In detail: DIY repair of the refrigerator freezer door from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Often, on old and "seen" refrigerators, the sealing gum on the door breaks down. It begins to poorly perform the tasks assigned to it and deforms (breaks), while opening free access to warm air in the refrigerator or freezer. Of course, a slight gap will not critically affect the operation of the refrigerator and the restoration of the sealing gum of the refrigerator can be postponed, but if the sealing gum is strongly stratified and holes appear in some places, then this issue should be taken care of. Such a malfunction can lead to overheating of the relay and failure of the entire compressor. Refrigerator repair and compressor replacement services cost a lot of money, so it’s better to prevent breakdown by replacing the gum on the refrigerator.
It is worth paying attention to how tightly the sealing gum adheres to the body. The service life and quality of the refrigeration equipment directly depend on this. You can check the gap with a regular sheet of paper, about 0.2 mm thick. It should not move from side to side after entering the gap between the metal and the elastic. If it moves freely, so to speak, "walks", then this is one of the signs of delamination and the need to replace the seal.
The first way is to soak the gum in water. Carefully, avoiding tears, you remove the rubber band from the refrigerator body and place it in hot water. After the "water" procedures, no less carefully than the previous time, you put the rubber seal in place.
The second way is to warm up the gum with a hair dryer (70-80 degrees will be enough). After thoroughly warming up, it is necessary to stretch the rubber band while still hot in those places where the gap was found. After that, close the door tightly and wait until the elastic hardens (15-20 minutes). This method is especially effective if the deformation was small.
Video (click to play). |
The refrigerator should stand horizontally, straight, without distortions, check this point before starting work.
First, it is better to clean the gum: apply 2 drops of ammonia and detergent to a sponge and wipe it along the contour of the gum. Removes dirt, grease and gives elasticity.
You need to check where the gap is by pressing a strip of paper with the door.
In places where it is, slip something under the elastic. If the gap is no more than 2mm, then it helps.
Hot gum exposure:
- Heating the gum with a hair dryer (70-80 degrees) and then giving it the desired shape, it should "fall" into place. Don't forget your mittens!
- Hot water, washing with hot water, from a kettle or other container, then shaping it. Do not forget to put a rag under the refrigerator to collect water, and also wipe it dry!
- A more complicated way is to take an iron and process the gum with hot steam.
Check for leaks better - with a flashlight - put the included flashlight in the refrigerator and look around the perimeter of the door where the light breaks through.
How to adjust the refrigerator door with your own hands? One of the most common local problems associated with a refrigerator is the deformation or lack of tight fit of the seal to the door or case. In this regard, the question of door repair arises. Most often you can do it yourself, because calling the master at home is not a cheap service.
Few people know that a complete replacement of the rubber seal on the refrigerator door in most situations is associated with damage to the material or destruction of its base.In all other cases, if the seal is deformed or does not fit tightly to the door (or to the body) of the refrigerator, repairs can be carried out on your own, without involving specialists in this process.
It is quite easy to determine a malfunction that is a consequence of a worn seal:
- The refrigerator buzzes and does not maintain a stable temperature inside, thereby consuming excessive electricity.
- There is a constant frost, moisture inside and outside the refrigerator, i.e. its depressurization occurs.
Local identification and correction of breakdowns associated with the refrigerator door, which is quite realistic to eliminate yourself, can be indicated by several points. Firstly, during visual inspection, when the refrigerator door does not stick well and then opens easily or sags strongly, it will be necessary to carefully remove the protective casing from the hinges (if any) and tighten the door to the required level. It is possible that the gap that appears is associated with the subsidence of the refrigerator door.
Secondly, if the loose fit is due to the deformation of the rubber seal, because the material loses its elasticity over time, then it can be returned to its previous state by heating. This will require a heating device (industrial or household hairdryer) or a thin stream of boiling water from a kettle to heat (pour) the deformed area of the seal, and while it is elastic, give it its original shape by placing a spacer (a piece of rubber, paper or dense foam rubber) under the heated area ...
Attention! When correcting (heating) a deformed rubber seal on the refrigerator door with your own hands, you must follow the rules of personal protection, i.e. use gloves and put a rag on the floor so that the flowing hot water does not flood the room. In this case, the rag will periodically need to be squeezed out of the excess water into a bucket, and then the waste water can be drained into the sewer. It is recommended to give the "elastic" its original shape with gentle hand movements. When adjusting the seal, be careful not to burn your hands.
