If your refrigerator door won’t close properly, listen up! This is a problem you’ll want to address right away. A refrigerator door that doesn’t shut tightly can lead to a spike in energy bills and unnecessary wear-and-tear on your unit. This is because your refrigerator’s compressor is being forced to work longer in order to keep your refrigerator cool. Not to mention, your food will likely spoil faster than it should! So here are three potential reasons why this happening:
Why Your Refrigerator Door Won’t Close Properly
#1: Something is physically blocking the door.
This is the first thing to check for. Sometimes, the fix is as simple as adjusting a shelf or crisper drawer that has become misaligned. This can cause the door to stay slightly ajar. Therefore, carefully examine each shelf in your unit to make sure they are where they’re supposed to be and fully locked into place.
#2: Door gaskets twisted or coming loose.
Give your refrigerator door gaskets a look. They are located on the inside perimeter of your door. Their job is to keep warm air out and cool air in. When they’re twisted or coming loose from the door, this will cause the door to not shut tightly. If this is the case for you, the door gasket will likely need to be replaced.
You can test your door gasket using the dollar bill method. Place a dollar bill in the refrigerator door and close the door so that the bill is sticking out. Attempt to pull the dollar bill out of the door. If it comes out, then your door seal isn’t tight enough and will likely need to be replaced.
#3: Refrigerator body misaligned; door hinges misaligned and/or hinge spacers missing.
Use a level to test the alignment of the refrigerator body. Make sure the level isn’t sitting on the doors, but the body itself. If the bubble isn’t center, the body itself needs to be adjusted. Refrigerators have leveling legs at the bottom of the unit. Turn them until the bubble is centered.
Over time, door hinges can become misaligned due to normal refrigerator use. This can also be tested with a level. If adjustment is needed, be forewarned that this repair does require some handiness if you intend to do it yourself. It entails loosening the hinge and realigning it to its proper placement. The process can vary a bit depending on the model of your refrigerator, so be sure to check your refrigerator’s instruction manual.
There could also be missing or worn out hinge spacers that need to be replaced. If this is the case, you’ll probably be able to notice the door leaning and an uneven gap between the refrigerator and freezer door.
About Appliance Repair Specialists
Appliance Repair Specialists has serviced home appliances in the Tampa Bay, FL area since 1997. If your refrigerator is in need of repair in our service area, we’d be happy to serve you! Click here for our contact information.
