How to Maintain Refrigerator Door Seals

Table of Contents

1. Regular Cleaning: 2. Rehydrate the Seal: 3. Inspect for Damage: 4. Refrigerator gasket seal: characteristics, repair and maintenance 5. How to maintain refrigerator door seals? 6. Typical signs of damage 7. How do I remove the damaged gasket seal? 8. Selecting the right gasket seal 9. Replacement 10. Repair of an old seal?

Regular Cleaning:

Why: Dirt and food pieces can accumulate on the gasket, preventing the refrigerator to close properly.
How: Using warm water and a mild detergent, wipe down the seal. Pay particular attention to folds and areas where the gasket contacts the refrigerator when the door is closed. A toothbrush can help tackle tougher stains.

Rehydrate the Seal:

Why: Over time, gaskets can dry out, causing them to shrink and become not as effective.
How: Apply a very thin layer of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to the surface of the gasket. This helps keep it moisturized and prevents drying out.

Inspect for Damage:

Why: Cracks, tears, or signs of wear indicate that it’s time to replace the seal.
How: Regularly check the gasket for damage. If you notice any issues, consider replacing it with a new one.

Refrigerator gasket seal: characteristics, repair and maintenance

Maximum tightness of the door is vital for the operation of a refrigeration unit. It can be achieved with the help of a rubber elastic seal, which is located around the perimeter of the refrigerator doors. Unfortunately, this component wears out or gets damaged over time, thereby making the device inefficient. In this case, the only thing to do is to replace the seal in the refrigerator.

How to maintain refrigerator door seals?

To help maintain the refrigerator seal in its top shape, you should regularly clean it as part of your refrigerator cleaning routine. Using warm water and a mild detergent, you can wipe down the seal. You should pay attention to folds and areas where the gasket contacts the refrigerator when the door is in the close position. Also, using a toothbrush can help tackle the tougher parts. While cleaning, you can inspect the gasket for damage. If you notice any issues, you might consider replacing it.

Typical signs of damage

The wear of the seal in refrigeration units can be noticed simply by closely examining it. Any cracks mean that it loses its elasticity. The reason for this is often due to a high temperature difference between the inside of the refrigerator and the space where it is standing, thus causing it to work intensively.

If the shortcomings of the seal are not yet visible externally, but cold blows from the doors of the refrigerator and ice builds up on the walls inside, then it is necessary to replace it. If you do not carry out repair work in a timely manner, this can lead to breakdowns and overloads of the compressor and excessive consumption of energy resources.

How do I remove the damaged gasket seal?

To remove the seal, it is necessary to first unplug and empty the refrigeration unit and, if possible, remove the door for convenience and position it horizontally. It is recommended to thoroughly clean the surface of the door with a damp cloth from various debris/dust and get rid of particles stuck to the rubber band. If you notice glue residues on the seal, then you can remove it with acetone.

Selecting the right gasket seal

You need to purchase a new gasket seal for the refrigerator in accordance with its model number. The seal must be of high quality, free of any visible defects, lumps and sprains. Its structure should be homogeneous, the color should be uniform.

Replacement

It is necessary to know how to replace the gasket. It must be attached in the same way that the previous spare part was connected.

Beforehand, it is necessary to degrease all surfaces with a special agent and use only a proven glue, having previously studied its instructions.

In cases where the seal can be screwed, screws with a large diameter are used in case the holes are loose. After the glue dries, you need to turn on the refrigerator and check its operation. At the very beginning of the installation, pay attention to whether there are any loose rubber and crevices after installation. By the way, to extend the service life of the sealing rubber, we recommend opening and closing the refrigerator doors where the handles are, thus not damaging the structure of the refrigerator.

Repair of an old seal?

Over time, gaskets can dry out, causing them to shrink and become not as effective. You can apply a very thin layer of petroleum jelly (for example Vaseline) to the surface of the gasket. This helps keep it moisturized and prevents drying out.

At the same time, you must understand that sooner or later you will need to replace it, since any fix is only a temporary one. Replacing the seal in the refrigerator is a simple procedure, and the new component is inexpensive. If you are not sure about repairing it yourself, then you can always contact professionals for help.