What is actually happening
On a fridge freezer the freezer side normally does the cooling for both compartments, so a freezer that has stopped freezing while the fridge is still cold is unusual and points at airflow rather than the compressor. The most common cause of all is a thick layer of ice on the evaporator, which stops air moving over the coil no matter how well the compressor is working.
The Leisure fault codes that point at this
A Leisure freezer will usually tell you what it thinks is wrong before anyone opens it up. These are the codes we hold for this make that relate to not freezing:
- E00 — The temperature sensor in the freezer section has stopped giving a sensible reading, so the control board can no longer tell how cold the freezer actually is.
- E01 — The fridge freezer has lost the reading from the sensor that watches the freezer's defrost heater, so it can no longer tell when the ice has cleared.
- E02 — The temperature sensor on the fridge side's evaporator has stopped giving a sensible reading, so the appliance has switched to a basic timed cooling pattern instead.
- E03 — The control board has lost a sensible reading from a temperature sensor on the fridge side, so it can no longer measure that compartment properly.
- E04 — The automatic defrost heater isn't clearing the frost off the freezer's evaporator in the time it should, so the control board has flagged it as a heater fault.
- E08 — The temperature sensor for the ice maker has failed, so the ice maker has been shut down — the fridge and freezer themselves carry on cooling.
- E09 — The fridge freezer can't detect its automatic ice maker, so it has flagged an ice maker fault — everything else carries on working.
If yours is showing one of those, that is a much shorter conversation than a general fault — tell us the code when you book and the engineer can often carry the part.
The usual causes on a Leisure freezer
- A failed defrost heater or defrost timer, letting ice build up over the evaporator
- A failed evaporator fan, so cold air never circulates
- A door left ajar or a failed door seal, packing the compartment with frost
- A refrigerant leak
- A failed thermostat or sensor
What you can safely check yourself
- Empty it and defrost it fully for twenty-four hours with the door open, then run it again — if it works and then fails a few weeks later, that is the defrost system
- Check the door seal and that nothing is holding the door open
- Listen for the fan when the door switch is held in
Still not freezing?
Most of these need an engineer once the checks above are done. £66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.
Our engineers work on Leisure machines week in, week out, so they arrive knowing the machine rather than reading the back of it. Local engineers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
Call 0115 648 0929 Book online — postcode and number is all we need
Common questions
Why is my Leisure freezer not freezing?
The freezer is running but the contents are soft or thawing. On a fridge freezer the freezer side normally does the cooling for both compartments, so a freezer that has stopped freezing while the fridge is still cold is unusual and points at airflow rather than the compressor. The most common cause of all is a thick layer of ice on the evaporator, which stops air moving over the coil no matter how well the compressor is working.
Can I fix a Leisure freezer not freezing myself?
Empty it and defrost it fully for twenty-four hours with the door open, then run it again — if it works and then fails a few weeks later, that is the defrost system. Check the door seal and that nothing is holding the door open. Listen for the fan when the door switch is held in. Beyond those checks this one normally needs an engineer.
What Leisure error codes mean not freezing?
Leisure freezers report this through their own fault codes. The ones that point at not freezing are E00, E01, E02, E03, E04, E08. If your machine is showing one of those, that narrows it down considerably — each has its own guide on this site.
How much does a Leisure freezer repair cost?
£66 including VAT for an engineer to come out and diagnose it, or £84 in total including VAT if it is put right on the visit and no parts are needed. Any parts needed are quoted on site before we fit them — you decide. Every repair carries a 90-day workmanship guarantee.