The short answer
On the AU family a freezer that has stopped getting cold while still making noise is most often a control or starting fault. These cabinets run one compressor from a simple thermostat and a start device. The rhythm of the running tells you which of those has let go.
What you observe on these models
- The cabinet runs constantly but the contents have softened — Ice cream that will not hold its shape is the earliest reliable sign, well before anything thaws.
- Heavy frost on the walls or on the lid seal — Frost is moisture that got in, and on a freezer it is usually the seal telling you how.
- The contents at the top are soft and the bottom is still solid — Stratification like this says the cabinet is losing cold at the opening rather than failing to make it.
- NEAR MISS - the cabinet is silent and warming — No compressor noise at all is a power, control or start fault and belongs on a page about a freezer that will not run.
Causes, most likely first on this family
- Start relay or overload dropping the compressor out — First on this family. A repeated click every few seconds, with the compressor humming and stopping rather than settling, is a start device failing, and it is a cheap part that strands an otherwise good cabinet, and on a single-model family there is no configuration question to settle first.
- Thermostat drifted or its sensor out of position — Second. A control that satisfies early stops the compressor while the cabinet is still warm, and the tell is a machine that cycles normally and never gets cold.
- Seal and frost load — Third. A leaking seal and a heavy ice load produce a cabinet that runs continuously, which is the opposite rhythm to the first two causes, and that difference is how you sort them.
- Sealed-system loss — Last. A cabinet running without stopping, with frost only at the start of the evaporator and none beyond it, has lost charge, and nothing about that is an owner repair.
Check in this order, and why this family dictates it
- Stand beside the cabinet and listen to the rhythm for a few minutes — Short repeated attempts point at the start device; a continuous run points at the seal, the frost or the charge.
- Turn the thermostat through its range and listen for the compressor to respond — Second: a control that will not call for cooling at its coldest setting has answered the question on its own.
- Defrost the cabinet and check the seal — Third, because it clears the continuous-run explanations before anyone talks about refrigerant.
- Leave charge and compressor measurements to a technician — Last and necessarily: none of it can be judged from the outside, and guessing here is how parts budgets get wasted.
Before you open anything
Safety
Unplug the appliance or switch off its breaker before removing any panel. A capacitor can hold a charge after the power is off. A freezer holds food safely at 0 degrees F (minus 18 degrees C) or below; food that has been above that for hours should not be refrozen on the assumption that it is fine.
Models in the AU family
Reference| Model number | Family key |
|---|---|
| AU83ETWBR1RCM | arctic-king:freezer:au |
When to call a technician
Call when the cabinet has been defrosted, sealed and given clearance and still will not reach temperature, when the compressor is clicking in and out every few seconds, when it is too hot to keep a hand on, or when a breaker trips on start. This family is a single model, so a technician can bring the right start device and thermostat on the first visit.
Other faults covered for this family
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Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
