How to lift the refrigerator door - the door is skewed: what to do?

How to lift a refrigerator door using washers

6. Adjusting the refrigerator door if the plastic spacer is faulty

7. Common causes of problems with the refrigerator door

8. The refrigerator door sag - how to avoid it

9. Video: Refrigerator won’t close - re-hang the hinges

10. Video: Ice freezes in the refrigerator - adjusting the refrigerator door

11. Video: refrigerator repair - door misalignment

12. Video: how to eliminate the gap between the refrigerator door

13. Video: replacing the seal in the refrigerator

14. Video: hang the door on the refrigerator with your own hands

14.1. Related articles:

There is an even easier way to adjust the door. This can be done using metal flat washers, which are sold at any hardware store. To do this, you need to select the washers so that their inner diameter matches the size of the pin on which the refrigerator door hinges are attached.

The essence of this method is that 2-3 metal washers are placed on the hinged pins, thereby lifting the refrigerator door. To install these washers, you must first remove the cabinet door, then install it again.

This closes the gap formed as a result of the distortion.

Why is the refrigeration door skewed?

The main reason that the door is skewed is the overload of the hanging shelves. Heavy bottles and cans pull the door down. There is a place for these products on the shelf in the chamber; it is not necessary to completely block the refrigerator door.

With prolonged sagging, the hinge bracket that secures the appliance door from below becomes deformed. As a result, the part may break and cannot be easily repaired. Similar damage also occurs when refrigeration equipment is improperly transported.

Fill the refrigerator evenly. The circulation of cold air between products depends on this. If shelves are tightly packed, cooling will be poorer, leading to food spoilage.

What to do if there is a gap between the door and the camera? First of all, check:

take a sheet of thin paper;
insert the sheet one by one around the entire perimeter of the chamber and close the door;
where the sheet will sit tightly, the closure is airtight; Where it falls out or is easily pulled out, the tightness is broken.

If you are convinced that there is a gap, inspect the brackets. The adjustment of the fastening bolts will depend on where the door does not fit well.

Lift and adjust the refrigerator door if it squeaks

A creaking door is not a serious problem and can be easily fixed on your own. The doors of almost every refrigerator hang on two hinges - on the top and bottom. Abrasion of the lubricant in them leads to a squeak when opening.

You can correct the defect in the following way:

Identify hinges that make an unpleasant sound when opening and closing.
Lubricate the hinges with special products: paraffin wax, petroleum jelly or mineral oil.
Open and close the door several times in a row until the squeak disappears.

These actions are not so easy to do. The process for lubricating the hinges is as follows:

The refrigerator door is completely cleared of the items stored in it. Then it needs to be lifted as much as possible onto the hinges so that the parts are freely accessible for applying products. An assistant will not hurt in this case, since the door can be quite heavy.
For lubrication, you can use any of the already known means. They are sold in every household store or market. Don't skimp and don't use other oils. Products not intended for lubrication may leach into food stored in the refrigerator. This will negatively affect the taste, smell or appearance of the food.
Lubricant is applied to the lower part of the hinge and distributed along the entire length. Raising the door higher will make it easier to distribute the product evenly. To make the process easier, you can use a small flathead screwdriver.
Finally, the doors need to be opened and closed several times in a row until the creaking disappears.

This work is best done with rubber gloves. If the unpleasant sounds persist, the door will have to be removed and the hinges lubricated with Vaseline. The quality of lubricants is very important - the better the product, the less often you will have to use it.

Periodically, squeaking also occurs when there are no defects in the operation of the refrigerator. Sometimes it appears in the first days of using the unit; it happens that it is caused by a worn rubber seal. In a situation where the creaking becomes too loud, it would be better to contact a specialist.

