A freezer that's clearly running — you can hear it — but not keeping food frozen points to one of a handful of specific problems.
A heavy layer of frost on the evaporator coils blocks the cold air from circulating properly, which can leave a freezer running constantly while still losing its temperature.
Ironically, a broken defrost heater or timer can cause the exact frost buildup above — the system is supposed to periodically melt a thin layer of ice, and when that fails, ice accumulates until it blocks airflow entirely.
Warm air constantly leaking in around a worn gasket forces the compressor to run non-stop just to keep up, often without ever reaching the set temperature.
If the compressor runs but the refrigerant charge has dropped due to a leak, the system can't move enough heat out of the freezer no matter how long it runs. This requires an EPA-certified technician to diagnose and repair safely.
A freezer motor running constantly is often a sign something else is failing, not a sign everything's fine. Related reading: compressor repair vs. replacement for cases where the compressor itself is the underlying cause.
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