Replace a Refrigerator Door Seal

A faulty or leaking refrigerator door wastes energy. Leaks can also increase your energy bill and stress your refrigerator, shortening its life. You also risk spoiling your food. Changing the door seal (often called a gasket) may be necessary, but it's not that difficult of a process.

Steps

Assessing the Refrigerator Door Seal

  1. Understanding what a gasket or door seal is. Every refrigerator has one. This is a gasket (or seal) that is made out of molded rubber.
    • The goal of the gasket is to keep cold in and to keep heat out of the refrigerator. Essentially, it seals the colder air in, and prevents air outside the refrigerator from entering it.
    • The reason this matters is because a bad or worn seal will allow cold air to leave the refrigerator, and warm air to enter it. This means that temperatures in the refrigerator could increase, and spoil food inside of it. It will also cost you more money in energy because of the cool air escaping.
  2. Determine whether you need to replace the door seal at all. If there are gaps between the gasket on the door and the refrigerator gasket, it’s not sealing correctly.[1]
    • One way to tell that you need a new gasket is if your refrigerator seems to be running more frequently, or you just think it seems like it’s losing cold air. You could also inspect the door gasket for condensation or blackish looking mold. If you see either of those things, you probably need a new gasket because the cold air is making warm air condense. If you see cracks or thinning of the gasket, it’s probably time for a new one.
    • You could also test the gasket with a dollar bill. Put the dollar bill between the refrigerator door and refrigerator, and close the door on it. Then, try to pull it out slowly. If you feel it drag slightly, your gasket doesn’t need replacing. If it slips out quickly or has moisture on it or mold, get a new gasket.
    • You will need to do one of two things: repair the gaps in the gasket or replace it altogether. Replacing a faulty seal will save you money by not wasting energy. It’s not very expensive to buy a new gasket. It just costs about $50 to $75, and it should only take about 30 minutes to replace. You will save energy, so it will pay for itself fast.[2]
  3. Consider repairing the gasket if it’s possible. Close the refrigerator door and look at the gaps. Inspect them. How big are they and where are they?
    • Use petroleum jelly on the gasket to fix small gaps. Simply pull the gasket away from the channel to expose a couple of inches (.05 meter) in the door corner. Cut small strips of weather stripping. Pack the corner with it by placing it along the channel of the door gasket.
    • Push the gasket back in the channel. Repeat the process, and pack other corners if you think that’s needed.
    • Close the refrigerator door again and look for gaps again. If this didn’t work, and you still see gaps, you will need to replace the seal.

Buying and Preparing the New Door Seal

  1. Research the right gasket to buy. This will depend on the type of refrigerator you have, and what its model and identification information says.
    • Check the owner’s manual. If you can’t find your owner’s manual, go online and research what it says.
    • Go to a hardware store or manufacturer service center, and tell them the refrigerator information. Store personnel should be able to help you find the right gasket. Check the door seal size. Measure your door.
    • You could also research the gasket on the website of the manufacturer. Be aware that if the door liner beneath the seal is cracked, you will need a new liner as well as seal (gasket).
  2. Prepare the new gasket while you’re removing the old one. It’s a good idea to put the new gasket in warm water for a few moments before installing it. Before you remove the old one, shut off the power to the refrigerator.[3]
    • This process will make it easier for you to install the new gasket. You also might find it easier to level the refrigerator if it seems off balance. Some people even remove the refrigerator door to install the gasket, but this is not mandatory.[4]
    • You won’t need a lot of equipment, but you will need what is called a hex head screwdriver. You can find these at most hardware stores. If you are confused what it is, just ask a salesperson and tell him or her the purpose. You should turn the screwdriver counter-clockwise.[5]

Replacing the Refrigerator Door Seal

  1. Remove the gasket from the refrigerator door. Grab the bottom of it on the inside, and pull the gasket back. You want to be able to see the metal gasket retainer.[6]
  2. Loosen, but do not remove, the screws that hold the metal retainer around the entire door. You should use the hex head nut screwdriver to do this. Lift the edges of the seal to find the screws underneath that are holding in the plastic liner and door seal. Often, the screws hold in a plastic liner, which in turn clamps the door seal to the door.
  3. Pull the gasket out of the door to remove it once you have loosened the retainer screws. Once all of the screws are loose, the door seal should easily slide out from behind the plastic liner. Don't be too forceful when doing this step, since some plastic liners can be quite brittle and crumble if you are too rough. [7]
  4. Take the new gasket, and install it. Position one of its corners on the top of the refrigerator door. Push the lip of the new gasket over the metal retainer, and slide it behind the metal retainer and around the entire perimeter of the refrigerator door. The best method is to start in the top corners, and work your way around the door.
  5. Use the hex head driver to screw the metal retainer in. You don’t want to tighten the gasket retainer screws all the way. You want them to be snug.
  6. Apply powder. Use a bit of baby powder or talcum powder to prevent sticking.
  7. Rub some powder around the hinge side corners of the door seal and where the seal slides. This will help to prevent the door seal from twisting as it meets the metal of the fridge.
  8. If this still doesn't prevent twisting, then wedge a screwdriver under the seal as you close the door, and leave it shut for an hour.
  9. Close the refrigerator door, and open it several times to inspect the gasket. You are looking for any warped areas of the gasket. Repeat this process several times.
  10. Rub petroleum jelly along the hinged side of the door if you see some gaps. Once the gasket looks like it is properly fitted, tighten the screws more. Alternatively, you can heat the door seal up with a hair dryer to fix the gaps. This softens the door seal and allows you to stretch it.



Tips

  • Refrigerator seals vary somewhat, so read the instructions that come with the door seal and read the owner's manual for your refrigerator, if you have it.
  • Soaking the new gasket in warm water before beginning can make it more pliable and easier to work with.
  • Always use safety precautions when dealing with any appliance. Make sure you use proper safety equipment. If you aren’t sure you can do the repair, hire a qualified technician.

Things You'll Need

  • Appropriate screw or nut driver
  • Replacement seal
  • Baby or talcum powder and petroleum jelly
  • Flashlight

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://homeguides.sfgate.com/fix-gaps-refrigerator-door-gasket-43724.html
  2. ↑ http://www.familyhandyman.com/appliance-repair/refrigerator-repair/how-to-replace-a-refrigerator-door-gasket/view-all
  3. ↑ http://www.searspartsdirect.com/repair-guide/refrigerator/how-to-replace-a-refrigerator-door-gasket.html
  4. ↑ http://www.thomasnet.com/articles/hardware/refrigerator-gasket-replacement
  5. ↑ http://www.sears.com/shc/s/t_10153_12605?tName=hex-head-screwdriver.html
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoT8IdrpWL8
  7. ↑ http://videos.hgtv.com/video/replacing-a-gasket-on-a-fridge-61375
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