Freezer Temperature hitting 45 degrees, Auto Defrost Problem?

Question

Hi, I have a GE top-bottom refrigerator, I suspect it's around 10 years old at most?

Anyways, I noticed once or twice a day, the temperature in the freezer will go up a lot (I have a thermometer in there). It's usually at around -10 F to 0 F, but during this time it will go up as high as 45 F, and then come back down. Usually does this for about an hour.

The fridge does the same thing, but to a lesser extent, the warmest I've seen it get is maybe 42 F, or around there.

So the problem seems to be in the freezer, but is this a problem, or is this just the way the auto defrost works?

It's a bit unnerving to see the temperature climb to 45 F in the Freezer, but it doesn't seem to thaw anything out (the ice cream just gets a tad soft), so maybe it's not a problem, but I wasn't sure if this was normal or not.

Thank you!

Stormin Mormon · Accepted Answer

Yep, it's normal. Should be about 20 minutes, either three or fourtimes a day. I agree, it's frieky.

lostintime95 · Answer

Thank you for the response.So even if the temperature in the freezer is going this high, it won'tkeep thawing and refreezing food, thus messing up food quality?Storm

lostintime95 · Answer

Oh, and just in case my original post was confusing, it is the FREEZERthat is going up as high as 45 degrees.  Hence why I'm so concerned.Fridge, that would not be a big deal, but if the freezer is going upthat high, it just makes me worry someth

JimL · Answer

Mine never does that.   Where is your thermometer, next to the doorheater?

lostintime95 · Answer

It's a thermometer I keep in there myself, so I move it aroundJimL wrote:

JimL · Answer

I have a kenmore whirlpool side by side and the thermometer I use is sitting on a shelf at the front middle so I can see it every time I open the door. The defrost heaters are at the back behind a aluminum panel. I suppose if I stuck the thermometer against that panel, I would get readings like yours for a few minutes, twice a day during the defrost cycle.

But in the front, on the opposite side from the defrost heater, I never see the temp rise past 15F

The fridge side has no defroster heater so it stays between 37 and 43 degrees.

Freezer Temperature hitting 45 degrees, Auto Defrost Problem?

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