Freezer not keeping things frozen

I do assume this is in Celcius.

-20C is about the right level for a three-star freezer.

From Google:

"

1. Domestic freezers have a star rating indicating the temperature they are designed to operate at. On the packaging of a frozen food there is guidance stating how long the food can be stored using freezers of a given star rating. As a guide here are some suggested maximum storage times at -18°C for a variety of foods."

• A frigidaire should have a temperature of between thirtyseven degrees farenheit (three degrees centigrade) and forty degrees farenheit (five degrees centigrade). Any higher and the food will go off, any lower and you'll lose nutrients and fresh food can be ruined.
• The ideal freezer temperature is zero degrees farenheit (negative eighteen degrees centigrade) which will store food safely and stop bacteria forming
• It's a good idea to buy a fridge thermometer and check the temperature if you are not sure it the thermostat is working efficiently
• If you adjust the thermostat, it generally will take twentyfour hours to adjust the temperature

• A frigidaire should have a temperature of between thirtyseven degrees farenheit (three degrees centigrade) and forty degrees farenheit (five degrees centigrade). Any higher and the food will go off, any lower and you'll lose nutrients and fresh food can be ruined.
• The ideal freezer temperature is zero degrees farenheit (negative eighteen degrees centigrade) which will store food safely and stop bacteria forming
• It's a good idea to buy a fridge thermometer and check the temperature if you are not sure it the thermostat is working efficiently
• If you adjust the thermostat, it generally will take twentyfour hours to adjust the temperature

FREEZER /FRIDGE NOT COOLING: Optimum refrigerator temperature at or below40° F(4° C). The freezer temperature should be0° F(-18° C). Check temperatures periodically. Appliance thermometers are the best way of knowing these

Get/buy an external thermometer for both the refer and freezer to double check your settings. Refer around 38 to 40 F and freezer usually around 0F

Hello Scott. No. The only thing it does is run up the electric bill and possibly cause the frozen food to deteriorate more rapidly than it would if it was kept at zero degrees farenheit or lower. Joe

Thanks for choosing Fixya!

Hello,

By keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold, it unnecessarily wastes electricity. The recommended temperature is 37 to 40 degrees for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator. The recommended temperature for the freezer compartment is 5 degrees. If you have a separate freezer for long-term food storage, it should kept at 0 to -5 degrees.

The following steps below is how to set the temperature of your refrigerator.

The first thing you must know is that your refrigerator should be set at 37-38 degrees. Anything at 40 or higher and you are risking food born illness (food poisoning) or spoiling your food.

Step 2
Place your magnetic thermometer in the refrigerator.

Step 3
Set your dial on your refrigerator to the second lowest setting. (If your refrigerator is already equipped with a digital thermostat, simply set it for 37 or 38 degrees and do not move on to the next step)

Step 4
After 2 hours, check your thermometer reading. If your reading is 38 degrees, there is no need to go higher and you are ready to put your groceries in. Be sure not to open and close your refrigerator during these two hours or your temperature reading will be incorrect.

If your reading is higher than 38 degrees, move your dial up to the next coldest setting and repeat the steps every two hours until you reach the correct temperature for your refrigerator.

Step 5
Once you have reached the correct refrigeration temperature for your refrigerator, place the magnetic thermometer in the refrigerator permanently and watch for changes.

Typically, your refrigerator temperature will need to be adjusted with the seasons, a higher setting in the summer and a lower setting in the winter.

Hope this helpout and take care.

Generic instructions to set temperatures in fridges:

Many manufacturers design these appliances to operate at 0 degrees F in the freezer and 34 to 36 degrees F in the fresh food compartment.

To set the temperature correctly, fill a glass with water (8 to 12 ounces) and place a thermometer capable of indicating 32 degrees and up into the glass with water (if the temperature goes below 32 degrees, the water will freeze - so no need to find a thermometer that indicates any lower). Place the glass with the thermometer in it on a shelf and wait. Putting the thermometer in a glass of water helps preserve the temperature reading while the door is open. You can skip the water and glass if you want - but you'll need to read the temperature as soon as you open the door.

The freezer will require a thermometer capable of displaying 0 degrees F. Place it on a shelf where it can be seen readily - but preferably in the rear - between items (to prevent the warm air from driving the indicator up when opening the door to read it).

It will probably be easier to set the freezer temperature first. Adjust both the freezer and fresh food thermostats to mid-points (if the fridge is empty - otherwise skip this step). Adjust the freezer thermostat up or down as needed to reach the desired 0 degree F temperature.

Once the freezer adjustments are complete, adjust the fresh food compartment thermostat as needed up or down to reach the desired temperature for it.

If you fridge is fully stocked, it may take some time for the temperature to stabilize and warm / cool the fridge's contents completely. This is further affected by how often the door(s) are opened and for how long. 24 hours is often claimed - but you might be able to sneak an 8 - 12 hour soak before reading the thermometers.

After the temperatures are set, you may find that the lower part of the fresh food area is partially freezing - simply adjust the thermometer up *slightly* as needed.

Please rate this reply if it was helpful - good luck!

Hello,

First thing- set the controls at the mid range of their settings. Next, check the coils under the fridge to see if they are clogged with dust, etc. Next, using a couple stem thermometers, determine the temps in the freezer and fresh food sections. In the fresh food section, place a tall glass of water on a shelf in the middle, put the thermometer in and let it set for awhile in the fridge. Inside the fresh food section, look for the damper opening at the top of the wall in between the two sections. Wet the back of your fingers- can you feel air blowing through the damper opening? Inside the freezer section, look at the back wall- any frost buildup there.

Hope this help.....

This is well with in factory specifications. Hot air rises and cold air drops. Because a chest freezer does not have a fan to circulate the air it is normal for the basket to be warmer than the bottom of the freezer. The bottom of the freezer is used for food you want to keep for a longer period of time.What you store in the basket is food you will freeze for a short period of time. Ice cream should not be kept in the basket. As you fill your freezer with food you will find that the temperature will equal out because the frozen food will take up the place of the frozen air which will give you a more stable freezer temperature.
Try your test when you have it full of food.