My Refrigerator Does Not Keep Ice Cream Frozen

Ice cream can indicate whether a freezer is operating properly. A large refrigerator can bring up to 11 cubic feet of frozen-food storage space to your kitchen. Maytag says ice cream offers one of the best indicators of whether your freezer cavity is operating at the correct temperature. If your ice cream is frozen but scoopable, your appliance is on the right track. If your refrigerator does not keep ice cream frozen, one or more factors may be to blame.

Storing your refrigerator in a garage could cause performance problems for the appliance. Maytag says you should not place a refrigerator in a spot where the temperature will climb above 110 degrees Fahrenheit or fall below 55 degrees. GE sets its low-temperature limit at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Review your appliance’s manual for the acceptable range for your refrigerator. Also note the amount of air clearance the unit should have, and ensure your appliance meets this requirement.

If your freezer is not keeping items as cold as you’d like, adjust the temperature control to a lower setting. Up to 24 hours may be required for the freezer to reach the new temperature, so wait awhile before you check your ice cream’s firmness again. If you recently added warm or hot food to the freezer, the compartment may need a full 24 hours to stabilize its temperature.

Your freezer may fail to cool properly if the air circulation vents inside the freezer compartment are blocked. If you have difficulty locating the vents in your freezer section, refer to your owner’s manual for information.

If you open the freezer door repeatedly in a short period of time, considerable amounts of cold air can escape from the appliance, and the freezer’s temperature will drop. This can also happen if you fail to shut the door completely or if a food item blocks the door when you try to close it.

Freezers that don’t contain a lot of items may not cool as well as those that are reasonably full. “This is because the items in the freezer absorb the cold and help the freezer maintain a steady temperature, in much the same way that ice cubes keep a drink cold,” advises GE. If you don’t have enough food to keep the freezer relatively full, freeze some bottles or containers of water.

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