Thirdly, before adjusting the refrigerator door and trying to restore the damaged seal, you will need to pull off its edge with a thin screwdriver and consider the fastening method. It can be on bolts, glue, special clamps, or in slots (grooves). Replacing the seal on the body (or door) of the refrigerator, in whole or in part, is carried out by measuring the old element and gluing instead of the new one into magnetic strips prepared in advance, which are inserted into the cavity of the gasket profile. In the absence of a native sealant, you can try to order and buy a universal one. A similar repair of a worn out or damaged rubber seal is most often performed only if it is installed on a refrigerator of the Atlant, Minsk or Oka type.
Other problems, in addition to replacing the gum seal, when a minor repair of the refrigerator with your own hands is required, is the creaking of the door or its reinstallation. You can eliminate the appearance of a squeak in the following way:
- Identify a hinge (or several hinges) that creaks when opening / closing the refrigerator door.
- Eliminate the defect with a drop of machine oil by instilling it into the door hinges (in no case use vegetable oil, i.e. edible oil for this purpose).
Thus, simply adjust the hinges by raising them (as far as free play allows) and dripping a few drops of oil onto the axle in order to get rid of the unpleasant squeaking sound.
Another, no less difficult work on self-repair of the refrigerator is adjusting the door when it is reinstalled or sagging, which is carried out using plastic shims.Depending on the magnitude of the door sagging, such washers will need to be purchased from 2-4 pcs.
In order to adjust the refrigerator door with your own hands when sagging, you need to carefully remove the door by unscrewing the refrigerator panel and removing the fasteners at the top. Then you need to put adjusting washers (1-2 pcs.) On the pin of the lower bracket and adjust the door horizontally. Next, it remains to "put" the refrigerator door in place, checking it for distortions and cracks, as well as for the presence of a tight fit of the elastic to the body (or door) and the operation of the light switch in the refrigerator.
Before starting to repair the refrigerator door with your own hands, it is strongly recommended not to load the refrigerator door with food from the inside.
If a break in the bore is detected, the door will simply need to be moved to the opposite side, where it is intact. Similarly, adjust the door for distortions (see description above) using plastic shims. If the hole breaks in two places and it is impossible to outweigh the door, it will be necessary to strengthen the plate on the damaged surface using "cold welding". Then prepare a hole for the axis of the bracket of the corresponding dimensions and hook the door to its original place.
The refrigerator most often breaks down at the most inopportune moment. What was the reason, how serious the breakdown is, how it can be fixed - the summary table of refrigerator malfunctions will help answer these questions.
Classic refrigerator (without No Frost system) works as follows:
Now that we are familiar with the refrigerator device, we propose the following sequence of actions:
Try to identify the problem. in the vast majority of cases, this is not difficult by following the instructions for troubleshooting.
If possible, repair it yourself. A person familiar with the refrigerator design and possessing a minimum set of tools is able to eliminate most of the malfunctions not related to the depressurization of the system.
If self-repair is not possible, choose a company, determine the cost of repairs and call a master.
At the end of the repair, adhere to the recommendations for operating the refrigerator.
The sequence of actions to identify the failed part and recommendations for repair. For compressor refrigerators without No Frost system.
Check the voltage in the outlet, it should be in the range of 200-240 Volts, if this is not the case, the refrigerator is not obliged to work (although it may work for a while, especially the old models.)
All repair work must be carried out with the refrigerator unplugged and defrosted!
a) Check if the light inside the refrigerator is on, if it used to be on, but now it is off - there is a malfunction in the power cord or electrical plug (this is a fairly common malfunction and it is not necessary to call a refrigerator repair technician to fix it).
b) If the light comes on, the first thing to do is to check the thermostat:
- we find two wires suitable for the thermostat, remove them from the terminals and connect them together. If
the refrigerator will then work - we change the thermostat and the repair is completed.
c) If the thermostat is working properly. In the same way, we check the button for defrosting the refrigerator.
d) For further diagnostics, you will need an ohmmeter. We disconnect and call the starting and protective relay (they can be assembled in one case), if we find an open circuit, we replace the defective part.
