How To Make Sure The Freezer Door Is Closed

Have you ever opened your freezer, grabbed something; only to return and find the door is gaping? It didn’t shut properly, and now you are worried the food will not be as cold as it should be. Well, fret no more as we have consulted the experts to explain what causes the freezer door not to shut properly and how to troubleshoot the issue.

Your freezer door might refuse to close because the door is carrying too much weight, your freezer is not well-leveled, the hinges are loose or not aligned correctly, or the gasket has not sealed properly, amongst other reasons. You can fix this problem by doing one or more of the following to make sure your freezer door remains closed:

  • Remove bulky and heavy items from the door.
  • Level the feet of your freezer.
  • Tighten the hinges.
  • Replace the damaged hinges.
  • Rearrange the shelves.
  • Clean the gasket.
  • Re-attach the gasket.
  • Have the seal replaced.
  • Re-magnetize the door.
  • Replace the door.

To understand more the reasons for your freezer door not closing, continue reading and learn how to ensure your freezer door closes properly each time you open it.

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close up photo of worker's hands with tools while reparing freezer door. How To Make Sure The Freezer Door Is Closed

How do I make my freezer door stay closed?

It can be very frustrating each time you close your freezer door, you find it ajar when you go back to get something else. If your freezer door is not closing, the first step is to diagnose the problem. Then apply the recommended methods below to make sure that your freezer door will remain shut after opening to get food:

1. Remove bulky and heavy items from the door

If you have placed huge gallons of milk or other bulky items that are protruding in the freezer door; they can block the door from closing. If this is the case, remove them and place them in another part of your freezer.

Heavy items can also make the door become heavy, causing it not to align properly. Lessen the weight by moving some items to other parts of the freezer.

2. Level the feet of your freezer

A freezer that is not leveled properly can cause the gasket on your door not to seal well. If you suspect this is the problem, use a bubble or laser level to check the levelness by placing it on top of the freezer; and if you confirm it to be true, then check what is causing it.

Sometimes it could be that you mistakenly propped one or more feet up on a rug or something else. Here, you simply remove it. Other times, it could be due to one or more of the feet being slightly lower or higher than the rest.

Since most freezers have legs made from large bolts, you can level the freezer perfectly by using a pair of pliers to either raise or lower the bolts. As you do this, keep checking until your freezer is completely level.

Maybe the floor on which your freezer is standing is not even. When you find this to be true after checking with your level, you may have to move your freezer to a ground that is even.

3. Tighten the hinges

As with any other equipment, your freezer will experience tear and wear because of being opened and closed many times every day, each year. This can cause the door to sag at the hinges.

If your hinges are not that bad and can still work well, you only need to tighten them. Usually, the hinge at the top experiences the most stress and may be the only one that needs to be tightened.

However, check all the hinges, including the ones at the bottom, to make sure they are all working well. If they are also loose, then you need to tighten them until the door balances right. As always, check your freezer manual so that you follow the correct mechanism of tightening the hinges correctly.

4. Replace the damaged hinges

Sometimes, the door will not close if the hinges have been damaged, making them bend or warp out of alignment. They could also have rusted.

If this is the case, you don’t have to replace the door or the entire freezer. This problem can be fixed by simply replacing the old hinges, giving your door new life and bliss.

5. rearrange the shelves

Sometimes the door may refuse to close because the food has been stored haphazardly inside the freezer. For example, one tray may be filled with so much food while others are partially empty.

The full tray can cause food to be packed so tightly until it touches the door when closed, blocking it from closing properly. Solve this by distributing food neatly and equally in all the trays.

6. Clean the gasket

The gasket is the rubber seal, which runs all around the freezer door. If you pay little attention to the gasket when cleaning the rest of your freezer, grime and dirt can slowly build up until the door does not close firmly.

To solve this, damp a piece of cloth or sponge with water and clean the entire rubber seal. If it has too much grease, you can use mild dish soap or a little white vinegar.

7. Reattach the gasket

As your freezer gets older, your gasket will have gone through a lot of opening and closing of the door. This can cause it to detach or twist out of place. This will definitely not give your door a proper seal and will remain gaping even if you try to close it many times.

You don’t have to buy a new gasket. Using your manual, reconnect it correctly and firmly, taking precautions to use the recommended glue or adhesive as per your freezer model.

8. Have the seal replaced

If your gasket has been damaged or is old, you can replace it with a new one so that it provides a good seal to your freezer. Ensure you replace it with the correct one as per the model of your freezer.

Carefully follow the instructions in your freezer manual, remove the old gasket, clean the groove, and then install the new gasket. Test it a few times to make sure it works well.

9. Re-magnetize the door

Some freezer models use magnetic power to close it. So, if it does not close properly, then its magnetic power could have faded or could have been lost with time. To have this repaired, call in a professional to re-magnetize the door.  

10. Replace the door

Lastly, your door might have been hit hard and damaged extensively to never close again. In such circumstances, one may decide to buy a new fridge. But in retrospect, it may be cheaper to replace an entire door as opposed to buying a new fridge.

How can I improve my freezer door seal?

If your freezer door is not sealing properly, you can troubleshoot by cleaning it thoroughly using water with mild dish-washing soap. Dry it well and then coat a thin layer of petroleum jelly using your fingers, especially in the areas that have small air gaps, which come about when the vinyl on the gasket dries up.

If the air gaps are too big, you may have to replace the gasket, as petroleum jelly will not fix the gaps.

Why does my freezer door keep opening?

When you discover that your freezer door is not closing well, find out what the problem is and fix it as soon as possible. Use one or more of the methods mentioned in numbers 1 to 10 to find out why your door keeps opening and then repair it accordingly.

How do you fix a freezer compartment door?

If your freezer compartment has too much frost, it can prevent the door from closing and you may have to defrost it. If it has a crack, use an FDA-approved glue to seal the crack, or if it is badly damaged, replace the compartment door, not forgetting to follow the instructions on your freezer manual.

close up photo of a portable drill used to tighten screws of a freezer door. How To Make Sure The Freezer Door Is Closed

In closing

There are various reasons your freezer door is not closing and the first important step to take is to find out what is causing it, and then repair it as per your freezer manual so that it continues to serve you efficiently for longer.

To learn more about fixing your freezer drawer and repairing a damaged freezer lining look, into our previous posts:

How To Fix Cracked Freezer Drawer

How To Repair A Damaged Freezer Lining

Elaine Kabi
Elaine Kabi
Articles: 10

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