My freezer is running but not freezing. What causes that?

A soft freezer shares most of its causes with a fridge that will not cool: a control board or inverter board not driving the compressor, a failed start capacitor and relay, a dead evaporator fan, or a defrost fault icing over the coil. The one extra possibility is a refrigerant leak in the sealed system, where there is no refrigerant left to make cold. We confirm whether the compressor is running, check the fan and coil, and only test for a leak when the symptoms point there.

Why does a refrigerator repair range from $250 to $4,000?

Because the cause sets the cost. A board, a fan, a defrost part, or a start capacitor and relay land near $250 plus the part, and that is where most freezers end up. A refrigerant leak means a full sealed-system rebuild, which is the high end up to $4,000 and is EPA-regulated work. We diagnose first so you get the exact number in writing, not a guess, before any work starts.

Is a sealed-system repair worth it?

It depends on what you own. A sealed-system rebuild only makes sense on a unit worth keeping. Sub-Zero, GE, and Monogram are built to be serviced, parts are available, and we back full sealed-system work with a 2-year repair warranty, so on those it is usually worth it. On a cheap unit the math can swing toward replace. We tell you straight which side you are on before we touch anything.

Are you local, and how fast can you come out?

We are based in San Ramon and run appliance calls across the Tri-Valley and the East Bay every day. A thawing freezer is a same-day priority for us when we can manage it. Call (925) 999-4095 and we will get you scheduled and tell you the diagnostic and timing up front.

REFRIGERATOR · ATHERTON

Refrigerator not freezing in Atherton? We fix it.

A freezer that has gone soft, where things are thawing and the ice cream will not set, shares most of its causes with a fridge that will not cool, plus one more serious possibility. The same boards, fans, and defrost system have to work, and on top of that the sealed system has to be holding refrigerant. We diagnose first so you know exactly which of these you are dealing with before any number is quoted.

$75 diagnostic (waived with repair)
Same-day best effort
CSLB #1136642

Call (925) 999-4095

Why this happens

What we look for first.

Control board not powering the compressor. The control board tells the compressor to run. No compressor means no cold, so the freezer slowly comes up to room temperature while everything thaws. We meter for output at the compressor circuit and confirm the board is the dead link before replacing it. A board not powering the compressor runs from $250 plus the board.
Inverter board failure. On a variable-speed compressor the inverter board runs the show, taking the control signal and driving the compressor at the right speed. When it fails, freezing stops. We test for the drive output and check the compressor windings before we replace the board. This is a from $250 plus the board repair.
Failed capacitor and start relay. The start capacitor and relay kick the compressor on each cycle, and they fail more often than the compressor itself. They are the cheaper end of the repair. The tell is a compressor that clicks and shuts off on its overload, or will not start at all. We meter both and confirm the compressor is good before replacing them, since these are the inexpensive parts to rule out first.
Dead evaporator fan. The evaporator fan moves cold air off the coil into the freezer. When the motor dies, the coil gets cold but the air never moves into the freezer, so the compartment warms even though the system is making cold. We pull the back panel, check the fan for power and free rotation, and replace the motor when it has failed.
Defrost fault trapping the cold in the coil. When the defrost system quits, frost builds on the evaporator until it blocks airflow, and the cold stays trapped in the coil instead of reaching the compartment. From the front it looks like a freezer that will not freeze. We look behind the back panel for a frost block and test the defrost heater and thermostat. Common, and very fixable.
Loss of refrigerant in the sealed system. This is the one that sets a soft freezer apart from a fan or board problem. If the sealed system is leaking, there is no refrigerant left to make cold, and the compressor runs constantly without ever pulling the temperature down. This is the top-end repair and it is EPA-regulated work, which we are licensed for under EPA #1279674151528. We isolate the leak, repair it, evacuate, and recharge. A full sealed-system rebuild carries a 2-year repair warranty.

How we diagnose and fix it

The walk-in workflow.