e) The electric motor of the motor-compressor remains, it is difficult to replace it without the participation of a specialist, but since we got to it, it is worth finding out what exactly the malfunction is. There may be three defects in this unit:
- winding breakage;
- turn-to-turn closure of the winding;
- short circuit to the motor compressor case;
How to identify them is generally clear: all three contacts of the electric motor should ring among themselves and not ring with the case. If the resistance between any two contacts is less than 20 ohms, this may indicate an interturn closure.
f) If you carefully completed the previous points and did not find a malfunction, this most likely indicates oxidation of the contacts in one of the connections of the refrigerator electrical circuit. Carefully inspect and clean all the contact groups that you disassembled, restore the refrigerator circuit in the reverse order - the refrigerator should work.
1 - electric motor
motor-compressor
1.1 - working winding
1.2 - starting winding
3 - thermostat contacts
10 - defrost button
11 - protection relay
11.1 - bimetallic plate
11.2 - relay contacts
12 - starting relay
12.1 - relay coil
12.2 - relay contacts
a) Defect in the bimetallic plate 11.1 of the protective relay: determine the malfunction and replace the part.
b) Defective coil (or other current sensor) 12.1 starting relay: determine the malfunction and replace the part.
c) Breakage of the starting winding of the electric motor 1.2: we determine the malfunction and call the repairman of refrigerators to replace the motor-compressor.
a) Freon leakage: Determined as follows - if the compressor is running and the amount of freon is normal, the condenser should heat up, touch it with your hand (carefully, it can heat up to 70 degrees), if after prolonged engine operation it remains cold, then the system is depressurizing ... Disconnect the refrigerator from the network and call the wizard.
b) Violation of the thermostat regulation. The device can be temporarily replaced with a known good one, if the refrigerator works in normal mode - return the faulty thermostat for adjustment.
c) Decreased performance of the motor-compressor. This is a hard-to-diagnose malfunction, call the wizard
a) Violation of the thermostat regulation. The device can be temporarily replaced with a known good one, if the refrigerator works in normal mode - return the faulty thermostat for adjustment.
b) The rubber of the refrigerator door seal has lost its shape and elasticity. If the door does not close tightly, warm air will enter the refrigerator, the temperature regime will not be maintained and the motor-compressor will work with increased load. Carefully inspect the seal, defective - replace. (see also next point)
c) The door of the refrigerator led. The door geometry is adjusted by changing the tension of the two diagonal rods located under the door panel. For more information on how to adjust the door, see Removing gaps in refrigerator doors.
d) Decreased performance of the motor-compressor. This is a hard-to-diagnose malfunction, call the wizard
a) If the refrigerator turns off from time to time, but the temperature in it is too low - slightly turn the thermostat knob counterclockwise, if this does not help - see Violation of the thermostat adjustment
b) The fast freezing button is forgotten in the pressed position - turn it off.
Many malfunctions that subsequently lead to costly repairs to the refrigerator arise as a result of improper operation of the unit. Here are some simple tips:
a) If the refrigerator has been turned off for any reason, wait five minutes before turning it on again. This process can be automated, see the timer to delay the inclusion of the refrigerator
b) If the refrigerator has been defrosted, do not load it with food before it runs empty for one cycle and turns off.
c) Do not set the thermostat pointer further than the middle of the scale, this will not give a significant gain in temperature, and the engine will work in a hard mode.
d) On some refrigerators, a “crying evaporator” is located in the back of the refrigerator compartment (on the back wall). Do not lean food against it and do not forget to clean the water drain underneath.
e) When defrosting the refrigerator, it is unacceptable to pick off the ice using hard objects, defrost only with warm water.
f) On some refrigerators there is a “quick freeze” button (usually yellow) this button closes the thermostat contacts and the engine runs without shutting down. Do not forget this button is pressed.
g) Do not store vegetable oil in the refrigerator, oil is not required, and the rubber of the refrigerator door seal loses its elasticity.
h) Do not place the refrigerator near heating appliances.
The reason for the appearance of water in the refrigerating chamber is defrosting, as a result of improper operation or loss of tightness. Even a small puddle is a bad sign. The refrigerator has time to thaw and flow - look for leaks, as a rule, the sealing rubber does not fit tightly in the door. However, the reason may be trivial, the refrigerator doors were not closed tightly.
