DIY refrigerator freezer door repair

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.

Image - DIY refrigerator freezer door repair

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:

  1. The refrigerator buzzes and does not maintain a stable temperature inside, thereby consuming excessive electricity.
  2. 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 ...