A properly operating refrigerator keeps your food fresh and your routine smooth. So when your side-by-side refrigerator door won’t close, the rest of your day’s plans are shoved to the back burner. Keeping doors completely shut is paramount to maintaining proper refrigerator temperature. Since time is enemy number one, try these DIY suggestions first before wait for a professional repair.
Troubleshoot Why Your
Side-by-Side Refrigerator Door Won’t Close
Why won’t my side-by-side refrigerator door close correctly? A parade of factors can attribute to a rebellious refrigerator door from a torn gasket to a container shyly jutting from a shelf. When your side-by-side refrigerator door won’t close, replace frustration with strategic tips and tricks to troubleshoot the issue with our easily manageable tips.
Is Something Blocking the Refrigerator Door?
It’s easy to overlook something in the wake of frustration, but when your fridge door won’t close automatically, it’s often because a drawer isn’t shut all the way, or a shelf item needs to be adjusted.
Image from MANAGEMENTPro
If your side-by-side refrigerator door won’t close, check the items in the fridge, including the drawers, to ensure everything is fully contained on the shelves and out of the way of the door’s path. Reposition anything that is butting up against the door and preventing its full closure.
Is the Refrigerator Door Gasket Damaged?
Is the refrigerator door still not closing? It could be the door gasket. The door gasket provides a tight seal around the refrigerator door to keep cold air in and block out ambient air. When this seal is old and worn out or otherwise defective, it may not seal tight enough to even keep the door closed properly.
Try the dollar bill test to check your door gasket:
- Slip a dollar bill in the door frame
- Close the door with the bill sticking out
- Try to pull the dollar bill out
- If the bill slips out easily, the door gasket seal is too weak
- Replace the gasket if necessary
Is the Refrigerator Body Misaligned?
The actual body of the refrigerator has legs at the bottom that are designed to adjust and ensure the refrigerator is level. Didn’t know that? You’re not alone.
Misalignment of the refrigerator will negatively affect its performance and, especially over time, prevent the door from opening and closing the way it should.
Grab a level and set it atop the refrigerator — not on the door, but on the body of the fridge. If the bubble is not centered on the level, then adjust the refrigerator legs until the bubble is centered.
Is There Something Wrong with the Refrigerator Door Hinges?
Even when your refrigerator has been carefully leveled, door hinges can become misaligned over time. To determine if this is the reason your side-by-side refrigerator won’t close, open the door and place the level on top of the door frame. If the bubble is not centered, the door hinges have likely shifted.
Readjusting or replacing door hinges is a bit tricky and can be a difficult task for a DIY novice. If you possess a fair amount of handiness, then grab a capable helper and give it a whirl.
If your side-by-side refrigerator door won’t close but DIY projects are not your thing, let Dave Smith Appliance Services take care of the refrigerator service- our professionals are equipped to handle the jobs both big and small.