General Information and Concepts

The working substance, in our case it is freon, boils at low temperatures. The operating principle of any refrigeration equipment is based on this effect. At the same time, freon absorbs heat from the environment. There is a sealed chamber. It is filled to a certain level with refrigerant (freon) at the factory. During operation of the equipment, its quantity is constant if the chamber is sealed. As the temperature decreases, only the physical state of the refrigerant changes: it goes from liquid to vapor, and then back to liquid. In general, the refrigerator, the repair of which we will consider with our own hands, is a very complex design. It may seem that it is unlikely that you will be able to repair any component here on your own, but in fact this is not the case. If you look at it, there are typical breakdowns that occur most often. Home craftsmen have long figured out what’s what and shared it with others.

We recommend: How to change the heating element of a washing machine

Raise the refrigerator door when gaps appear in the seal

The rubber seal is an important element of the refrigeration chamber, which is responsible for insulating the internal space from external heat. If the rubber band wears out, warm air will flow inside the refrigerator, which will lead to condensation and additional problems.

Over time, the surface of the rubber becomes covered with dents and gaps, and the initial elasticity is lost. If you do not take the necessary measures and do not overhaul the refrigerator door, the device may fail. This is explained by the fact that when the seal is lost, it operates at peak loads and is subject to severe wear. Ignoring the problem will lead to unnecessary costs.

With prolonged use of the refrigerator and lack of care, the rubber seal will begin to become clogged with household debris, crumbs and other contaminants. To get rid of them, you can use the following methods:

How to straighten a rubber seal

When using the refrigerator for a long time, the seal shrinks and continues to let air through, even after you have adjusted the position of the door. You can check if there are gaps between the chamber and the seal in one of the following ways:

Take a narrow piece of paper, place it in the place where there used to be a gap, and close the refrigerator. If the piece of paper slides down easily, then there is a gap.
In the dark, place a bright, switched-on flashlight in the camera. Close the refrigerator and turn off the lights in the room. If there is a gap, you will see a gap.

The rubber seal can be straightened using a hair dryer or hot water.

The first method is the safest and most convenient, but it will require more time and effort. Thoroughly heat the seal with a hairdryer for 5-10 minutes on each side around the perimeter.

In order to straighten the elastic with hot water, you need to bring the kettle to a boil and carefully pour over the deformed area. Then carefully straighten the seal by hand using rubber gloves. The method is fast and effective, but it is not convenient if you need to straighten the bottom of the elastic.

If the seal is so old that it has become unusable, then it will need to be completely replaced.

Preventing door sagging and crack formation

In order to avoid these problems in the future, you need to follow these simple tips:

the refrigerator must be level;
do not store too heavy things on the door;
periodically wash the gum from crumbs and debris using a disinfectant detergent;
Once a year, go over the seal with hot water or a hairdryer.

Quick adjustment if the refrigerator door is skewed

Refrigerator door hinges are a cleverly designed element that is attached to the plane of the door with pins. To dismantle a door that has begun to sag and needs to be adjusted, you need to gain access to the fastening bolts. To do this, you need to turn the unit on its side so that the canopies are on top. It is prohibited to place equipment on the back wall, as there is a high probability of damage to the cooling circuit pipeline and freon leakage.

When inspecting the bottom, the bolts securing the lower door canopy are easily identified. If you remove it, the sash can be easily removed from the upper groove. It is easy to determine the play of canopies - when, under low load, the canopy “walks”, makes a knock or turns, it needs to be replaced or fixed more firmly. Cracks and bent pins are an indicator of wear on the element and need to be replaced with a new one. Depending on how the canopy is attached, the technology for installing the door back is as follows:

We set the bolts of the curtain at level 90 in relation to the bottom of the unit in line with the lower canopy and screw it on. Rarely, to strengthen a structure, we use a thin counter washer that prevents the bolt from unwinding.
Rivets - I rivet them with a specialized tool, which is similar to a punch for metal. I recommend replacing with bolts or self-tapping screws - this will prevent possible damage to the equipment body in the event of re-riveting.
Self-tapping screws - the algorithm of actions is the same as in the case of bolts, but you need a Phillips screwdriver or a straight slot.

When a crack is detected in the area where the bracket is attached, it is permissible to move the door to the other side of the case. To do this, we dismantle the doors (from the refrigerator compartment and freezer), free the pin sockets from the plastic plugs that are present on the other side. We close the holes or cracks in the previous place where the valves are attached with plastic covers that are supplied with the refrigeration equipment, or you can fill them with epoxy resin (cold welding) if the crack is large.

Quick adjustment of a skewed refrigerator door

We set the bolts of the curtain at level 90 in relation to the bottom of the unit in line with the lower canopy and screw it on. Rarely, to strengthen a structure, we use a thin counter washer that prevents the bolt from unwinding.
Rivets - I rivet them with a specialized tool, which is similar to a punch for metal. I recommend replacing with bolts or self-tapping screws - this will prevent possible damage to the equipment body in the event of re-riveting.
Self-tapping screws - the algorithm of actions is the same as in the case of bolts, but you need a Phillips screwdriver or a straight slot.

How to rehang if the refrigerator door is skewed

Removing the upper door

Most refrigeration equipment has two chambers and, accordingly, two doors. It's better to start from the top sash. First, attach the door to the refrigerator body with tape in several places so that it does not fall during disassembly. Basically, the sash hinges are attached with a bolted joint (2 bolts). They need to be removed first, after first removing the plastic plugs from similar holes on the other side of the door (the place to which the dismantled hinge will be screwed).

Attention! The plugs must be removed carefully using a flat-head screwdriver. If there are decorative panels, then their dismantling is carried out with a Phillips screwdriver.

When it is necessary to remove the top cover of the unit to gain access to the canopies, remove it and then unscrew the hinges. When the handle on the door is non-removable, there is no need to try to remove it, since the manufacturer most likely provides the option of reinstalling the door. After unscrewing the fasteners and removing the hinges, it is permissible to remove the tape and remove the top sash, lifting it to separate it from the middle canopy. We put the dismantled door aside. We fix the previously removed plugs onto the empty sockets that were vacated.

Removing the lower door

To remove the bottom door of the refrigerator, you also need to secure it with tape to the body of the refrigerator. Next, use a wrench to unscrew the middle loop, having first removed the gasket from the pin. When only the bottom fasteners remain, remove the tape and remove the sash from the hinge. The further procedure for reversing the refrigerator doors is performed according to the following algorithm:

The middle hinge is removed and the mounting holes on the opposite side are released, after first removing the protective plugs and moving them to a new place. To move the lower hinge, first unfasten it from the body of the refrigerator cabinet, for which you use a screwdriver and a wrench. The plugs of the lower part are also rearranged into the vacated holes.

When disassembling the refrigerator doors and moving the hinges is completed, you can begin installing the doors on the other side in the reverse order. Before hanging the refrigerator doors, the hinges are re-checked for screwing strength - this will make the fastening more durable.

Advice! When tightening the fixing bolts, lubricate the threads with paint or varnish - this will make the fastener less likely to become loose.

Reinstalling doors

Install the refrigerator doors on the opposite side in the reverse order - this makes it more difficult to mix up the hinge parts and makes it easier to hold the doors. If parts of the fastenings have been mixed up, then there is a risk of excessive sagging, which is associated with the development of resources. The algorithm for reassembling a refrigerator with the doors open is as follows:

Move the lower hinge to a new location and carefully tighten the bolts. After installing the pin, be sure to put the spacer back in place.
Hang the lower door with the freed mounting hole and the moved handle on the hinge and secure it in the desired position with tape.
Insert the middle pin into the hole in the upper part of the lower door and fix it to the main part of the refrigerator. Be sure to line up all holes before tightening the bolts.
Place a spacer on the top of the middle loop. The door should be placed on the middle pin and additionally secured with tape before installing the last hinge.
When attaching the top hinge, remember to align the holes. The adhesive tape can be peeled off only when the bolts are already tightened and you are confident in the reliability of the fastening.

Attention! When installing the doors on the refrigerator, I recommend tilting the cabinet slightly away from you - this will hold the door more securely.

After completing the installation of the doors, it is necessary to check the tightness of their closure. To do this, you need to perform a simple test:

Close the doors and visually check the tightness of the sealing rubber.
If the cracks are not visible at first glance, then you need to place a sheet of paper when closing the refrigerator.
The door can be considered correctly aligned only when the sheet is pressed tightly around the entire perimeter.

There are 2-chamber refrigerators with separate hinges in the middle. In such cases, work on reinstalling the sashes is somewhat more difficult - when working between the doors, you need to remove an additional hinge. In some cases, such a canopy can be an advantage - only one door is hung to avoid conflict with the furniture.

Re-hanging when the refrigerator door is skewed

Removing the top sash

Attention! The plugs must be removed carefully using a flat-head screwdriver. If there are decorative panels, then their dismantling is carried out with a Phillips screwdriver.

Removing the bottom sash

Advice! When tightening the fixing bolts, lubricate the threads with paint or varnish - this will make the fastener less likely to become loose.

Reinstallation of sashes

Move the lower hinge to a new location and carefully tighten the bolts. After installing the pin, be sure to put the spacer back in place.
Hang the lower door with the freed mounting hole and the moved handle on the hinge and secure it in the desired position with tape.
Insert the middle pin into the hole in the upper part of the lower door and fix it to the main part of the refrigerator. Be sure to line up all holes before tightening the bolts.
Place a spacer on the top of the middle loop. The door should be placed on the middle pin and additionally secured with tape before installing the last hinge.
When attaching the top hinge, remember to align the holes. The adhesive tape can be peeled off only when the bolts are already tightened and you are confident in the reliability of the fastening.

Attention! When installing the doors on the refrigerator, I recommend tilting the cabinet slightly away from you - this will hold the door more securely.

After completing the installation of the doors, it is necessary to check the tightness of their closure. To do this, you need to perform a simple test:

Close the doors and visually check the tightness of the sealing rubber.
If the cracks are not visible at first glance, then you need to place a sheet of paper when closing the refrigerator.
The door can be considered correctly aligned only when the sheet is pressed tightly around the entire perimeter.

Adjusting the refrigerator door if the plastic spacer is faulty

In most cases, problems with the plastic spacer appear in older refrigerators. A similar problem is accompanied by the door sagging or moving downwards. To close the camera, you need to lift and slam the door. However, this will not solve the damage, so the spacer will need to be replaced.

To avoid breakdowns, you need to follow simple rules:

Avoid sharp slams of the door, as this negatively affects the condition of the spacer, fasteners and seal.
Do not overload the door shelves with food or other items. Otherwise it will be skewed.

Common causes of refrigerator door problems

Before repairing the refrigerator door, you need to clarify the root cause of the problem; possible options:

Skewed shelves. Sometimes the refrigerator doors do not close for the simplest reason: the shelves are skewed due to overload. If you put too much food in the refrigerator, this can happen. Try to distribute the mixture evenly and not overfill the refrigerator. It is not difficult to straighten the position of the shelves yourself. If the door still does not close, read the text further.
Poor lubrication. If the refrigerator door sticks when opening and closing, you should pay attention to the door hinges. Many people do not even know that they need to be lubricated periodically.
Contamination or wear. Dirt gradually accumulating on the seal is another reason for seal failure. For cleaning, it is recommended to use water with vinegar or a soap solution: you should not use chemicals. We also note that seals are prone to wear: often over time, the rubber element ceases to be elastic.
Spacer. The spacer also wears out, moving towards the floor and preventing the door from closing completely. It is usually made of polymer materials and is located at the junction of the door and the main part of the device. Its function is to ensure smooth opening and closing.
Uneven surface. Occasionally, the door may not close well due to uneven surfaces on which the unit is located. The latter tilts to one side, to correct which it is necessary to tighten the legs or place additional support.
Closing sensor. A special door closing sensor is often found on modern refrigerators. Its function is to notify the owner about a leak in the seal by sounding a sound signal. Failure of an element results in it reporting false information.

Refrigerator door sagging - how to avoid it

In order to avoid these problems in the future, you need to follow these simple tips:

The refrigerator must be level.
Do not store overly heavy items on the door.
Periodically wash the gum from crumbs and debris using a disinfectant detergent.
Once a year, go over the seal with hot water or a hairdryer.
Don't slam the door. Close it carefully.
Frequently looking into the refrigerator leads to micro-tears in the seal and difficulties opening the door.
For preventive purposes, lubricate the hinges once every six months. This will prevent unpleasant sounds from occurring when opening and closing the door.
Do not overload the side doors.
If your unit has a drip defrosting system, defrost it in a timely manner.
The seal must be maintained regularly: it must be washed with warm water, thoroughly dried using talc, and lubricated. By following these simple steps, the seal will not have to be changed frequently.

How to Adjust a Refrigerator Door

Has your refrigerator started to freeze poorly, is the compressor not working properly, and is ice or condensation appearing inside? The most likely reason for this is depressurization of the refrigeration chamber. This happens because during operation of the refrigerator the door begins to fit loosely. In this article we will look at how to independently adjust the Indesit refrigerator door without involving specialists and what ways there are to solve this problem.

Reasons for depressurization of the refrigeration chamber

The most obvious reason is the sagging of the refrigerator door
during operation. This happens when there is a large load on the side shelves. Therefore, avoid placing too heavy foods or objects in these compartments - drink bottles, cans, etc.
The second reason is hanging the refrigerator door on the opposite side
. This need arises, for example, when rearranging kitchen furniture, when the standard fastening becomes inconvenient. After this manipulation, often on Indesit models a gap appears between the camera and the seal on the side where the previous fasteners were located.
Another reason may be weakening or complete wear of the rubber seal
.

Two ways to adjust the refrigerator door yourself

First way

If the depressurization of the chamber occurred due to the door being skewed due to its overload, then reversing it to the opposite side

. Almost all modern refrigerators provide this option, that is, on the other side there are the necessary gaps and fastenings. They are usually closed with special plastic plugs.

How to hang a refrigerator door

Unplug the appliance and clear the door of food.
Remove the plugs where the center bracket is attached and remove the screws using a screwdriver.
Pull the structure towards you slightly to remove the plastic fastening pins at the top and bottom from the hinges. If they are also secured with screws, unscrew them. In some models, in order to remove the door from the outer hinges, you must first remove the top and bottom panels. This will give you access to the necessary screws that will need to be unscrewed.

After the door is dismantled, we proceed to rehang it on the other side. To do this, you need to open the plugs provided for this manipulation and change the position of all the hinges so that they are on the opposite side, similar to the original assembly.
Install the door using the same procedure as for dismantling, only in reverse order.

In some Indesit models, reinstallation may require additional elements that are included with the device.

Typically, this procedure helps when the refrigerator door is skewed, and the chamber will close tightly again.

Second way

There is an even easier way to adjust the door. This can be done using metal flat washers

, which are sold at any hardware store. To do this, you need to select the washers so that their inner diameter matches the size of the pin on which the refrigerator door hinges are attached.

This closes the gap formed as a result of the distortion.

How to straighten a rubber seal

Take a narrow piece of paper, place it in the place where there used to be a gap, and close the refrigerator. If the piece of paper slides down easily, then there is a gap.
In the dark, place a bright, switched-on flashlight in the camera. Close the refrigerator and turn off the lights in the room. If there is a gap, you will see a gap.

The rubber seal can be straightened using a hair dryer or hot water.

The first method is the safest and most convenient, but it will require more time and effort. Thoroughly heat the seal with a hairdryer for 5-10 minutes on each side around the perimeter.

If the seal is so old that it has become unusable, then it will need to be completely replaced.

Preventing door sagging and crack formation

In order to avoid these problems in the future, you need to follow these simple tips:

the refrigerator must be level;
do not store too heavy things on the door;
periodically wash the gum from crumbs and debris using a disinfectant detergent;
Once a year, go over the seal with hot water or a hairdryer.

Video: hang the door on the refrigerator with your own hands

Hang the door on a hotpoint ariston refrigerator with your own hands

Watch this video on YouTube

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