April 19, 2023

Upright Freezer: Why does my freezer have a sheet of ice at the bottom?

In an upright freezer with automatic defrost, a defrost drain tube clogged with ice or gunk can cause water to puddle at the bottom of the freezer, where it forms a sheet of ice. Clear the drain tube to fix this problem.

A sheet of ice in the bottom of the freezer can be caused by a temporary power outage in a manually defrosting freezer. Water will puddle at the bottom of the freezer when ice and frost melts inside the freezer. A sheet of ice at the bottom of the freezer will form when power is restored and the puddle freezes. Defrost the freezer to get rid of the sheet of ice in the bottom of the freezer.

upright freezer

THESE REPAIRS MAY HELP SOLVE YOUR UPRIGHT FREEZER PROBLEM

JC-FRZ-Clean-the-freezer-defrost-drain-tube

Clean the freezer defrost drain tube

As part of the defrost cycle, the defrost drain tube transfers water that condenses in the evaporator drip tray to the drip pan near the compressor, where the water evaporates. Because it's directly under the evaporator, the defrost drain tube can freeze or clog. Pour hot water down the defrost drain tube to clear it.

Clean the freezer defrost drain tube

Find the required part specific to your product.

Most common symptoms to help you fix your freestanding freezers

Choose a symptom to see related freezer repairs.

Main causes: lack of power, control system failure, broken compressor start relay, locked up compressor, compressor moto…

Main causes: leaky door or lid gasket, broken defrost heater, bad defrost bi-metal thermostat, defrost control failure, …

Main causes: excessive frost, bad defrost heater, bad defrost bi-metal, control system failure, low refrigerant charge, …

Main causes: dirty condenser coils, condenser fan failure, dirty bottom front grill, leaky door or lid gasket…

Main causes: damaged door or lid gasket, cracked cabinet liner, bad defrost bi-metal thermostat, broken defrost heater, …

Main causes: compressor failure, no refrigerant, faulty sensor, control failure, broken defrost heater, bad defrost bi-m…

Main causes: burned out light bulb, bad door or lid switch, faulty LED light board, wiring failure, control system failu…

Main causes: lack of power, bad compressor, refrigerant leak, bad thermistor, defrost system failure, dirty condenser co…

Repair guides for upright freezers

How to replace a freezer LED light board

How to replace a freezer LED light board

The LED lights illuminate the interior of the freezer when you open the door. It takes just a few minutes to replace the…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 15 minutes or less
How to replace a freezer electronic control board

How to replace a freezer electronic control board

The electronic control board manages the compressor to control freezer temperature. Replace the control board using the…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 45 minutes or less
How to replace a freezer defrost heater

How to replace a freezer defrost heater

If frost builds up on the freezer evaporator because the defrost heater isn’t working, follow these step-by-step instruc…

Repair difficulty
Time required
 45 minutes or less

Effective articles & videos to help repair your freestanding freezers

Use the advice and tips in these articles and videos to get the most out of your freezer.

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Wiring schematic symbols explained video

Learn some of the most common symbols found in a wiring diagram and what they mean.…

How to repair broken or damaged wires video

How to repair broken or damaged wires video

Learn how to repair broken, frayed or damaged wires in your appliances.…

How to use a multimeter to test electrical parts video

How to use a multimeter to test electrical parts video

Learn how to use a multimeter to check for wiring problems in an appliance that's not working…