I have a six foot (or so) tall freezer (made by Hoover), that I've had for years. It's a pure freezer (no fridge part), with a few shelves, then two drawers, and finally a white bottom pull out compartment, and the fridge has one door that you open to access the whole thing. I've no idea when I bought it (I'd say at least five years back, but it could be three times that), but it's always worked fine, it contains food, and is opened at least once most days. Hence why I don't know how old it is - it works, so I just take it for granted.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I realised that it wasn't closing right. When it closed right (i.e. as it had for x years before now) then the door couldn't be opened for a few seconds. You closed the door, then if you tried to open it again (using reasonable force, not trying to break it) then you couldn't, until a few seconds had passed, then you could open it. But now it doesn't do this, and when you close it, then you can open it straightaway.

So I took the drawers out (including the bottom compartment) and the freezer now closed properly (i.e. when closed you can't open it for a few seconds). So I thought it must be ice build up that was preventing a drawer from fully closing and so preventing the door from fully closing, so I removed all the ice but the problem persists. There's no ice preventing the drawers (and the bottom compartment) from fully closing, and I'm certain that the drawers and compartment aren't stopping the door from physically closing, since they seem to be a few millimetres away from the closed door. But the fact is, if there are no drawers or compartment in the freezer, then it closes properly (i.e. when closed the door is 'locked' for a few seconds), but if even one drawer or the compartment is in the freezer then the door doesn't close properly (i.e. when you close it, you can immediately open it again. And yet up until a few days ago the door closed properly, with the drawers and compartment in. I have to stress here that I'm certain that the drawers and compartment aren't physically preventing the door from closing, but I've no idea what else could be causing the problem

Also, I don't know how the door is 'locked' for the few seconds. I assume it's vacuum locked, as I can't see a physical lock inside. I can't see any damage on the seal, and there's no blemish or blockage on the door or the freezer (and if there was, it surely wouldn't explain why the door locked when no drawers were in, but did lock when the drawers were absent). I can't see any problem with the drawers' runners, and anyway, the freezer doesn't lock if even just one draw or the compartment is in place.

Any ideas or suggestions, please?