Why is there frost in my fridge?

[NotQuiteCockney]

My fridge is pretty new. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be frost-free. Why is there frost at the back? Is there something I should be doing to prevent this? [clueless emoticon]

Do you leave the door open a lot? Mine gets frost when I do that

is it set too cold? you should have a knob to turn to adjust the temperature

mine is frost-free but there is quite often some frost/ice at the back. i can't remember why but i asked someone about it and was told that is how they work. if it builds up then there is probably a drainage hole at the back which is blocked. but a bit of ice is fine.

Possibly set too cold, possibly door left open too often (unlikely in a fridge, v likely in a freezer), possible leak in door seal means that there is a draft of warmer air, possibly fridge too stuffed so that there isn't good circulation of cool air.

Hmm, sometimes we forget and leave the door open. Not often.

It's set to 5C. It's got a thermostat and it displays the temperature on the front.

I'll look for a drainage hole.

It's not very stuffed, but I will keep an eye on that.

It shouldn't have ice because it shouldn't be below zero anywhere, should it?

good point. i'm off to look at mine now...

doesn't it happen when you put a lot of new stuff from the supermarket or left overs..it's condensation freezing isn't it?

WHAT IS THAT FROST/MOISTURE IN MY REFRIGERATOR?

You've just purchased a FROST-FREE refrigerator and are surprised to find frost and/or water droplets inside the freezer on food packages and the walls and moisture in the fresh food section of the refrigerator.
Why is this happening?
New refrigerators retain colder temperatures. Especially on hot humid days, the moisture entering the refrigerator or freezer when the door is opened will cause frost to form inside the freezer and moisture to collect inside the refrigerator. Additionally, to reduce energy use to meet government requirements, defrost heaters have shorter run times. Light loads in the freezer also contribute to the problem.
What can you do about it?
· Use your air conditioner to reduce humidity.
· Arrange shelving and food items so air circulates.
· Don't "overload" or leave the freezer empty. It should be at least half full.
· Set the controls as recommended in the use and care book. Manufacturers may suggest different settings for summer and winter.
· Properly seal liquids and high-moisture foods stored in the fresh food section.
· Open the refrigerator and freezer doors as few times as possible.
· Clean the condenser coils at least twice a year. Check the use and care book for procedures. You'll save energy, too.
· Cover pots and pans and use the range hood fan when cooking to reduce moisture in the kitchen.
· Check and maintain the door gaskets. A good door seal keeps warm moist air out of the refrigerator.
These tips will help control frost and moisture in your refrigerator, but won't eliminate the problem, especially when humidity is excessive.

there'll be ice on the element at the back because to keep the whole fridge at 5ºC the element has to be colder - like to keep a room at 25ºC the actual radiator has to be about 45ºC...

So long as the frost isn't building up round the door seals etc, the temp readout is 5, and the food in the fridge isn't frozen, I wouldn't worry.

Well, the problem is, if any food in the fridge touches the ice, it gets frozen, and goes wrong. (There's a fair bit of it at the back.) I'll have a poke about and see if I can find out what's causing it.

Thanks for all the ideas, guys ...

pah, in the time it took for me to go and worry about the frost in the back of my frost-free fridge mrs b and northerner explain it all...

probably set too high, i only need my frost free at 1 1/2 i would say 3 and above is very high for a new fridge freezer to be set at especially as most new ff are A rated which saves a lot of energy, reduce it to about 2 and see if the ice at the back reduces if it doesn't reduce it to 1

definitely check the drainage hole, nqc. have you had a look at the 'destructions' yet? (as they're known in our house)

Mine doesn't have number settings, it has temperature settings.

I'll have to see if I still have the instructions. Maybe I can find a copy online or something.

Hmm, had a good look at the ice.

Things I noticed:

• there is no "element" at the back, it's done via a fan
• the ice is down one side of the back, and stuck on the backs of the shelves, which won't move.
• the hole at the bottom isn't blocked.

I'm pretty sure the seal is good, it still forms a vacuum when I seal the fridge. The fridge certainly isn't comically full. I'll have to have a look at the manufacturer's website, I guess, or ask DH where the instructions are, when he next appears.

if it's new, can you get the engineer out to have a look at it?

Hmm, not very new. A year old? Maybe? I'll talk to DH and see what our options are.

have you recently put your heating on and is it hot in the kitchen or do you have an aga?

No heating on, no aga.

The ice has been there for quite a while, tbh. The neighbour who was housesitting in August emptied the fridge and defrosted it, I think. And the ice has come back quickly . I think I will have to get a man in or something.