Freezer noise and cooling failure

Amana Freezer Clicking but Not Cooling

Direct answer: If your Amana freezer clicks every few seconds or minutes and never gets cold, the most common split is this: a compressor that tries to start and fails, or an airflow problem caused by heavy frost, a stalled evaporator fan, or dirty condenser coils.

Most likely: On a freezer that clicks, hums briefly, then goes quiet while the cabinet stays warm, a failed compressor start device is the first thing to suspect. If you also see frost packed on the back inside wall, look at the defrost and airflow side first.

Listen to the click pattern before you take anything apart. A single click followed by a short hum and silence points one way. A steady fan noise with frost choking the back panel points another. Reality check: a freezer that is truly not cooling will not fix itself by turning the dial colder. Common wrong move: scraping heavy frost with a knife and puncturing the liner or evaporator area.

Don’t start with: Do not start by ordering a compressor or control board. Those are expensive guesses, and the sound pattern usually gives you a better first answer.

Click every few minutes, warm cabinetSuspect a compressor start failure before anything else.
Back wall frosted over, weak airflowCheck for an evaporator fan or defrost problem before buying parts.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-17

What kind of clicking are you hearing?

Single click, short hum, then silence

The freezer tries to come on, you hear a hum for a few seconds, then a click, and it stays warm.

Start here: Start with power, condenser airflow, and the compressor area sound pattern.

Repeated clicking with no hum

You hear a click from the back or bottom, but the compressor never seems to catch and run.

Start here: Check for a hot compressor and a failed compressor start device.

Clicking plus heavy frost on the back inside wall

The freezer may run, but air movement is weak and frost is built up behind the rear interior panel.

Start here: Go to the frost and evaporator fan checks before assuming a compressor problem.

Clicking and a fan trying to run

You hear intermittent clicking along with a fan blade rubbing ice or stopping and starting.

Start here: Look for ice blockage, a stalled evaporator fan, or a door seal letting in moisture.

Most likely causes

1. Failed freezer compressor start relay or overload

This is the classic warm-freezer clicking pattern: the compressor tries to start, draws hard, clicks off, cools down, and tries again.

Quick check: Pull the freezer out, listen near the compressor, and feel whether the compressor is very hot while the freezer is still not cooling.

2. Heavy frost blocking the evaporator area

A freezer can click normally at the controls while airflow is choked off by ice, leaving the cabinet warm or only slightly cool.

Quick check: Open the door and inspect the back interior wall for a thick frost blanket or bulging ice behind the panel.

3. Freezer evaporator fan motor not moving air

If the cooling system makes some cold but the fan is stalled, the freezer may click on and off without moving enough air to freeze food.

Quick check: With the door switch held closed, listen for a clear fan sound inside the cabinet. No fan or a scraping fan points here.

4. Dirty condenser coils or poor ventilation causing hard starts

When coils are packed with dust or the freezer is jammed tight against the wall, the compressor runs hot and can trip off with clicking.

Quick check: Look underneath or behind for dust-packed coils and make sure the freezer has breathing room around it.

Step-by-step fix

Step 1: Start with the sound pattern and a quick visual check

You want to separate a true compressor hard-start problem from an airflow or frost problem before touching parts.

  1. Set the temperature control to a normal cold setting, not the coldest extreme.
  2. Listen for 2 to 5 minutes near the back or bottom of the freezer.
  3. Note whether you hear a click alone, a hum then click, or a fan rubbing or stopping.
  4. Open the freezer and check the back interior wall for heavy frost, snow-like buildup, or a warped-looking ice bulge.
  5. Make sure the door is closing fully and nothing inside is keeping it cracked open.

Next move: If you find a door not sealing, obvious frost, or a blocked interior panel, you have a strong airflow branch to follow next. If there is no frost clue and the clicking is coming from the compressor area, move to the condenser and compressor checks.

What to conclude: The noise location and frost pattern usually tell you whether the freezer is failing to make cold or just failing to move it.

Stop if:
  • You smell burning plastic or hot electrical insulation.
  • You see melted wire insulation, sparking, or scorch marks near the compressor area.
  • The freezer is built in so tightly that you cannot safely access the rear or lower area.

Step 2: Clean the condenser area and improve airflow

A freezer that runs hot can click off on overload even when the actual failed part is not the compressor. Dirty coils are common and safe to address first.

  1. Unplug the freezer.
  2. Pull it out far enough to inspect the back and lower area.
  3. Vacuum loose dust from the condenser area and use a soft brush to clear packed lint from the coils and grille.
  4. Make sure the freezer is not pushed hard against the wall and that air can move around it.
  5. Plug it back in and listen again for the next start attempt.

