How To Adjust A Refrigerator Door To Close

It may sound like stating the obvious, but a refrigerator door needs to shut tightly in order to work properly. When the door doesn’t shut tightly, creating that proper seal, cold air will not only escape the fridge, warm air will also get inside. Warm air can result in a buildup of moisture and make the compressor burn out eventually. That makes it important to get the door back on track and closing properly before long.

Inspect the door gaskets for debris or damage, and clean them with warm water, soap, and a rag. Remove your fridge’s front grill and adjust the leveling feet with a pair of pliers. Unscrew the hinge cover to remove or adjust the doors so that they will close.

In this article, we will talk about the correct way to adjust your refrigerator door so that it can close. By following these instructions. Let’s get started!

The first step to being to make sure that there are no food containers, misaligned shelves, or open crisper drawers. More often than not, this is the culprit behind a refrigerator door that won’t close. Simply repositioning those items can be enough.

Try to make a habit out of properly aligning anything that goes into the fridge. The longer the door is kept from properly sealing, the more work the compressor will have to put in. Burning out the compressor is the quickest way to leave your fridge incapable of doing its job.

If you’ve checked the shelves and the alignment of the items in the fridge but the door doesn’t close, it is time to check out the door gaskets. Make sure that you clean the fridge’s door gaskets using warm water, some soap, and a soft cloth.

Make sure to get into the folds of the gasket (the accordion-style ones) to get all of the dirt, grime, and grease that can build up over time. When you’ve cleaned it properly, make sure to wipe it completely dry with a different cloth.

Give it a final inspection to make sure that it has been thoroughly cleaned; keep wiping if you needed. Also, check to make sure that the entire fridge is level throughout as this could be a reason for the door not closing properly.

Grab a level and place it on top of the fridge to get an idea of which way the fridge is leaning. When you have a better idea, pull off the grill at the bottom of the fridge so that you can get to the leveling screws and the feet.

Use a pair of pliers to rotate the leveling feet. This will either lower or raise the fridge accordingly until the fridge becomes completely level. There are some refrigerators that will have the aforementioned leveling screws; you can turn these instead.

Check to see if the door closes. If, after leveling the fridge, it still doesn’t close, make sure to replace the closing came and move on to the next step.

Make sure to turn the thermostats of both the refrigerator and the freezer to their lowest level or to the “off” positioning. Take everything out of the fridge and make sure to transfer them to another fridge/freezer or to an insulated chest that will keep them cold in the interim.

Take out the screw that holds the hinge cover in place; this will be at the top of the fridge. When you’ve removed it, lift the hinge cover so that the hinge is exposed. Take out the bolts using a nut driver or a socket wrench and then pull the hinge away from the door.

When the hinge is gone, you can grab the door with both hands and then lift it upwards, moving the door to a flat, level working surface. Pry up the closing cam at the bottom of the door and insert a new one in its place. Make sure that you properly clean the hinge pin at the bottom and dry it before returning the hinge pint back with some sort of petroleum jelly.

After replacing the hinge pin, it is time to put the door back. Put the top hinge into the fridge door and make sure to secure it using those bolts that you previously removed. Put the hinge cover back into place and secure it properly using the hinge cover screw.

This process should be enough to get the door sitting evenly once again. After a successful replacement, put all of the items back into the fridge and return the freezer and thermostat settings back to their previously levels.

Maybe the fridge door just needs a realignment. In this case, all that needs to be done is to pry off the hinge cap and then loosen the screws of the hinge. From here, you can adjust the door so that it properly lines up with the top of the fridge. Take your time to make sure the alignment is right.

For upper doors, only adjust the top hinge. For the lower door, make adjustments to the middle hinge. This is often the quickest, easiest way to make alignment changes to the refrigerator door. If, after realigning, the door still doesn’t sit properly, it is likely an issue with the gasket.

The rubber door gasket can be replaced relatively easily and cheaply; follow the directions for reapplying the rubber door gasket and then see if the door adheres.

In the instance that the magnetic rubber seal isn’t holding, there is actually another trick that can be implemented. Instead of replacing the gasket, you can use a strong magnet. Given that the door’s gaskets use magnetic strips, this should be a viable solution.

You can remagnetize the rubber strips by running the magnet 40-50 times along each side of the strip. This should make the strips strong enough to seal once again, creating that airtight seal that keeps cold air in and warm air out. This is a great way to save on having to buy a new gasket and go through the process of replacement.

Sometimes, the upper part of the door is not the issue. When the lower part of the fridge is the culprit, there are steps to take to adjust the door so that it hangs properly and no longer sags. All you need is a socket to turn the adjustment screw.

Start by turning that lower hinge adjustment screw. Generally speaking, a 7/16-inch socket will do the job and it can both raise and lower the door to create a more even seating. Turning it counterclockwise lowers the door while turning it clockwise raises it.

If the bottom door is sagging, turn the screw accordingly until the lower door comes into a proper seated position. This will take some time and trial and error but should bring the door back into a proper seated position once again.

There are occurrences that can keep your fridge door from closing all the way. By walking through the steps in this article, you can find out the issue and fix it accordingly. You will need to check the door jamb as well as the seal on the door.

Also, sometimes, the rear feet on your fridge may be extended too far. By putting these down and ensuring your fridge is level, it can also fix a door that won’t close. Check everything thoroughly so you can get your fridge back into tip-top shape.