M: We've got an old fridge and we're trying to figure out whether or not it needs to be replaced or what. The lower part is working fine. The upper part won't freeze anything, but in one of the holes at least that lets you, you know, kind of poke into the back workings of things, you can tell that there's frost collecting on the pipes, implying that the actual temperature might not be the problem. We're trying to figure out what the problem could be and if there's an easy way to fix it without actually replacing the refrigerator.
G: TL;DR:
If the freezer isn’t freezing but you can see frost on the coils, the
cooling system is working—the problem is usually
airflow or defrost, not the compressor. Most common
culprits: frozen evaporator (ice blockage), bad fan, or a
defrost system failure. These are often fixable without
replacing the fridge.
That frost on the pipes (evaporator coils) is a key clue:
So think of it less like “it won’t get cold” and more like “cold is trapped or misrouted.”
What happens:
Signs:
Quick test / fix:
If it works normally again afterward → you’ve confirmed a defrost system issue (see #3).
This fan moves cold air from the coils into the freezer.
Signs:
Test:
No fan = likely fan motor failure (replaceable, usually moderate difficulty)
Fridges periodically melt ice off coils. If this fails:
Components that can fail:
Clue: If a full manual defrost fixes it temporarily, this is almost certainly the issue.
Some fridges control airflow between sections.
Less likely given your frost observation, but still worth checking.
Only start thinking replacement if:
There’s a small but real chance this is something mundane:
These are quick to rule out and sometimes save you from overthinking the problem.
M: The fridge is about 20 years old. I don't know if it has a door latch to test the fan. My dad says it's running. I can't say for certain one way or the other. He was wondering, though, if having it too close to the back wall could have any kind of effect that was measurable. So let me know how that might be affecting things in terms of the probability scale you've already got.
G: TL;DR:
Being too close to the wall can hurt performance, but it almost
never causes “freezer won’t freeze while coils are frosty.” It’s a
secondary efficiency issue, not a primary failure mode.
Your original suspects (airflow blockage, fan, defrost system) still
dominate.
The back clearance matters for the condenser side (heat removal):
Given:
If rear airflow were the issue, you’d expect:
But you’re seeing:
That points to cold not reaching where it needs to go, not heat failing to leave the system.
It can become relevant if:
In that case:
Since it’s easy and free:
This won’t fix a defrost/fan issue—but it prevents misdiagnosing a secondary problem later.
Think of it like this:
They can coexist, but they’re not the same failure.
With a 20-year-old unit, it’s possible you’re seeing:
Individually survivable → together causing noticeable failure
That scenario is less common than a straight defrost issue, but more plausible than wall spacing alone.
M: I had a personal, not pet theory, but I was wondering if we could eliminate in any way the possibility that there's some sort of seal leakage. This particular freezer has been, sorry, this particular freezer has been taunted by a tendency to every once in a while pop open, sometimes because something inside shifts badly, but also because it doesn't quite lock in very well. Like I said, it's 20 years old and seems to function more on some sort of combination of hinge mechanism and hope. Of course, that's exaggeration, but the point is, there's no obvious reason for it to stay closed that would resist if a seal started to fail.
G: TL;DR:
A bad seal or a door that pops open can absolutely contribute—but it
almost never produces your exact pattern by itself. It’s more
of an accelerant: it causes excess frost → which then
leads to airflow blockage / defrost overload, which
matches what you’re seeing.
If the door isn’t sealing well:
Result:
Eventually the coils turn into an ice block → airflow stops → freezer
stops freezing even though frost is present
That lines up very cleanly with your situation.
Updating the earlier model with your new info:
So:
Good seal: resistance
Bad seal: slides out easily
Test multiple spots around the perimeter.
Since yours sometimes pops open:
If it gives easily or doesn’t “grab,” the seal/magnet is likely degraded.
A bad seal does not directly stop freezing.
What it does is:
Overwhelm the system with moisture → cause ice buildup → block airflow → then freezing fails
So if you:
…it may return to normal operation without replacing parts.
Without replacing parts yet:
Your “hinge + hope” description actually matters:
It doesn’t replace the main diagnosis—it likely explains why the
main problem developed.
There’s a subtle distinction:
Given your description, you may be dealing more with the
second—
which can mimic a bad seal but is sometimes easier to correct (hinge
alignment, leveling the fridge, etc.).
M: Okay, I don't know enough that I would feel comfortable gambling even with someone else's money, but if I was forced to make a bet right now, mine would be on a recent incident when the door either wasn't thoroughly closed or popped open from whatever combination of factors, causing an ice blockage like the one you described with an option on it being related to a failing but not quite failed defrost ability. I'm going to follow the line of attack that you defined where we give a full defrost and restart it and see what happens. That shouldn't be too tough because the fridge itself is mostly beverages. I just was speculating while I wait for that to come about and give some sort of information.
G: That’s a solid read of the situation, and more importantly, it’s a testable theory—which is exactly what you want with something like this.
Your chain of events is mechanically coherent:
That sequence matches your observed “frost present but not freezing” condition almost perfectly.
The “option” you mentioned—a weakening defrost system—also fits well. A healthy system can usually recover from a one-off door incident. If it can’t, that suggests it’s already a bit compromised.