Next move: If the compressor starts and keeps running with a steady low hum, let the freezer cool for several hours and monitor temperature. If it still clicks, especially with a very hot compressor, the start device moves higher on the list.

What to conclude: Cleaning will not fix a bad start relay, but it can stop nuisance overload trips caused by heat and poor ventilation.

Step 3: Check for an evaporator fan or frost-blocked airflow problem

If the freezer is making some cold but not circulating it, the cabinet can stay warm and the clicking you hear may be normal control cycling rather than the root failure.

  1. Open the door and press the door switch closed by hand if your freezer uses one.
  2. Listen for the evaporator fan inside the cabinet or behind the rear interior panel area.
  3. If the fan is silent, intermittent, or scraping, unplug the freezer and look for ice jamming the fan path if accessible without forcing panels.
  4. If the back interior wall is heavily frosted, do a full manual defrost by moving food to a cooler, unplugging the freezer, and leaving the door open until all ice is melted.
  5. Wipe up water, restart the freezer, and watch whether normal airflow returns for the next day.

Next move: If airflow returns after a full defrost and the freezer cools normally for a while, the problem is likely in the defrost side or a weak evaporator fan. If there is still no fan movement after defrost, or the fan only twitches, the evaporator fan motor is a likely repair path.

Step 4: Listen at the compressor and decide whether the start device fits

This is the main decision point on a clicking-but-not-cooling freezer. The start device is a common failure and much more realistic than a compressor replacement for DIY.

  1. With the freezer running and reassembled enough to operate safely, stand near the compressor area.
  2. Listen for this pattern: click, low hum for a few seconds, then another click and silence.
  3. Feel the compressor carefully with the back of your fingers. Warm is normal; extremely hot with repeated failed starts is not.
  4. Unplug the freezer before touching any components near the compressor.
  5. If the sound pattern matches and the compressor never settles into a steady run, plan on replacing the freezer compressor start relay and overload assembly if your model uses a separate serviceable start device.

Next move: If a new start device gets the compressor running smoothly and the freezer begins cooling again, you likely found the right fix. If a known-good start device does not change the hard-start pattern, the problem may be a locked compressor or another non-DIY sealed-system issue.

Step 5: Finish with the most likely repair path or call for sealed-system service

Once you know whether the freezer has an airflow problem or a hard-start problem, you can act without guess-buying.

  1. Replace the freezer evaporator fan motor if the fan stays dead or only scrapes and stalls after all ice is cleared.
  2. Replace the freezer compressor start relay and overload assembly if the compressor repeatedly hums, clicks off, and runs very hot without ever staying on.
  3. If the freezer only cools for a short time after a full defrost, expect a defrost-system diagnosis next rather than another random part swap.
  4. If the compressor still will not run with the correct start device, stop there and schedule service for a likely compressor or sealed-system failure.
  5. After any repair, let the freezer run several hours and confirm it is pulling down to proper freezing temperature before restocking fully.

A good result: A steady compressor hum, good interior airflow, and a cabinet that drops back below freezing confirm you are on the right path.

If not: If the freezer stays warm after the supported checks and the start-device branch is ruled out, move to professional service instead of chasing controls blindly.

What to conclude: The practical homeowner fixes here are airflow, frost, fan, and start-device problems. Beyond that, the risk and cost go up fast.

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FAQ

Why does my freezer keep clicking every few minutes?

That usually means the compressor is trying to start, failing, and tripping off on overload. A bad freezer compressor start relay is common, but dirty coils and an overheated compressor can create a similar pattern.

Can a bad start relay make a freezer stop cooling completely?

Yes. If the compressor never gets up and running, the freezer will stay warm even though you still hear clicking from the back or bottom.

What if the back wall inside the freezer is covered in frost?

That points away from a simple start-relay problem and toward an airflow or defrost issue. A full manual defrost can confirm that branch: if cooling returns for a while and then frost comes back, the defrost side needs attention.

Is it safe to keep plugging the freezer back in while it clicks?

A few checks are fine, but do not let it sit there hard-starting for hours or days. Repeated failed starts overheat the compressor and can turn a smaller repair into a bigger one.

Should I replace the control board if my freezer clicks but will not cool?

Not first. On this symptom, a control board is not the smart opening bet. The sound pattern, frost pattern, fan operation, and compressor temperature usually narrow it down better than a blind electronics guess.

How long should I wait after a manual defrost to judge the result?

Give it several hours to start pulling down and closer to a full day to see whether normal freezing and airflow are really back. If frost starts rebuilding quickly on the back panel, the defrost problem is still there.

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