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The other day I repaired the long-fallen off freezer door in the refrigerator. For a long time, the stereotype of thinking interfered with that the door should be fixed in a way similar to the factory one, i.e. on the inner vertical axis. That I just didn’t attach springs and dowels. And only after a couple of years it came to light that it was possible to fix it without any intricacies on the window or piano hinges.
For greater strength, it is possible to put a rail in the door itself. ¶
Replacing household appliances with new ones is a problem even for the middle class. A refrigerator is a rather expensive and important element of any kitchen. Its breakdown can seriously affect both the budget and the morale of the family.
The most common breakdowns are door skew and seal lag. How to solve these problems will be discussed in this article.
Refrigerator door seal
There are several explanations for this. By visual inspection of the door, the cause can be determined. Physical damage, deformation of the door (dents, distortions of the metal, not the fasteners), due to which the door does not close. This kind of breakdown can only be repaired in a workshop or replaced with another. Deformed metal, which is used for external cladding of equipment, is very difficult to level at home. To do this, you must completely disassemble the door as a part and walk over it with a special power tool, and then assemble it back. It is not recommended to do this “on the knee” at home.
- Loose or deformed fasteners. If the door curtains have signs of damage or the bolts (sometimes rivets) do not hold tightly, this is a clear sign of the door skewing. Its elimination is possible at home by one person.
- A rotten, loose or cracked seal is also the cause of this problem. After inspecting the rubber pad around the perimeter, you can find the problem area. If, after a little pressure or tugging on the rubber, the seal crumbles or begins to sag, it's time to start replacing it.
Replacing the seal in the refrigerator door
Refrigerator curtains are a very tricky detail. They are attached to the door plane with pins. In order to remove the door and get to the mounting bots, you need to put the refrigerator on its side, curtains up. Do not put on the back wall - there is a chance of damaging the thin tubes that conduct the cooling agent. This is fraught with serious consequences.
Having examined the bottom, it is easy to notice the small bolts that secure the lower door curtain. Removing it, you can literally "pull" the door out of the upper groove. After that, the bolts (less often self-tapping screws or rivets) of the upper curtain will have free access.Sometimes they are closed with a plastic cover - it is easy to pry it off with a knife, and put it back after the repair is completed.
The backlash of the curtains is determined quite simply - if, with a small load of curtains, it "walks" from side to side, turns or makes a knock, it must be fixed more firmly or replaced altogether. Bent pins and cracks are a sign of wear on a part - get a new one.
- Bolts - it is necessary to set the curtain at a level (90 to the level of the bottom, in line with the lower curtain) and tighten with a wrench. Sometimes a thin counter-washer is used to strengthen the structure, which does not allow the bolt to unscrew.
- Self-tapping screws - a similar procedure, only here you need a flat or Phillips screwdriver.
- Rivets are a bigger problem. Riveting can be done using a special set of tools similar to a center punch for metal. If possible, replace the old rivets with screws or bolts. This way you will quickly repair the door without damaging the refrigerator box.
If a crack was found in the area where the bracket was attached, it’s not scary. Most refrigerators allow for mounting on the opposite side. To do this, you need to remove the doors, free the nests for the pins from the plastic plugs on the other side and assemble the refrigerator, install the curtains on the other side. Cracks or holes in the old place for fastening must be closed with plastic covers (supplied with the refrigerator) or treated with epoxy resin (cold welding) in case of a serious crack.
For quick installation of the sealing gum on the refrigerator door, you do not need to remove it from the hinges. However, it is necessary to work in a well-ventilated room - the smell of toxic glue can be detrimental to your health.
So, if the problem is in the seal, then the first step is to remove it. Factory rubber bands are one piece that is glued to metal using a multi-purpose glue. It is easy to remove the gasket - it is worth prying it off with a sharp knife and pulling it by hand. In most cases, you will be able to remove a large piece with one jerk.
After that, it is worth removing the remnants of industrial glue. A rag with soapy water or a coarse sponge soaked in rubbing alcohol will work well. For particularly strong types of adhesives, you will have to use chemical solvents. The choice of solvent should be based on toxicity - only those that are safe for the respiratory system should be selected.
