16 years old. cold inside, but not freezing food. making small rattling noise

Please keep in mind here that this freezer is 35 years old and it will eventually reach a point where it will be easier to replace it.
All freezers and fridges click, rattle and buzz as they cycle through there job. You only really need to worry if the noise is louder, random or is constantly happening. Some older freezers have a 'Boost' switch where you can turn up the freeze rate if you have recently put a large amount of food into the freezer. Don't use this all of the time as it is expensive to use and can wear out the freezer parts faster. Try flipping this switch and leaving it for 5 minutes to see if the noise changes.
Has the freezer been moved recently? Sometimes if a fridge or freezer isn't level it will make extra noises.
Is the freezer still as cold as it normally is? The noise could be the evaporator fan starting to fail. Get a qualified technician look at it as he will be able to listen to it and give you better advice.

Is it getting cold at all. You may have a gas line leak. If it is 10-12 years old, consider replacing. You can get a new one cheaper than repairing the old and no guarantee of it not having other problems down the road.

I don't know how old your freezer is. These freezes can run for decades. About the only thing that will go wrong with them are, leaky freon which isn't producted anymore. It a against the law to own, product, distribute, black market it and freon based the R series, such as, R12, R16 etc. If this happen to your Admiral Freezer I don't think the make a retro-fit kit for it for modern day coolent 134a and some others.

If the conpressor is working and no rattles an it keeps food item frozen to about 14 or 16 below zero and it appearance is striking. I would it's awesome!! $50 to $125 max... GB stewbison

Hello,

Most times this is a bad cold control, but there are other things to check for. Make sure the condenser fan is working and the coils are not covered with dust. A separated heat exchanger ( small capillary tubing soldered to the large suction line ) can separate from one another and make the fridge run too long. - tape tubing back together. A poor working evaporator fan motor could also make the fridge run too long and freeze - replace the fan motor. An inefficient compressor or refrigeration system could make the fridge run too long and freeze - have a service tech check this out. A misaligned control settings, make sure the air damper and cold control have not been bumped and are out of normal settings. Stuck open air diffusers or air dampers are becoming more and more common for allowing too much air to be blown into the fresh food section and freezing things. On all frost free fridge's the freezer temp air is blown into the fresh food section, if you have "easy" to freeze items ( eggs, veggies in water, etc ) in front of or under where the freezer temp air comes out, they could freeze - store them in a different spot. Doors not closing properly making the fridge run too long is something else to check for.

Hope this help in solving the problem....

keep the door closed by all means any small opening can leave the freezer start to defrost slowly without you knowing it

how hot is the compressor? a very warm to hot compressor indicate dirty coils or lack of refrigerant

check tem.p inside cabinet and let us know what you find

Hello.
I can help. Once we notice anything different from before we start becoming more aware of small variations. Regarding things on the top shelf warmer than on the bottom, this is always true because, "warm air rises and cold air falls". If you want the top shelf colder turn the thermostat to the next colder setting, always a good idea in the Summer season anyway.

Even though your gasket looks good, a ten year old gasket is not as pliable as a new one resulting in the moisture problem you describe. I would begin by applying a thin coating of vaseline to the gasket once a week for a month. This little trick of the trade will often work. If it doesn't improve the situation do replace the gasket.

The compressor is overheating and not starting. Could be just the start relay. If this happens again try unplugging it for about an hour then it should work for a while. Heat between doors is normal this is an electric heater designed to keep the doors from sweating. You just noticed it because the refrigerator wasn't cold.

Might try unplugging for a few hours and then plug it back in. There is a possibility that it slugged the compressor and there is a restriction in the line. Sometimes when the compressor fails to stop running in cold air the liquid gets back to the compressor. It can cause a bit of gunk to be picked up out of the oil and carried to the expansion line and plug up the line. Maybe turning it off will let the plug fall free and not replug the line. Worth a try anyway.....