How to Repair the Seal on a Refrigerator

It's easy to replace your refrigerator's seal.

If the squishy, rubber seal on the inside of your refrigerator door becomes worn or stretched, your refrigerator may not seal properly when the door is closed. When this happens, air leaks out of the refrigerator, keeping the refrigerator from getting as cold as it should, risking food spoilage. You can replace the seal (also called a gasket) by yourself with a little elbow grease, sparing yourself the time and expense of a professional service visit.

Things You'll Need

• Pan
• Boiling water
• Screwdriver
• Solid vegetable shortening

Instructions

1. Place the replacement gasket in a pan and pour boiling water over it. The replacement gasket comes folded up and the boiling water straightens it out.

2. Open the refrigerator door and pull up on the rubber gasket at the top of the door to work it loose. This may take some effort.

3. Loosen the screws that hold the gasket in place on the top and halfway down each side of the door. Don't remove the screws entirely.

4. Locate the plastic or metal strip on the top of the door that holds the gasket in place. Pull the parts of the gasket where the screws are loose out from under this strip by pulling the gasket up and out.

5. Lubricate the new gasket with solid vegetable shortening. Drape the new gasket on the door, lining up the holes in the gasket with the screws in the door. When the holes are lined up, push the gasket under the plastic or metal retaining strip. Line up the holes and push the gasket under the retainer on each side.

6. Tighten the screws into the holes of the new gasket, but not completely. Loosen the rest of the screws holding the old gasket in place, but do not remove them entirely. Pull the rest of the old gasket out from the retaining strip and discard.

7. Push the new gasket in place around the bottom corners of the refrigerator door, one after the other. Continue pushing the new gasket under the retaining strip on the bottom of the door. The ends should meet at the center bottom of the door.

8. Inspect the new gasket carefully to make sure that the gasket fits tightly all around the door when the refrigerator door is open and closed. If you find any gaps or twists, pull out the gasket and reinstall it. Once the gasket is installed properly, tighten all the screws holding the gasket in place.

Tips & Warnings

• As you put the new gasket in place, continually check that the dangling ends of the new gasket will meet at the bottom of the refrigerator door. If they do not, adjust the gasket's placement.

References

• "How to Fix Everything for Dummies;" Gary and Peg Hedstrom and Judy Ondrla Tremore; 2005