--- title: "Cellar Cooling Evaporator Coil Icing Up: Causes and Fixes" description: "A cellar cooling coil icing up shows as white frost behind the cellar-side grille, weak air from the unit, water dripping when it goes quiet, and a room that…" url: "https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/evaporator-coil-icing-up/" --- # Cellar Cooling Evaporator Coil Icing Up A cellar cooling coil icing up shows as white frost behind the cellar-side grille, weak air from the unit, water dripping when it goes quiet, and a room that warms while the unit keeps running. ## What it usually means. The coil on the cellar side of the unit runs a little below freezing on some cycles, and most cellar units melt off any frost between runs, either by resting the compressor while the fan keeps turning or with a timed defrost. Ice builds up when that balance tips: the fan that pushes cellar air through the coil slows or stops, a setting well below 55°F makes the coil run colder for longer, the refrigerant charge drops so the coil runs colder than designed, or the exhaust side gets so hot the system behaves oddly. Humid air from a leaky room adds to it. Once the coil is covered, air cannot pass, the room warms, the unit runs harder and the ice thickens. When it finally melts, it often floods the drain. The 5 causes, cheapest first Answer these first 01 How much of the coil is covered: a light frost on part of it, or a solid block? 02 Does the cellar-side fan turn and blow air through the grille? 03 What is the set temperature, and has it been lowered recently? 04 Is water dripping or pooling when the unit rests? 05 Is the room humid, or has the door been opened a lot lately? ## Check these before you book. Cellar cooling coil icing up: 5 checks, and none of them costs anything. 01 Turn the unit off from a dry panel and let the coil thaw fully, with a towel under the grille to catch the melt. 02 Keep the cellar door shut while it thaws; if the room passes about 70°F, move the most valuable bottles. 03 When it runs again, check that the cellar-side fan turns and air leaves the grille. ### Also worth checking - Check the set temperature; bring it back to the mid 50s if it was lowered. - Tell us the make, the model number and how often the ice comes back. ### How soon does it need a visit? Not urgent if the room stays cool, but a coil that keeps icing will leave the cellar warm and flood the drain. Thaw it, check the fan and the setting, and book if the ice returns. ## The causes, cheapest first. 5 things cellar cooling evaporator coil icing up turns out to be, from set temperature too low to humid air getting into the room. [The cost guide](https://winecellarrepair.center/cost/) 1. 01 no repair ### Set temperature too low Most cellar units are designed around the mid 50s. Set much lower, the coil runs below freezing too long and cannot clear. Raise the setting and let the coil thaw. No repair: check it yourself 2. 02 low to moderate ### Cellar-side fan slow or stopped Without air moving across it, the coil gets colder and colder and freezes the moisture on it. It is the most common cause. [Fixed by cellar evaporator and condenser fan repair](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-evaporator-and-condenser-fan-repair/) [See cellar cooling unit fan not running](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-unit-fan-not-running/) 3. 03 low to moderate ### Defrost control or sensor not ending the cycle A coil sensor or a defrost setting that fails to call for a thaw lets frost build cycle after cycle. [Fixed by cellar coil icing and defrost repair](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-coil-icing-and-defrost-repair/) 4. 04 moderate to highest ### Low refrigerant charge A short charge makes part of the coil run much colder than it should. The ice often starts at one corner rather than covering the whole face. [Fixed by cellar cooling leak search and recharge](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-refrigerant-leak-repair/) 5. 05 varies ### Humid air getting into the room A door without a seal or a gap in the vapor barrier brings in moisture that ends up as ice on the coil. [Fixed by cellar cooling load and room check](https://winecellarrepair.center/services/cellar-cooling-load-and-room-check/) [See wine cellar humidity too high or mold](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-humidity-too-high-or-mold/) 6. What it costs ### Every repair on the site's cost scale, side by side Open the cost guide ## What else it could be. Most often confused with cellar cooling unit fan not running, then cellar cooling unit leaking water. [All problems](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/) Codes that come with it - [`E2` CellarCool · Sensors and probes](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/cellarcool-e2/) - [`Ad2` CellarCool · Coil icing and defrost](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/cellarcool-ad2/) - [`dEF` CellarCool · Mode, not a failure](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/cellarcool-def/) - [`E2` WhisperKOOL · Sensors and probes](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/whisperkool-e2/) - [`Ad2` WhisperKOOL · Coil icing and defrost](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/whisperkool-ad2/) - [`Ad3` WhisperKOOL · Coil icing and defrost](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/whisperkool-ad3/) [4 more codes, by make](https://winecellarrepair.center/error-codes/) Also related - [**Wine Cellar Too Warm** 6 causes · the collection is exposed](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/cellar-too-warm/) ### Cellar Cooling Unit Fan Not Running 4 causes The collection is exposed ### Cellar Cooling Unit Leaking Water 6 causes ### Wine Cellar Too Cold 4 causes ## The makes it happens on. 7 makes on this site; cellar cooling evaporator coil icing up can show up on any of them. Each mark opens that make's own page. [All 7 brands](https://winecellarrepair.center/brands/) ## Cellar Cooling Evaporator Coil Icing Up, where we come out. 9 metros, each with its own page. 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A light frost that clears between runs is normal on many units. Ice that stays, grows or blocks the air is not. ### Can I chip the ice off the coil? Please do not. The fins and tubes are thin, and a puncture turns an icing problem into a refrigerant leak. Turn the unit off and let the ice melt. ### Why does the coil ice up only when I set the cellar colder? Most cellar units are designed for the mid 50s. Colder settings keep the coil below freezing for longer than the defrost can handle. White wine service temperatures are for a separate cabinet, not for the whole cellar. ### The coil thawed and the unit works fine now. Should I still book? If it stays clear for weeks, perhaps not. If the ice comes back in a few days, something is making it, usually the fan or the charge, and it will return until that is fixed. --- **[Read on the site: Cellar Cooling Evaporator Coil Icing Up: Causes and Fixes](https://winecellarrepair.center/problems/evaporator-coil-icing-up/)** **[Book a visit with WineCellarRepair.center](https://winecellarrepair.center/schedule/)**