What you are actually seeing
- The cabinet runs constantly and still will not reach setpoint
- A sheet of frost on the rear wall of the freezer
- Not this fault: Freezer fine, fresh food warm, and ice on the back wall of the freezer
Ranked causes on a Conserv refrigerator
- Door not sealing or being left ajar — Ranked here because: a single-function cabinet is opened and loaded harder than a combination unit, and the gasket carries the whole load of keeping one compartment at one temperature
- Defrost cycle not clearing the evaporator — Ranked here because: with no ice maker in the cabinet the defrost drain is the only water path, so any water at all points at it
- Cold control or thermostat out of calibration — Ranked here because: the cold control on most of the range is a discrete mechanical part, testable and replaceable on its own
- Condenser coil fouled with dust, lint or grease — Ranked here because: these cabinets are frequently built into cabinetry that does not give them the clearance the platform assumes
What to check, and in what order
- Unplug the cabinet, pull it out and clean the condenser coil and the condenser fan thoroughly
- Close the door on a strip of paper at several points around the frame and pull each one out
- If there is a frost slab, unplug the cabinet with the doors open for a full day, then run it and watch how long normal cooling lasts
- Put a thermometer in each compartment and read both after an hour
Steps you can safely do yourself
- If there is a frost slab, unplug the cabinet with the doors open for a full day, then run it and watch how long normal cooling lasts — Tools: towels — Estimated time: a full day
- Put a thermometer in each compartment and read both after an hour — Tools: two appliance thermometers — Estimated time: about an hour
- Confirm the compressor and the condenser fan are running and that air is moving inside the freezer — Tools: none — Estimated time: a few minutes
- Clear the freezer and look at the rear wall and the vents between the compartments — Tools: none — Estimated time: about ten minutes
Safety
Safety
fridge-40f freezer-0f unplug-before-service
When to call a technician
the condenser is clean, the fans run, the doors seal and the cabinet still will not cool — that is a sealed-system diagnosis the defrost fault returns after a manual defrost, since the heater and thermostat are behind the evaporator the compressor runs continuously and the compartment is hot rather than merely warm
Nearest pages
What this page does not cover
Not this fault: the family pages for the all-refrigerator, upright-freezer and chest lines Not this fault: model-specific pages once a model number is known
Links: - [Common CONSERV Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems) - [Common Conserv Refrigerator Problems](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-problems-2) - [Common Conserv Freezer Problems](/blog/conserv-freezer-problems) - [CONSERV Refrigerator: Abnormal Noise or Vibration](/blog/conserv-refrigerator-abnormal-noise)
Lead Appliance Repair Technician · 12 years experience
Experienced technician with 12 years specializing in washing machine and dryer repairs across all major brands.
