The free convection in the melt during the crystal growth of small-gap semiconductors, and its influence on the electrical properties are discussed. Dimensionless parameters of the fluid flow, electrical properties of PbTe, Pbl_~Sn~Te and Hgl _~Cd~Te single crystals, grown by vertical Bridgman technique at very low velocity, and some structures, found in these materials, support the presence of free convection.