Why Does My Liebherr Freezer Keep Defrosting or Warming Up?

Overview

A freezer that repeatedly warms and then gets cold again is different from a freezer that simply cannot reach temperature. Intermittent warming points toward timing-related airflow, defrost, sensor, control, power, or compressor-start behavior.

A freezer that warms up, recovers, and then does it again points to something that comes and goes: a fan that stops, a defrost cycle that runs long, or a brief loss of power. Pinning down when the warm periods start is more valuable than the temperature on any single day. For a Liebherr freezer that repeatedly warms or defrosts, a simple log of those start times turns a vague complaint into a pattern a technician can work with.

Separate normal behavior from a fault

Defrost system not terminating correctly

A fault in defrost sensing or control can keep heat active too long or leave the evaporator unable to recover efficiently.

Intermittent evaporator fan

A fan may stop when warm, bind on ice, or lose power intermittently, causing cabinet temperature to rise until operation returns.

Sensor or control intermittency

An unstable sensor signal or control board issue can make the freezer alternate between normal cooling and long warm periods.

Power or connection interruption

Loose supply connections, circuit issues, or brief power events can stop cooling without producing an obvious long outage.

Compressor start or variable-speed fault

A compressor that sometimes fails to start can allow temperature to climb, then appear normal again when it eventually runs.

Work through these checks in order

Use this order for the warm-up-cycle problem so each observation gives you information for the next step.

1. Use a min/max thermometer or temperature logger to prove the timing and size of each warm-up.
2. Write down whether the display changes when the real freezer temperature rises.
3. Listen for fan operation and unusual clicking during the warm phase.
4. Check for an ice pattern that grows before each event or disappears after a full thaw.
5. Review power events and whether the problem started after an outage or electrical work.

Give the freezer a full cycle or two before drawing conclusions, since a fault that comes and goes can easily look fixed for a day. If your log still shows warm periods at similar times, treat the problem as unresolved no matter how cold the freezer feels at this moment.

How to read the symptom pattern

A SWTNES 3010-25A community repair report described a freezer warming/defrosting while the display still indicated a cold value. That is exactly the kind of intermittent, measured-vs-display pattern that should be logged before parts are replaced.

What stands out in that SWTNES case is the mismatch, a display that stayed cold while the freezer warmed. It is a good reason to log a real thermometer beside the display instead of copying whichever fix someone else reported.

A quick symptom map

Use this table to triage a Liebherr freezer that repeatedly warms or defrosts, not as a parts list. If several rows seem to fit, favor the one that matches your log: warm periods that follow a pattern point toward defrost or fan behavior, while random ones point toward power or control.

Repairs to leave to a technician

• Do not open sealed refrigeration-system components or handle refrigerant as part of DIY work on this on-and-off-thaw case.
• Do not treat a temporary improvement after a reset as proof that this on-and-off-thaw case has been repaired.
• Do not use a generic error-code definition while diagnosing the warm-up-cycle problem without checking the exact model/service documentation.
• Do not pierce ice, liners, drain paths, or hidden panels while troubleshooting this on-and-off-thaw case; sharp tools can create a much larger repair.

If resolving the warm-up-cycle problem would require live-voltage measurements, internal control-board access, refrigerant work, or disassembly beyond the owner instructions, stop at the observation stage and move to model-specific service.

When the problem needs professional diagnosis

Arrange service rather than continuing trial-and-error if any of the following applies to a Liebherr freezer that repeatedly warms or defrosts:

• Temperature rises repeatedly without a door/power explanation.
• Frozen food softens between cycles.
• Display stays normal during a measured warm event.
• Compressor or fan fails to run during the warm phase.
• Electrical symptoms occur.

At that point, this on-and-off-thaw case needs part-level testing based on the exact model/service number and its documentation.

Request a diagnosis

In your service request, give the times the warm periods began, the lowest and highest readings you recorded, and whether the display changed during them. Add whether the fan could be heard running while the freezer was warm, since that helps separate a fan fault from a control or power one.

Related help

• Why Is My Liebherr Freezer Not Freezing?
• Liebherr NoFrost Freezer Icing Up: Causes and Fixes
• Liebherr Refrigerator Temperature Alarm Keeps Going Off

Frequently asked questions