condenser tubing runs inside the outer walls and gives off heat while the compressor runs. Warm sides combined with a freezer that isn't cold inside is a different story and needs a diagnosis.
Is it worth repairing an old freezer?
Start relays, controls, fans, defrost parts and gaskets are usually worth repairing. A compressor or a leak inside the walls of an older chest freezer often isn't, and we'll say so.
Can you repair the freezer section of my refrigerator?
Yes, that's part of refrigerator repair. This page covers standalone upright and chest freezers.
Frigidaire repair · Las Vegas Valley
Get your Frigidaire working again.
$75 service call, applied toward the approved repair. Price approved by you before work begins. 90-day labor warranty.