--- title: "Walk-In Freezer Icing Up on the Coil, Floor and Door Frame: Causes and Fixes" description: "A walk-in freezer icing up shows as a white block on the evaporator coil, frost on the ceiling and boxes, an icy ridge on the floor inside the door, or a door…" url: "https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/walk-in-freezer-icing-up/" --- # Walk-In Freezer Icing Up on the Coil, Floor and Door Frame A walk-in freezer icing up shows as a white block on the evaporator coil, frost on the ceiling and boxes, an icy ridge on the floor inside the door, or a door frozen to its frame. ## What it usually means. Ice in a walk-in freezer comes from moisture, and moisture comes from outside air. Every time the door opens, warm kitchen air enters and its water freezes onto the coldest surface it finds. The system is designed to handle a normal amount: defrost heaters on the evaporator melt the coil clear a few times a day, the water leaves through a heated drain line, and a heater wire in the door frame keeps the gasket from freezing to the jamb. Icing builds when more moisture comes in than defrost can clear, or when one of those heaters stops. A door propped open at delivery, a gasket torn at the bottom corner or a latch that does not pull the door fully shut lets humid air in all day. A dead defrost heater or a termination switch that ends defrost too early leaves ice to accumulate on the coil until air stops moving. A drain line heater that has quit lets defrost water refreeze in the line and back up. A frame heater that has failed lets the door freeze shut, so staff yank it and damage the gasket further. The 6 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 Is the ice on the evaporator coil itself, on the ceiling and product, or at the door and floor? 02 Is the door frame cold and sweating, or is the door hard to pull open because it is frozen shut? 03 Does the ice come back within days of being cleared? 04 Is there a column of ice below the evaporator drain or a puddle that freezes on the floor? 05 How long is the door usually open during a delivery or a stock count? ## Check these before you book. Walk-in freezer icing up: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Log the box temperature with the time, and move product to another freezer if the box is climbing toward 0°F. 02 Close the door and see whether it pulls itself shut and seals, especially at the bottom hinge corner. 03 Look at the evaporator coil from the floor: if it is a solid white block, note it and do not chip at it. ### Also worth checking - Clear ice from the floor inside the door so nobody slips, using a plastic scraper away from the coil and wiring. - Leave the heaters, the drain line and the refrigerant piping to the technician. ### How soon does it need a visit? A freezer icing slowly while it still holds temperature can wait for a booked visit within a few days. One that has iced its coil and is warming, or a door frozen shut, is booked the same day. ## The causes, cheapest first. 6 things walk-in freezer icing up on the coil, floor and door frame turns out to be, from door held open during deliveries to defrost control or timer stuck. [The cost guide](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Door held open during deliveries A door propped open while a pallet is broken down brings in enough moisture to frost everything. Staging product outside the box and bringing it in with the door closing behind each load keeps the moisture out. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 lowest ### Gasket torn at the bottom corner The lower hinge corner takes the most carts and boots, and a split there pulls in humid air all day. The gasket is replaced and the door adjusted to close under its own weight. [Fixed by walk-in cooler repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/walk-in-cooler-repair/) [On a commercial cold storage unit](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/types/commercial-refrigeration-repair/) 3. 03 low to moderate ### Door frame heater wire burned out The heater buried in the jamb keeps the gasket from freezing on. When it fails, the door sticks, sweats and ices at its edges; the heater is traced and replaced. [Fixed by walk-in cooler repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/walk-in-cooler-repair/) [On a commercial cold storage unit](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/types/commercial-refrigeration-repair/) 4. 04 low to moderate ### Drain line heater failed Defrost water refreezes in an unheated drain and builds a column of ice under the evaporator. The line is thawed and cleared, and new heat tape and insulation are fitted. [Fixed by walk-in cooler repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/walk-in-cooler-repair/) [On a commercial cold storage unit](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/types/commercial-refrigeration-repair/) 5. 05 moderate ### Defrost heater or termination switch dead With a heater open or a switch ending defrost too early, ice grows on the coil cycle after cycle. The heaters and the switch are tested and the failed part replaced. [Fixed by walk-in cooler repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/walk-in-cooler-repair/) [On a commercial cold storage unit](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/types/commercial-refrigeration-repair/) 6. 06 moderate ### Defrost control or timer stuck A mechanical timer that stops advancing or a board with the wrong schedule never starts defrost at all. The control is replaced or reset to the evaporator maker's schedule. [Fixed by commercial controls and board repair](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/services/commercial-controls-and-board-repair/) [On a commercial cold storage unit](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/types/commercial-refrigeration-repair/) ## What else it could be. Most often confused with walk-in cooler warm above 41°f with food inside, then water on the commercial kitchen floor near equipment and outlets. [All problems](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`dEF` Beverage-Air · Mode, not a failure](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/beverage-air-def/) - [`E1` Continental Refrigerator · Sensors and probes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/continental-refrigerator-e1/) - [`dEF` Delfield · Mode, not a failure](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/delfield-def/) - [`E02` Delfield · Sensors and probes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/delfield-e02/) - [`SN2` Traulsen · Sensors and probes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/traulsen-sn2/) - [`DEF ERR` Traulsen · Compressor and cooling](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/traulsen-def-err/) [8 more codes, by make](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Commercial Appliance Error Code on a Combi, Fryer, Dish Machine or Laundry Display** 8 causes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/commercial-error-code/) Gas, fire, food at risk or water near power ### Walk-In Cooler Warm Above 41°F With Food Inside 6 causes Gas, fire, food at risk or water near power ### Water on the Commercial Kitchen Floor Near Equipment and Outlets 6 causes ### Reach-In Cooler Not Holding Temperature Through a Shift 6 causes ## The makes it happens on. 35 makes on this site; walk-in freezer icing up on the coil, floor and door frame can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 35 brands](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/brands/) ## Walk-In Freezer Icing Up on the Coil, Floor and Door Frame, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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No. The fins and tubes are thin, and a punctured tube turns a defrost repair into a sealed system repair. Book a visit; the coil is thawed safely. ### Why does ice build up on the floor just inside the walk-in freezer door? Warm air comes in low at the door and condenses on the cold floor. A worn bottom gasket, a sweep that no longer touches, or a door held open for deliveries makes it worse. ### The door is frozen shut. Should we force it? Pull steadily, not in jerks, and stop if it will not give. A frozen door usually means the frame heater failed, and forcing it tears the gasket. ### How many defrosts a day does a walk-in freezer need? It depends on the box, the door traffic and the humidity. The technician sets the schedule from the evaporator maker's guide and adjusts it to your use. --- **[Read on the site: Walk-In Freezer Icing Up on the Coil, Floor and Door Frame: Causes and Fixes](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/problems/walk-in-freezer-icing-up/)** **[Book a visit with CommercialApplianceRepair.center](https://commercialappliancerepair.center/schedule/)**