01
Pull the model and serial and confirm whether the compressor is running, since that splits a board or start-component problem from everything else.
02
Look behind the freezer back panel for a frost-blocked evaporator coil, which points at a defrost fault.
03
Check the evaporator fan for power and free rotation so a stalled fan is not mistaken for a refrigerant problem.
04
Meter the start capacitor, start relay, and compressor windings to separate a cheap start failure from the compressor itself.
05
If the compressor runs continuously but the box never pulls down, test the sealed system for a refrigerant leak before quoting that work.
06
Once the failed part or the leak is confirmed, quote the exact repair and labor in writing before we start.

Serving Atherton

Atherton: response and coverage.

Atherton sits on the Peninsula. We work it on planned Peninsula days, usually Tuesday and Thursday. Same-week scheduling, premium service for custom built-ins.

Neighborhoods we cover regularly in Atherton: West Atherton, Lindenwood, Lloyden Park. Beyond those, our service area in Atherton covers the city limits.

Atherton kitchens lean heavily on Sub-Zero and Wolf, with Thermador and Fisher & Paykel in newer remodels. Most calls are 10 to 25 year built-ins behind custom cabinetry panels, plus undercounter wine columns from Sub-Zero, U-Line, and the occasional Marvel.

Pricing and warranty

What it costs. What we stand behind.

$75

Diagnostic visit. Waived when you book the repair with us.
Typical

Repairs on this symptom run a wide range, from $250 up to about $4,000. The low end is a board, a fan, a defrost part, or a start capacitor and relay, where most freezers land. A control board or inverter board runs from $250 plus the board. The high end is a full sealed-system rebuild to fix a refrigerant leak, which can reach $4,000 and carries a 2-year repair warranty. Most freezers land nowhere near the top. We diagnose first and put the exact repair and labor in writing before any work starts.
Warranty

You get a parts and labor warranty in writing before we start. We cover major components like control boards, inverter boards, fan motors, and defrost parts for 1 year, and a full sealed-system rebuild carries a 2-year repair warranty. We put the part, the price, and the labor on paper up front so you know exactly what is covered before we turn a screw. Standard appliance repairs get the standard warranty; sealed-system work gets the longer one.

FAQ

Refrigerator in Atherton questions.

My freezer is running but not freezing. What causes that?

A soft freezer shares most of its causes with a fridge that will not cool: a control board or inverter board not driving the compressor, a failed start capacitor and relay, a dead evaporator fan, or a defrost fault icing over the coil. The one extra possibility is a refrigerant leak in the sealed system, where there is no refrigerant left to make cold. We confirm whether the compressor is running, check the fan and coil, and only test for a leak when the symptoms point there.
Why does a refrigerator repair range from $250 to $4,000?

Because the cause sets the cost. A board, a fan, a defrost part, or a start capacitor and relay land near $250 plus the part, and that is where most freezers end up. A refrigerant leak means a full sealed-system rebuild, which is the high end up to $4,000 and is EPA-regulated work. We diagnose first so you get the exact number in writing, not a guess, before any work starts.
Is a sealed-system repair worth it?

It depends on what you own. A sealed-system rebuild only makes sense on a unit worth keeping. Sub-Zero, GE, and Monogram are built to be serviced, parts are available, and we back full sealed-system work with a 2-year repair warranty, so on those it is usually worth it. On a cheap unit the math can swing toward replace. We tell you straight which side you are on before we touch anything.
Are you local, and how fast can you come out?

We are based in San Ramon and run appliance calls across the Tri-Valley and the East Bay every day. A thawing freezer is a same-day priority for us when we can manage it. Call (925) 999-4095 and we will get you scheduled and tell you the diagnostic and timing up front.

Nearby cities

Refrigerator not freezing near Atherton.

Also in Atherton

Other repairs we do in Atherton.

Ready to book the Atherton call?

Tell us the model and the symptom. We will quote it.

Call (925) 999-4095