How to Repair Fridge Door Seal?
The door seal on your refrigerator could lose effectiveness as it ages. A common misconception is that if the door seal is broken, the entire door or refrigerator must be replaced. Although it’s possible that only the seal needs to be changed, most of the time, cleaning and realigning the seal is all that’s required to make things right. This guide shows a quick method for repairing your existing refrigerator door seal and reinserting it into the door.
Items you will need
- Replacement door seal
- Petroleum jelly or silicone grease
- Paper towels or a cloth
- Blow dryer
- Screwdriver
- Waxed paper
- Silicone sealant
How To Repair the Door Seal?
There are six easy steps to repair the door seal.
Step 1: Remove grease, dirt, or mold from the door seal.
Step 2: To ensure that the silicone sealant reaches any gaps in the seal, spread an even layer over the damaged area.
Step 3: Wrap a 2-inch piece of waxed paper carefully around the silicone. Make sure it extends past the ends of the seal that are still intact.
Step 4: Trim the waxed paper’s edges so that it may be folded to take the shape of the seal’s original design.
Step 5: Close the refrigerator door slowly once the sealant and paper are correctly positioned. As a result, the paper ought to get wedged between the refrigerator’s seal and body.
Step 6: Allow the sealant to set for at least 8 hours.
How To Replace the Door Seal?
To replace the door seal, there are the following steps to follow. Such as;
Step 1: Loosen the screws. Use the hex head nut screwdriver to do this. Lift the edges of the seal to find the screws in the plastic liner and door seal. Often, the screws hold in a plastic liner and clamped to the door seal.
Step 2: Pull the gasket out of the door. Once all the screws are loose, the door seal should easily slide out from behind the plastic liner.
Step 3: Install the replacement gasket. Place one of its corners on the refrigerator door’s top. The replacement gasket’s lip should be pushed over the metal retainer; then, it should be moved around the outside of the refrigerator door, behind the metal retainer.
Step 4: To avoid stickiness, sprinkle on baby powder or talcum powder. Sprinkle some powder on the door seal’s hinge side corners and sliding areas. This will lessen the chance of the door seal distorting when it comes into contact with the refrigerator’s metal.
Step 5: Tuck a screwdriver under the seal when you close the door to avoid twisting if this doesn’t stop the problem.
Step 6: Check the gasket by repeatedly opening and closing the refrigerator door. You’re looking for any portions of the gasket that may be deformed. Several times, go through this process.
Step 7: If you see any gaps, apply petroleum jelly to the door’s hinged side. Tighten the screws more once it appears that the gasket is installed correctly.
Tips on Keeping Your Fridge Door Seal
There are the following tips that you can use to keep your fridge door sealed.
- Check if anything inside the refrigerator is opening the door. Large plastic bottles are frequently to blame in this situation, especially when the fridge is overflowing.
- When the door opens and closes, observe the hinge pins to determine if they jiggle or shift. If so, they might require adjusting or replacing.
- Verify that your appliance is balanced correctly. Adjust the feet of fridge if it isn’t level. The back of the fridge should be a little lower than the front.
- Take out any heavy goods kept inside the refrigerator door.
- If the door won’t completely close, anything might be blocking the hinges. Verify that nothing obstructs them and that the plastic spacers are not damaged or worn.
- The door’s hinges may have shifted or worn out if not hanging correctly. These can be altered or changed to get the door to sit appropriately once more.
- Examine the door’s rubber seal (gasket). It must be securely fastened and smooth around the door and frame edges. You might be able to temporarily reposition it if it’s loose or appears to be twisted, but it has to be replaced if it is.
- The gasket may have lost its magnetic properties if the door seal appears in good condition but wanders open instead of sealing shut. The seal will either need to be replaced or remagnetized.