--- title: "Freezer frost & drain service" description: "KitchenAid freezer frost and drain service — frost building on the walls, a sheet of ice under the drawer, or a drawer that will not close because something…" url: "https://kitchenaidmiami.support/services/freezer-frost-and-drain-service/" date_modified: "2026-08-23" Appliance type: "Freezers, Refrigerators" --- # KitchenAid freezer frost & drain service ### Humidity is doing this, and it is not your imagination Every time a freezer drawer opens in a South Florida kitchen, the air that goes in carries water. That water becomes frost, and the defrost cycle has more to remove here than the same cabinet would in a dry climate. It is why a seal that sits a fraction proud matters more here, and why frost is worth acting on early rather than living with. ### What actually goes wrong - **The defrost drain**, blocked. The sheet of ice under the drawer, every time. - **The defrost heater or thermostat**, which is frost on the back wall and then a cabinet that cannot keep up. - **Door and drawer seals**, and drawers fouled by a basket or a bag of ice. - **The evaporator fan**, which delivers no cold with a compressor running perfectly. ### Where the freezer actually is on this make The lower drawer of a French door cabinet, the left column of a side-by-side, the lower compartment of a bottom-mount, or a refrigerated drawer set to freeze. There is no standalone freezer in the current line, which is why this page is about the freezer half of a cabinet — because that is what people mean when they call. ### What it costs From $155. The exact cost is confirmed after the on-site diagnostic, and if the visit finds a defrost part rather than a blocked drain you will have that figure before anything is done. What this involves Defrost drain cleared to the pan, not just chipped free Defrost circuit tested so it does not come back Seals and drawer closure checked with the frost Establish where the frost is On the back wall behind the panel, on the drawer walls, or as a sheet on the floor under the basket. Three different causes, and the third one is a drain rather than a defrost problem. Clear the drain properly Meltwater is meant to run down a small tube to a pan by the compressor. When the tube blocks, the water freezes where it sits and builds under the drawer. Removing the ice without clearing the tube guarantees a second call. Test the defrost circuit Heater, thermostat and control, because a frost-free cabinet that is visibly frosting has stopped melting its own frost on schedule. Check what is letting the air in A seal sitting a fraction proud, a drawer fouled by a basket or a bag, a door left ajar by a package. In August that is frost within days rather than months. Humidity is doing this, and it is not your imagination Every time a freezer drawer opens in a South Florida kitchen, the air that goes in carries water. That water becomes frost, and the defrost cycle has more to remove here than the same cabinet would in a dry climate. It is why a seal that sits a fraction proud matters more here, and why frost is worth acting on early rather than living with. What actually goes wrong The defrost drain, blocked. The sheet of ice under the drawer, every time. The defrost heater or thermostat, which is frost on the back wall and then a cabinet that cannot keep up. Door and drawer seals, and drawers fouled by a basket or a bag of ice. The evaporator fan, which delivers no cold with a compressor running perfectly. Where the freezer actually is on this make The lower drawer of a French door cabinet, the left column of a side-by-side, the lower compartment of a bottom-mount, or a refrigerated drawer set to freeze. There is no standalone freezer in the current line, which is why this page is about the freezer half of a cabinet — because that is what people mean when they call. What it costs From $155. The exact cost is confirmed after the on-site diagnostic, and if the visit finds a defrost part rather than a blocked drain you will have that figure before anything is done. ### Why is there frost in a frost-free freezer? Because frost-free means the cabinet melts its own frost on a schedule, not that frost never forms. When you can see it building, either the defrost cycle has stopped doing its job or warm damp air is getting in past a seal. Both are common here and they look identical from the front. ### There is a sheet of ice on the floor under the drawer. That is the defrost drain almost every time. The tube that carries meltwater away has blocked, so the water freezes where it lands. It is a clearing job rather than a part, and it comes straight back if only the ice is removed. ### It is cold but not frozen. A different problem from "not cold at all", and usually better news. A freezer holding around twenty degrees instead of zero is generally still cooling and failing to keep up — a partly iced coil, a fan not moving air, a door not sealing. A freezer at room temperature with the light on is a bigger question. ### What does this cost? From $155 for the drain and frost service. If the defrost heater or thermostat has failed, that is the defrost repair and you will have the figure before we start. The exact cost is confirmed after the on-site diagnostic. --- **[Read full article: Freezer frost & drain service](https://kitchenaidmiami.support/services/freezer-frost-and-drain-service/)**