Having removed the old layer of glue, you need to order or make yourself a new seal. It is not difficult to find a suitable one for the popular models of refrigerators. The rubber part should be looked for by the exact model name of your device. For older models, rubber band gaskets will work. They are sold in hardware stores by meter or in special rolls of fixed length.
Rubber band gasket
The best option is Moment glue for rubber, metal, and ceramics with an average strength. Too strong glue will be more difficult to remove from the door leaf after unsuccessful pasting or at the next repair.
New seal on the old refrigerator
Some types of rubber bands have a groove connection or are screwed on with self-tapping screws. In this case, no glue is needed. The gluing takes place in two stages:
- Applying a thin layer of glue to the corners of the rubber square, leveling with a water level, stretching.
- Bonding the entire perimeter with small portions of glue.
It should be borne in mind that rubber glue sets in 15-20 minutes. This is sufficient time for the seal to align and stretch. When gluing the perimeter, firmly press the rubber to the metal - the strength of the gluing depends on this. Use clamps if possible. After complete drying, it is necessary to remove bubbles and wipe everything around the perimeter with detergent. The refrigerator is now ready for further use.
Replacing an old seal in the refrigerator is a simple task for an experienced craftsman. However, it is important to know how to care for your home appliance to avoid re-breaking.
- Compliance with the defrosting schedule (for outdated models);
- Periodic check of units and parts for rotting, unpleasant odor, crumbling;
- Avoiding overheating or hypothermia (especially important for equipment that is not currently being used, but stored in a warehouse or garage.
By observing these simple rules, you can avoid the need for repairs and extend the service life of the equipment. It is important to note that a huge amount of cold escapes through the slots in the seal, which adversely affects the quality of the products and makes the refrigerator work in an enhanced mode. This has a detrimental effect on its resource. Even a small gap, into which the corner of A4 sheet will freely pass, is a potential problem and has a bad effect on work.
Recently I faced a problem, an old refrigerator delivered to the dacha turned out to be with a destroyed freezer door. How to make a freezer door? How to repair the door? I tried to restore the door, but it did not work. A piece of dense foam that caught my eye helped out. It was a 15 mm thick plate cut with a heated nichrome wire from a large piece of Styrofoam. On a piece of foam, I drew the dimensions of the opening for the lid with my own hands and cut out the panel. The improvised home-made door for the freezer stood up exactly without friction against the walls and, most importantly, kept in the opening without any fasteners. The cover was also easily removed from the opening. The refrigerator repair took less than 5 minutes.
Tests have shown the operability of the refrigerator and freezer, the photo shows a freezer ice coat for 4 months of operation, which I consider quite acceptable for this type of refrigeration unit. Most importantly the cover did not freeze to the walls of the refrigerator.
To repeat the lid, a dense construction foam with a thickness of up to 50 mm is suitable (do not use foam from balls), if the refrigerator door does not close, then the thickness of the foam can be reduced with a sharp knife without resorting to "nichrome" technologies.
Take note, thanks!
Thanks for the idea. It helped a lot.
Great move!
During the move, the door was lost, which had fallen out before, and the refrigerator is not bad. Son in a hostel will do very well. I will definitely use your advice. Thank you.
Almost six years have passed and the door is still in use.
Each apartment and private house has a refrigerator that works without interruption, and often breaks down at the most inopportune moment. Most often, serious expensive repairs are required, or even a complete replacement of failed equipment. Many turn to service centers, but some DIYers successfully repair the refrigerator with their own hands. In this case, it is necessary to have a good idea of the device of the units, to have the skills to handle tools and to strictly follow the established procedure.
Before proceeding with self-repair of the refrigerator, you need to accurately determine the cause of the breakdown. With correct diagnostics, you do not have to disassemble the entire refrigerator, but immediately gain access to the place of malfunction.
The refrigerator has stopped freezing food, or the operating temperature is insufficient for normal storage. Here, most likely, the compressor is faulty or the adjustments are set incorrectly, with violations.
The refrigerator does not turn on... This can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, a plug or cable that is bent or has received mechanical damage is often faulty. Such malfunctions are easily eliminated with your own hands, it is enough to replace the damaged part. Refrigerators often stop working due to problems in the electrical network.For normal operation of the unit, a voltage of 190 volts or higher is required. If this condition is not met, the device will simply not turn on. This problem is not a breakdown, as in this case the protective mechanism is simply triggered. You can solve the issue by installing a voltage stabilizer.
