applianceSOS, an independent refrigerator diagnosis website, has added a new guide on refrigerators that freeze food or drinks. The guide, titled “Refrigerator Too Cold and Freezing Food: Causes and Fixes,” is now available on the company’s website.

The guide is written for homeowners whose refrigerator runs colder than food safety requires. It defines over-cooling as the fresh-food section approaching 32°F, the freezing point of water, compared with the USDA recommendation of 40°F or below. It also separates over-cooling on every shelf from cold spots near the vents.

The guide covers the likely causes in turn: the temperature setting, food placement, quick-cool modes, the damper (a flap in the air duct between the freezer and refrigerator section on many frost-free models), the temperature sensor, and the thermostat or control board. It includes five first checks to complete before any part is replaced and notes which work should be left to a technician, such as electrical testing, refrigerant handling and sealed-system repair.

“A cold reading on every shelf points to the setting or a control part, while a cold spot near a vent usually points to where the food is sitting,” said Ryan, the main technician who leads applianceSOS’s technical direction.

The guide is the latest addition to applianceSOS’s library of refrigerator guides, which covers faults, parts, brands and food safety. It is available at https://appliancesos.co.uk/too-cold/

About applianceSOS: applianceSOS publishes independent diagnosis guides for domestic refrigerators, with separate US and UK source references where the markets differ.