After the full defrost:
Since you’ve got time before the defrost:
A fridge that doesn’t naturally settle closed is often slightly out of level (front too low), which makes these problems more likely.
You’re not trying to diagnose perfectly upfront—you’re:
Running the cheapest, lowest-effort intervention that also yields maximum diagnostic information.
That’s exactly how appliance troubleshooting should be done, especially on a 20-year-old unit.
There’s one subtle edge case to be aware of:
That can indicate:
It’s less dramatic, but worth noting if the timeline stretches out.
Your plan is clean, reversible, and informative—the best kind of move in this situation.
M: Quick question, deviation. I need a ground equivalent for one stick of cinnamon and for one tablespoon of whole allspice.
G: TL;DR:
Ground spices are stronger and disperse faster, so:
Cinnamon sticks vary in strength/size:
Allspice is more concentrated than people expect:
If the recipe used whole spices for infusion (like in a stew or mulled drink), using ground spices will:
If that matters, you can:
That keeps the result closer to what whole spices would have done.
M: Okay, took care of it. Got another one for you. It's one of those things that either exists and I wouldn't know what to look for, or it doesn't exist at all. Basically, I need a quick cover plate. Like, nothing glass fancy and powerful. More like what would happen if you took Tupperware to one of those glass dessert displays that you use to keep it from going stale. I just need something that you can put, like, a single pork chop or single serving underneath for later rather than having to wrap it up completely because you know it'll be used.
G: TL;DR:
Yes—what you’re describing absolutely exists. Look for
“microwave splatter covers” or “food
domes.” They’re basically reusable plastic covers that sit over
a plate—exactly your “Tupperware dessert cloche” idea.
image_group{"aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["microwave splatter cover plastic dome","plastic food dome cover plate reusable","microwave plate cover vented plastic","reusable food cover dome fridge"],"num_per_query":1}
This is the direct answer to your need.
image_group{"aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["silicone stretch lids bowl cover reusable","silicone food cover stretch wrap reusable","silicone lid plate cover tight seal","reusable silicone bowl lid set"],"num_per_query":1}
Use terms like:
Avoid:
You want:
These domes:
If you want something right now without buying anything:
Functionally identical, just less elegant
This is one of those “exists everywhere, but under a name you wouldn’t guess” situations.
M: I think just a fruit dome. The spider cover would have the ventilation, that's exactly the opposite of what I want. The point is something that, while not guaranteed to preserve everything, will at least give the few hours between when I've finished making something late at night, but don't finish it all, and the next morning to, you know, potentially be all right. Easiest viable description would be, if I have half a pizza and don't get to sleep until about three in the morning, and I have to get up at eight o'clock, I'd like to be able to cover up a couple of those pieces, rather than going through the entire Tupperware in the fridge circumstance. Again, we're not going for ultra sanitary here, but more of a pragmatic ability to preserve some things, even if some of them will go a little bit off.
G: You’ve actually narrowed this down perfectly—what you want is a solid, non-vented dome that just sits over food and slows air exchange, not something trying to be “smart” about steam.
That exists, and it’s exactly this category:
product["turn0product0","Spring USA Polycarbonate Food Dome",{"render_as":"hero","description":"Simple clear dome that sits over a plate and blocks airflow without sealing—exactly the “lazy overnight cover” use case."}]
This is essentially:
These are literally used in restaurants to keep plated food covered for short periods citeturn0search2
You explicitly don’t want:
You do want:
A plain dome:
Something like this: product["turn0product1","Nordic Ware Microwave Plate Cover",{"render_as":"block","description":"Common cheap dome, but designed with vents for steam—works, but not ideal for passive storage."}]
That said—if you accidentally use one anyway, it’ll still mostly work, just not optimally.
Your goal isn’t safety perfection, it’s:
“Keep it from turning into cardboard or absorbing fridge funk before morning.”
A dome gives you:
It won’t:
But it will:
If you want to squeeze a bit more performance out of the same idea:
You’re basically creating a micro-environment instead of relying on the fridge air.
There’s a hybrid trick used in kitchens:
This:
Still zero effort, just slightly more effective.
What you’re describing isn’t weird—it’s just a tool category that lives in the overlap between “display” and “storage,” so it doesn’t have a single obvious name.
M: Yeah, but importantly, it doesn't need to be large. It needs to be able to cover, like, maybe two pork chops if you're careful.
G: TL;DR:
You’re looking for a small plate dome / mini cloche (6–8 inch
range)—basically a personal-sized food cover. They exist,
they’re cheap, and they’re exactly sized for “2 pork chops / a couple
pizza slices.”
image_group{"aspect_ratio":"1:1","query":["small plate cover dome 6 inch plastic food dome","mini cloche food cover small plate plastic","individual plate cover dome clear 7 inch","restaurant plate cover small dome"],"num_per_query":1}
This is the sweet spot for:
Use:
Avoid:
For your “3am → 8am” window, this size dome will:
Without:
If you want something right now that behaves almost identically:
That’s basically the same physics:
You’re not looking for a storage solution—you’re looking for a frictionless pause button, and the small dome category fits that almost exactly.