The button that turns on the defrost function does not work... Sometimes it sinks or stops working altogether. As a result, this leads to the impossibility of defrosting or canceling an already started defrosting. In this case, the old button is removed and replaced with a new element.
Serious attention is paid to checking electrical circuits. It is possible that the lack of cold is due to oxidation of the contacts that need to be cleaned. This problem most often appears as a result of moisture ingress and with prolonged use of the equipment. Because of this, all compounds are oxidized and contact is lost. Such a breakdown is eliminated by the usual stripping of the terminals and the unit begins to cool again.
The electrical circuit of the refrigerator will help to quickly detect the malfunction. Defective parts found, such as the start relay, are usually not repaired but must be replaced.
Most domestic refrigerators have similar devices and, accordingly, they have the same problems. As a rule, all malfunctions consist in too strong freezing, or in its complete absence. By and large, they also affect foreign models, so the principles and rules for carrying out repairs will be the same for everyone.
The lack of cold is most often associated with the leakage of freon from the cooling system and compressor. Usually this problem becomes visible to the naked eye. If the leak was not visually detected, the following steps must be taken:
- You need to find a special sealed tube on the compressor and pump out freon through it.
- Instead of freon, air is pumped under low pressure.
- A characteristic hiss will be heard at the place of damage, which will indicate a leak. This place should be soldered, since other methods are not suitable here.
Sometimes in Indesit refrigerators the freezing becomes weak. This occurs as a result of freezing of the air exhaust and supply ducts. It is very easy to eliminate this defect by ordinary defrosting of the unit.
Sometimes the thermostat functions normally, but there is not enough cold to freeze food. This problem applies to all brands of refrigerators. If the compressor is in good working order and is operating normally, then the rubber gaskets installed between the chamber and the doors may be the cause. Worn seals simply do not seal the refrigerator compartment as needed. As a result of the resulting gap, the cold gradually goes out. The problem is solved by replacing the old seals with new ones. Fastening is done with epoxy or glue.
If refrigerators, on the contrary, begin to freeze very strongly. Most often this happens due to incorrect settings of the thermostat, when the factory settings are lost. The situation is corrected by adjusting this relay. However, this operation requires qualifications, so you will have to call the wizard from the service center to configure it.
Sometimes severe freezing occurs as a result of a refrigerant leak. This happens very rarely because in all other cases the compressor starts to freeze much worse. In this case, replacing the compressor is not required; maintenance is sufficient.
During operation, more serious problems may arise, in general, negatively affecting the operation of refrigeration equipment. For example, the refrigerator produces noise and strong vibration. This usually occurs due to improper installation of the unit, as a result, the electric motor is not provided with normal operating conditions.
Many refrigerator problems are caused by improper installation of the equipment protection relay. In such cases, it must be reinstalled correctly. This procedure should be carried out in full accordance with the scheme.
Malfunction in the form of an unpleasant odor. This happens when the drain pipe becomes clogged during long-term operation of the refrigerator. The connection is cleaned with water or compressed air.
There are some differences in the repair of one- and two-compartment refrigerators. In the second option, there may be more compressors requiring care and monitoring. Usually one part fails, while the other continues to function normally.
Thus, it is quite possible to repair the refrigerator yourself. Of course, only specialists can solve more serious problems. But even those faults that can be corrected at home will significantly save the family budget. The most important thing is to carefully study the operating manual, and then follow it during the repair.
Very often household appliances, which are subjected to daily intensive use, fail. A private foreman for the repair of refrigerators can assign a fairly round amount, but fortunately, all the work can be done with your own hands.
Before starting repair work, you need to find out the place and reason for the strip. The simplest, most accessible, but at the same time, and dangerous indicator is water, which can flow under the freezer or flow out directly from the refrigerator. If a Soviet refrigerator is leaking, then there may be two reasons:
- Drainage is clogged;
- The container in which the condensate collects is overfilled;
- The drain pipe is leaking.
It will not be difficult to eliminate such breakdowns, but we will tell you more about this below. If the water does not flow, and the Electrolux, Nord, Ariston and others simply stopped working, then you need to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis.
Urgent repairs of even the most complex refrigerator can be done at home with your own hands. Let's take a look at step-by-step instructions on how to troubleshoot the most common problems in refrigeration systems.
