How To Fix A Refrigerator Freezer That's Too Cold

If the freezer section is too cold and the fresh food section temperature is normal you should suspect that the air damper or freezer control is adjusted improperly or may be defective, and is deflecting more than the normal amount of air into the freezer section and not enough into the fresh food compartment to satisfy the cold control and turn off the compressor. Verify that the control is operating the damper and that it moves freely with no binding or obstructions.

In models that use an Electronic Control, a thermistor or temperature sensor may be used to monitor fresh food and freezer temperatures. The sensor is a small capsule like device that is protected by a plastic shield and will vary in resistance depending on the temperature. The control board uses this information to turn on the compressor and fan circuits as well as to operate the damper control on some models. If the sensor becomes damaged or defective it may incorrectly signal the control board to close the air damper too much and result in colder than normal freezer temperatures. Individual manufacturers may have specific information available to test these sensors, depending on the model involved, and may also provide a fault code on the electronic control board on some models.