What Fault 18 Means
Fault 18 records the freezer fan drawing more current than it should. F&P's table gives two routes to it: shorted wiring, or a fan that is mechanically failing and loading its motor - a bearing packed with ice-melt residue will do exactly that.
Common Causes of Fault 18
- Fan bearings stiff with moisture that has frozen and thawed repeatedly
- A partial short in the fan winding
- Damaged wiring inside the compartment shorting the fan circuit
🔧 One Safe Check You Can Try
Listen for a change in the freezer's running noise. A fan that has started to whine, grind, or surge is worth reporting, and so is one that cuts in and out rather than running steadily.
⚠ Why You Shouldn't Go Further Than That
- Disconnect the appliance at the outlet first; the freezer harness is shared with mains-voltage defrost parts and an over-current problem is the worst case to probe live.
- Telling a dragging bearing apart from a wiring short needs the circuit measured, and getting it wrong means fitting a fan that was never the problem.
- The interior panels that cover this fan are secured with concealed fixings that shear when they are cold, and a sheared fixing cannot be re-tapped in a foam-backed liner.
- Leaving the cabinet running while you investigate keeps an overloaded circuit connected to the module that flagged it, which risks turning a fan repair into a module repair.
Opening a panel to inspect or repair something yourself doesn't automatically cancel your manufacturer's warranty — but it can risk accidental damage, and some manufacturers do have specific service conditions. Check your product's warranty terms, or ask us, before deciding.