Fridge freezer too cold: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 254 fridge, freezer and fridge freezer jobs our engineers attended for this fault. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
When a fridge keeps getting too cold and freezing food, the cause our engineers find most often is a faulty air damper. This is a small motorised flap that opens and closes to control how much cold air is let through into the fridge. When it fails, it tends to stay open, so cold air keeps flowing in and the fridge freezes whatever the temperature setting says. Engineers find the flap snapped or broken off, its motor no longer turning it, or the flap frozen shut because its small heater has stopped working. Engineers also sometimes find a faulty temperature sensor, or a broken support bar on the door that lets cold air reach the wrong part of the fridge.
To find the cause, an engineer checks the temperatures inside, looks at the damper and watches or listens to whether it opens and closes as it should. They may also test the motor and the sensors. The damper is often ordered for your model and fitted at a second visit. The engineer then runs the appliance to make sure the flap is working and the fridge is cooling properly again.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 254
- Confirmed repairs
- 104
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 27%
- about 1 in 4 of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £108 to £209
- including parts and VAT, from 101 repairs
What's usually behind it
The causes our engineers found and fixed, as a share of our 104 confirmed repairs for this fault.
-
Faulty air damper: about 2 in 5 of our repairs, from 41 jobs.
39%
We only list causes with enough repairs behind them, so the shares won't add up to 100%.
About the price. £108 to £209 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 101 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the fridge freezer off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage