Dry clothes year round

Posted on: 16 February 2016

A fridge door that won't close properly is not only a nuisance; it's a costly problem as well. When your fridge isn't shut airtight, cold air escapes from it and hot air seeps inside. This forces the fridge to work harder to keep your foodstuffs under the set temperatures. Consequently, it consumes more energy and your food takes longer to cool. If your fridge door is not shutting as tight as it should, one of the following 4 reasons could be responsible.  

An overloaded fridge

The most common culprit when it comes to this problem is an overloaded fridge. If too many items have been loaded into the fridge, the door might be obstructed from physically closing shut.  Close the door slowly as you peep inside the fridge and check to see if there are any items standing in the way. If not sure, simply try removing items that could potentially be causing the obstruction and then try closing the door again.

A stressed fridge door

Sometimes, the fridge door may fail to close as it should because it is under stress from carrying too much weight. That is, the door is being pulled to one side (outwards) such that when you close it, it simply can't attach onto the fridge as it should. This is especially likely if the fridge is positioned at an angle such that the door is leaning outwards. You can correct this by removing some of the heavier items on the door. Also try to reposition the fridge so that it seats flat on the floor.

Worn rubber seals

Another common reason behind fridge doors that won't close properly is worn seals. The seal is the rubber gasket that forms the airtight barrier between the fridge and the door. Over time, this seal can wear off such that it doesn't allow the door to attach tightly. This is especially common in older units. If this is the case, the seal will have to be replaced. You can order the seal and install it yourself or you can ask a fridge repair technician to do it for you.

Worn bearings or door hinges

Lastly, your fridge door may have a damaged hinge or worn bearings. It's hard to ascertain the latter. However, if the hinge is damaged you can inspect to see if it is bent or loose. If you have tried the other 3 solutions above and the fridge still won't close, chances are high that one of these reasons is to blame. For best results, have a repair technician inspect the door closing mechanism at this point. He/s he may need to remove the door and replace the hinges if necessary.

If your fridge door is not closing properly, do not overlook the problem. It could lead to increased energy costs and/or your food going bad due to inadequate cooling.