A power outage can be one of the most annoying things that you can face in your day-to-day life. Not only does it disrupt your daily routine, but because of a power outage, your electrical appliances can potentially get damaged or glitch out.
This is a huge inconvenience and you may need to get costly repairs done.
How to Reset Kenmore Freezer After Power Outage?
Thankfully, appliances from big brand names like Kenmore handle power outages well and don’t have their internal components or wiring damaged easily.
That being said, Kenmore freezers may not cool as well as they did before a power outage and may require you to reset and adjust the temperature again.
While resetting any electrical appliance isn’t really hard, there’s a different process involved for resetting every electrical appliance. And the Kenmore freezer is no different in this regard.
If you have also been wondering about “How to reset Kenmore freezer oven after a power outage?”, then you will find this article quite helpful. Through the article, we will be discussing in detail everything that you need to learn about resetting the freezer. So, let’s get right into it!
How To Reset Kenmore Freezer?
Before we start explaining the whole process of resetting the freezer, it is worth mentioning that there are actually two different ways how you can get your Kenmore freezer to start running after a power outage. One of them is quite easy and should be done first in most cases.
Method # 1- Power Cycle
All you have to do is to make the oven go through a power cycle. For those who are unaware of what that means, you will simply have to unplug the freezer for a couple of minutes. After that, you will have to plug the freezer back into the power source.
For Kenmore freezers specifically, there is a simple 5-step process you can follow to reset your freezer. This can help fix some common issues like lack of cooling or melting ice.
Step 1: Unplug The Machine
You can start the power cycle by first disconnecting your Kenmore freezer from the outlet by switching off the wall socket.
And don’t worry if you hear a “whoosh” sound when you remove the power cord from your freezer. If your freezer is part of the refrigerator, make sure you pull both the plugs out. Simply unplugging your freezer and leaving your refrigerator on won’t be useful.
Step 2: Turn Off With The Control Panel
If you’re using a newer model freezer, there’s a solid chance your appliance is still on- even after unplugging. Many freezers have the capability to keep cooling for a little while after unplugging in case the power cut was accidental.
You must turn off the freezer using the control panel. The Control panel is usually present on the inside of the freezer. If you can’t seem to find it, refer to your user manual.
There are quite a few ways to turn the control panel off. First, you can simply use the switch-off button to stop all functions. If this option isn’t present in your freezer model, turn all the controls down to zero individually.
Step 3: Plug The Power Back In
After you’re done, plug the power back in. If your freezer was off for a while, it’s likely there’s a puddle of water. Clean it up before you plug the cord to avoid hazards.
Step 4: Reset The Temperature Settings
Now that your freezer is on again, you must reset the temperature settings. Controls for temperature adjustment vary depending on the make and model you own. To find the temperature regulator, it’s best to check the user manual.
Your freezer may either need an exact temperature that you pick in the control panel or you can turn the power dial. The numbers may correspond to different temperatures, and this will be found in the manual as well.
Step 5: Wait For Temperature Stabilization
Now all you ought to do before restocking your freezer is wait for the temperature to stabilize. Remember, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two for the cooling to correspond to the temperature you chose.
If your freezer warmed up completely due to a long power outage, it can take as long as a day to get icy cold.
Keeping a check on the appliance while temperatures adjust is a must. Make sure no beeping sounds or weird noises are present. These indicate some kind of compartment failure.
And that’s it! You’ve completed a power cycle for your freezer. This will help in quickly resetting the freezer so you can pick a new temperature or cooling level, which should ultimately help get the freezer to start working again efficiently.
Method #2- Alarm Reset
There’s an alternate method to reset your Kenmore freezer as well. This involves hitting the Alarm Reset button, which you can do in two ways.
The first way is by pressing and holding the UP arrow button until the display finally starts showing 10 digits on the display. You will then need to press the Alarm Reset button.
If that doesn’t work, you can unplug your freezer’s power cord and wait a few minutes. Afterward, press and hold the Up and Down arrows on your Kenmore freezer at once while plugging the power supply back in.
Then press and hold your freezer’s Alarm Reset button for 3 seconds. This disables the control lock.
Once the control lock is off, you can press the Up arrow button thrice. This displays the 1st setting. You can continue to press the Up button until you find the right setting then hit reset.
Besides these two, some freezers have a direct reset button. This is found on either the back of the freezer or on the bottom. In Kenmore ice makers, the reset button is usually on the bottom left.
If it’s not present there, check the front left panel- it will have a tiny reset hole. Pushing a paper clip or pin will do the trick. Press and hold for a couple of seconds to ensure the resetting.
Do keep in mind that if you are still facing issues regarding your Kenmore freezer, then you will have to get it checked. There’s a possibility that the board may have gotten damaged after the power outage. In such cases, a complete board replacement may be required.
What Damage Can Power Outages Cause?
Frequent power outages can cause significant damage to your Kenmore freezer. Although resetting the freezer helps ensure the cooling remains efficient after a blackout, it can’t correct damage to the physical parts of the freezer such as the cooler board we mentioned before.
The most obvious sign of freezer damage is lack of chill, even after setting the thermostat. Minimum cooling also indicates a refrigerant leak. Excessive condensation is a major sign that causes a lot of damage to the walls of your freezer, leading to cracks.
Lastly, power outages can cause the motors to heat up. This can be the result of your freezer overworking to compensate for the cooling loss or a malfunction.
Simple resetting works for the former. However, if you keep feeling excessive heat when taking your hand near the motor (avoid touching- that will burn your hand), then the freezer is prone to breaking down. Call a repair company as soon as possible.
The Bottom Line
How to reset the Kenmore freezer after a power outage? While most freezers don’t really have a reset button, getting them through a power cycle should usually end up resolving the issue.
If you give the article a thorough read and follow the instructions, then your freezer will reset and start working perfectly in no time.