Video: how to repair a refrigerator with your own hands
Refrigerator repair prices depend on the type of problem and the specific company. Sometimes different consumables and urgent call of specialists are also separately taken into account. Consider the price list for replacing the compressor motor:
Unfortunately, any household appliances tend to fail, this also applies to refrigeration equipment. In case of negligent use, mechanical damage, external factors, or simply on old models, it may be necessary to replace the sealing strip on the door. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the replacement can be done by hand without contacting a service center. How to do it? I'll tell you now.
First of all, it is worth figuring out whether the tape is the case or there is a more serious breakdown. A simple test is enough:
- take a regular sheet of paper;
- open the door and attach the sheet to the refrigerator body;
- close the refrigerator door so that a sheet of paper remains between it and the body and looks out a little;
- try pulling the sheet out without opening the door. If the paper can be pulled out without much difficulty, then the door does not fit tightly, otherwise everything is in order with the seal.
Each model and brand of modern household refrigerators has a different shape and size of sealing rubber. But the old Soviet units had a tape of the same sample, so it is somewhat easier to replace it. In other cases, it is necessary to select a new seal similar to the one that was.
In stores, you can also find universal tape of the same size. It is usually wider than the standard one.And when installing it, you just need to measure the required width and cut off the excess.
Each manufacturer tries to come up with something of their own. This trend has not spared such a trifle as a rubber band for the refrigerator door.
By the type of fastening, seals are:
- inserted into special grooves;
- fixed with glue;
- fastened to screws.
But a malfunction of such an insignificant part can lead to serious damage to the capacitor, the repair of which will certainly be expensive.
Signs that the rubber band on the refrigerator door has come off:
- loose fit of the door to the body;
- frost on the back of the main chamber or the formation of a thick layer of snow in the freezer;
- presence of water leaks or condensation from below;
- icing on the freezer door;
- insufficiently low temperature in the compartments.
If you find one or more signs, then, most likely, a partial or complete replacement of the refrigerator seal is required. What to do in this case and how to replace the sealing gum on the old-style refrigerator? All manipulations can be done by hand, saving on the services of a master.
Due to the fact that warm air from the room penetrates into the unit, the condenser begins to work in an enhanced mode, which will soon burn out the motor.
It is necessary to resort to the help of a specialist to replace the gum on the refrigerator only if it is of the latest model, and the linen itself is located under the facing layer of the door, that is, it cannot be dismantled with improvised means.
In other cases, you can do it yourself.
What you may need:
- a roll of a suitable new sealant;
- fasteners (glue, screws, double-sided tape, etc.);
- a small spatula to remove excess glue;
- hairdryer or hot water.
So, how to install the sealing gum on the refrigerator yourself:
This method is only effective if the seal is only slightly deformed in some places:
- A hair dryer heats up the deformed area until the rubber becomes elastic.
- You need to shape with your fingers and close the door tightly, holding it a little.
This option is suitable if the seal is deformed in several places:
- It is necessary to remove the tape from the door and place it in a container of hot water for a while.
- Wipe dry all parts of the sealing gum, form the required shape in the deformed places and attach it back using glue or self-tapping screws.
Sometimes the tape dries up, rots or breaks, in which case it must be completely replaced:
- Remove the door from its hinges and place it on a flat surface.
- Dismantling the refrigerator seal depends on how it is attached. If it is simply inserted into the grooves, then we take it out, helping ourselves with a thin blunt object (a screwdriver, for example). If the old seal is glued, then carefully pry it with a spatula, removing excess glue from the refrigerator door. If mounted on screws, then it is enough to unscrew them.
- We clean the place where the tape is attached.
- We insert into the grooves (glue, screw) a new sealing gum.
- We fasten the door back and check the tightness of the closing.
To avoid the appearance of cracks on the door seal, you need to know how to lubricate the rubber. Silicone grease is a great choice for this.
The biting price of the services of service centers for the repair of household appliances may not worry you if the seal tape on the door on your refrigeration unit has deteriorated. Today we figured out how to remove the sealing gum from the refrigerator and how to fix a new one without resorting to the services of a master.
Video (click to play). |
The video in this article contains visual instructions on how to do everything as carefully as possible.And if you have experience in performing such work or have questions - ask in the comments.