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Habitually taking food out of the refrigerator, you find that the door does not close? Perhaps after a while the sensor gives a signal that the door is open. If all attempts to close the refrigerator more tightly have failed, you need to look for the cause of the malfunction.
Do not rush to change the technique or call the master. You can fix such malfunctions yourself by following our recommendations.
Why does the door close poorly
If the refrigerator door does not close tightly, you can notice this even in the absence of a signal sensor. Snow and ice on the walls of the chamber speak of the continuous operation of the motor. The refrigerator is trying to compensate for warm air, so its components work for wear.
No matter how modern your technology is, the problem with the door needs to be addressed urgently. What to check first:
- Check if a foreign object is stuck between the door and the body, so it does not close. If so, it is enough to eliminate the hindrance and calm down.
- Using the building level, check how evenly the equipment is installed. A slight deviation is allowed only back, otherwise the door will open randomly. Try adjusting the legs to restore balance.
Why are there problems with the door:
- It’s about the seal. The rubber cuff has worn out and leaked from time to time; it is dirty, so it does not stick well to the body. Problems with the seal arise if the door is often opened or slammed hard when closing.
- The door fasteners are loosened, so the chamber does not close hermetically.
- The spacer element, which is located at the bottom of the door, is worn out. Thanks to him, the chamber opens and closes smoothly. Since the spacer is plastic, it could be damaged.
- If the door feels like it is pushing against the body, the stem is probably not positioned correctly. This part is responsible for turning on the light. You need to change the position of the rod.
- When you are sure that the refrigerator was closed normally, but the sensor indicates a loose closure, it means that it needs a replacement.
What to do in case of malfunction? These are not serious breakdowns, so you can deal with them yourself.
What to do to troubleshoot
To check if there are gaps between the body and the door, do a simple test. Take a sheet of thin paper and close the door – it should be securely fixed. So the entire perimeter is checked at the time of the gaps.
We will analyze separately the causes of the malfunction:
Rubber compressor
Over time, the seal becomes clogged with crumbs, debris, mold, so you need to carry out timely cleaning. Make it easy at home:
- Gently clean the rubber with a sponge dampened with alcohol detergent.
- You can also use baking soda and vinegar. They do not harm the surface, and after processing, the rubber stays clean longer.
- Do not clean the seal with coarse, abrasive products, otherwise it will be damaged.
But if you notice that the seal has already begun to deteriorate, it needs a complete replacement. How to determine wear:
- The rubber turned yellow and began to “tan” – this is especially noticeable at the corners of the door.
- Small cracks appear on the surface.
Use hot water to reshape the seal. Pour it around the perimeter with boiling water (after removing it from the door), then immediately straighten it.
Mountings
After the paper test, was it proven that the door does not latch well? The reason may be loose hinge fasteners. All that is needed is to tighten the hinges and restore the position of the door.
plastic spacer
Problems with plastic spacers often occur with older models of refrigerators. A characteristic sign of a breakdown is a door shifted down. To close the chamber, lift and slam the door. However, it is not worth doing this every time, so the spacer must be replaced anyway.
Overload
A common cause of malfunctions is overloading the shelves and doors. Release part of the door from products and check the spacer. As a result of overloading, the plastic part could be worn out or deformed. Therefore, it is not recommended to load shelves in excess of the norm.
How to avoid breakage
It is recommended to follow simple rules:
- Do not slam the door when closing, this violates the tightness of the seal.
- You do not need to open the chamber immediately after it is closed. There is a pressure drop inside, so the seal adheres to the body more strongly. When you open the refrigerator, microcracks appear on the cuff.
- During defrosting, clean the cuff as described above.
- Do not overload the door shelves, otherwise this will cause it to skew.
The video instruction describes in detail how to clean the seal at home:
So, adhering to simple rules, you will keep the refrigerator working for many years. Do not lead to serious breakdowns, troubleshoot as needed.