What Are Common Problems That Affect Fridge Doors?

It might not be immediately obvious, but the fridge door is one of the most important components of a refrigerator. It is important that any defects in the door including the seal should be attended to not only as a matter of urgency, but also by a professional as well. This ensures that the repairs done can last longer.

What are the consequences of neglecting a fridge door problem?

The fridge door acts as a seal that keeps in the cold air. Having a problem that results in leakages (the most common type of fridge door problem) usually manifests in a number of ways including:

• Increased spoilage rates: The food in the fridge will not last as long as it used to. When too much cold air from the fridge leaks out, it has a tendency to increase the temperature within the fridge.

• Increased power consumption: Since the fridge has to work harder to cool the air within it, it will consume more power. This might not be noticeable when the defect is small and when you have a single fridge. If you use multiple fridges such as in a restaurant, this will become apparent.

• The fridge may become noisier: This is on account of the compressor having to work harder.

Signs that indicate that the fridge door has a problem

A good test you can use to test the competence of the door is by placing a dollar bill between the fridge and the door, and then closing the door. If the seal is intact, it will be difficult to remove the dollar bill with the door closed. If you have a light source such as a torch, you can light it, put it in the fridge and then close the door. If you can see light through the edge of the door, it means that that part of the door is not sealed properly. This test is best done when there is no light in the kitchen.

You can also check for the presence of any ice leaking through the edges of the door. This usually looks like steam or smoke, and means that there is a defect in the leak. If you find that the door is much easier to open than it used to be when new, it could also mean that the magnet within the seal is failing. You may also notice physical signs of damage including rusted hinges.

What is the next step?

Most fridge door problems are not complicated and you won’t need to do much to fix them. Simply find a qualified appliance repair contractor and have them come over to replace the door. For simple things such as a defective seal, the repairs may only take a few minutes or hours. In the very rare instance where it turns out that you need a new fridge door, it might take longer. In such cases, it would be prudent to first find out if you can have the problem fixed under warranty. It is also important that you get a replacement that exactly matches the original fridge door since substitutes tend to fail.