The display shows E5; the unit may fail to defrost, resulting in heavy frost on the evaporator or poor cooling.

Safety first: Disconnect power before accessing the evaporator and electrical components. Water from melting ice can create shock hazards.

Steps:

• Access evaporator and heater: Remove freezer rear panel to expose the evaporator and defrost heater (usually a metal or glass-encased element at the bottom or woven through the coil).
• Test heater: Disconnect heater leads and measure resistance. A typical heater will show a finite resistance (often 20–150Ω). If the reading is open (OL), the heater is faulty.
• Check defrost thermostat: If equipped with a bi-metal thermostat clipped to the coil, test continuity when the thermostat is cold (below its closing temperature). A lack of continuity when cold indicates a failed thermostat.
• Inspect connectors: Look for burned or melted plastic at heater and thermostat connectors.

Corrective action: Replace the defrost heater and/or defrost thermostat as needed. After repair, manually defrost the coil completely, reassemble, and restore power. The control will resume automatic defrosting if the circuit is restored.