My garage chest freezer is running but the food is soft. Why?

Heat may be outpacing it, the lid seal may leak, or the compressor may be weak. Check that the lid closes evenly. If it still cannot hold temperature, book a diagnosis.

Is it safe to plug in a freezer that sat in storm-surge water?

No. Leave it unplugged. Salt water damages the compressor, wiring and controls and creates a shock risk. Many flooded freezers should be replaced.

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Home/Hillsborough County/Ruskin & Apollo Beach/Freezer Repair

Freezer repair in Ruskin & Apollo Beach

Plenty of SouthShore garages hold a chest or upright freezer stocked with fish, bulk groceries or hurricane-season supplies. We cover 4 ZIP codes in Ruskin & Apollo Beach.

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Garage Freezers in a Hot, Salty Climate

Anglers along the Little Manatee River and the Apollo Beach canals often keep a separate freezer for the catch, usually in the garage. There it faces summer heat well over 100 °F, and salt air that corrodes the condenser and hinges. Chest freezers can sweat in this climate; heavy sweating along the lid suggests a failing gasket.

In upright frost-free freezers, a failed defrost heater or thermostat lets ice pack the evaporator. A warm chest freezer usually points to the compressor circuit or a seal.

Checks After an Outage, and the Visit

After an outage, keep the lid closed and plug the freezer straight into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. If it does not start within a few minutes, or the compressor clicks on and off, a start relay or control may be damaged. The technician checks the start parts, fans, defrost system and seals and gives the price first. If a sealed-system repair is not worth it, we say so.

Before You Book: Freezer Checks

Safe first steps for the most urgent freezer problems, and when to leave it to a technician.

Power Cord Damaged on FreezerSafety: If the plug can be reached safely, pull it at once, or shut off the circuit breaker; if you see scorch marks or melting at the plug or outlet, keep your hands off and do not attempt a fix yourself.
Not Freezing: Check that the control has not been set to off or defrost and plug a lamp into the outlet to confirm power; get the food into a cooler or a second freezer right away.
Not Cold Enough — Above 0°F: Double-check the temperature setting, then give a freezer thermometer a full 24 hours in the center of the cabinet before you rely on what it shows.
Defrost System Failure: If thick frost coats the inside back panel, a stopgap is to store the food elsewhere and leave the freezer unplugged with its door open for about a day so the ice melts away.

Symptoms, causes and repair-or-replace advice for every type of freezer are in our complete freezer repair guide.