How To Remagnetize Freezer Door Seal

Imagine you're trying to cook steak as your well-loved steak and eggs breakfast.

You prepared your chopping board, knife, skillet, and even a probe meat thermometer to make sure everything goes without a hitch.

But, when you walk up to your freezer, you found your goods aren't frozen.

You check if the freezer was unplugged or if the temperature controller was turned down. They weren’t. Later on, you found that the seal has become faulty. How do you fix it?

We researched how you can remagnetize a faulty freezer door seal, so it doesn't pop open on its own again.

If your freezer seal is not properly working, don’t immediately dash to the nearest repair or appliance center.

Instead, run a strong magnet along the gasket to reactivate the magnetic ability of the rubber seal and bring back the snugging functionality.

However, if not properly carried out, this method can damage the whole door seal.

Remagnetizing the freezer door seal certainly may seem easy, but it’s not. In this article, we’ll look into this method so you can be sure your freezer door tightly seals again.

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Teen girl by the empty fridge. How To Remagnetize Freezer Door Seal

Can you Remagnetize a freezer door seal?

For your reference, freezer door seals, also known as gaskets, are magnetic rubber strips that keep your freezer airtight.

With continuous usage, these door seals can become loose. Fortunately, you can magnetize a freezer door seal again. Use the simplest and most straightforward method below.

Run a magnet on the rubber seal

Strictly speaking, this is the only method you can use to remagnetize freezer door seals at home.

To do this method, find a magnet with a strong coercive force, such as a neodymium magnet.

Run the magnet on each portion of the gasket 50 times in the same direction. The magnetic strength or current of the neodymium magnet will “recharge” the rubber seal to bring back its sealing property.

However, only use this method when you are sure that the reason the freezer door is opening up on its own is due to the lack of magnetic force in the gasket.

Using this method unnecessarily can demagnetize the whole seal and render the whole gasket useless instead.

If you don't feel confident in your abilities, don't hesitate to call a repairman.

How do I know if my freezer seal is bad?

Freezer, Refrigerator, Ice Cream, Store, Supermarket

We recommend that you constantly check this part of the freezer every 12 months or so. If there are cracks and cuts on the door seal, it may be time to carry out a full check to determine the best way to repair it.

Aside from that obvious indicator, though, there are two other signs that will give away that the freezer seal has gone bad.

Determining these symptoms does not need you to have a degree in electrical engineering. All you need to do is conduct thorough visual inspections.

Foods don’t cool and spoil fast

Faulty gaskets result in warm or undesirable temperatures inside the freezer.

The result?

Foods only stay chilled and spoil fast. In addition, since the freezer is warm, it will try to work twice as hard to bring the temperature down, equating to a higher electricity bill.

Too much condensation in the freezer

Loose rubber seals continuously let moisture-filled air inside the freezer. This results in the formation of extra condensation that can damage the inner workings of the appliance, especially the condenser.

How can I make my freezer door seal better?

You can’t prevent the freezer door seal from loosening, but you can slow it down.

The most effective way to make the freezer door seal better is to make sure it always fits perfectly in the doorway. And you can accomplish that by heating the rubber seals from time to time.

What you need for this process is a hairdryer. Position the hair dryer 6 to 8 inches away from the gasket. Set in on medium and let the hot air blow on the rubber seal until the gasket becomes compact again.

For areas where there is a gap, slightly lift the gasket out. Then on medium heat, let the hot air blow on the rubber seal until it gets rid of the gap.

Can you reseal a freezer door?

While you can slow down the loosening of the gasket, totally resealing the ripped, torn, or cracked parts is not possible.

However, you can still prevent the cold and hot air from leaking and seeping in and out of the freezer if you'll do the following steps:

1. Remove the built-up dirt and oil on the gasket

Oftentimes, the reason why freezer door seals become problematic is because of the dirt, oil, grime, and mold on the surface, as well as the grooves.

These elements interfere with the sealing ability of the gasket, making it lose its gripping power to keep the cold inside the freezer.

To completely clean off the grime, prepare a cleaning solution consisting of warm water, dishwashing or detergent soap, and vinegar. This type of solution guarantees to break up the grease and residue on the rubber seals.

Afterward, immerse a clean cloth in the warm soapy water. Use it to wipe away the grime on the entire gasket.

Take note that the water should stay warm during the whole duration of the cleaning process.

Keeping the water warm will make the rubbers more pliable. Plus, it makes the rubber contract again to better fit the surface of the door. Use a toothbrush to clean the grooves of grime.

Some repair centers advise removing the gasket from the freezer when cleaning. This way, you can submerge the whole rubber seal in warm water, which is more effective in returning the seal’s malleability. However, remember to avoid bending the gasket too hard to prevent damaging it.

2. Apply petroleum jelly to the Gasket

Let the gasket dry. Afterward, apply a considerable amount of petroleum jelly to the whole gasket line. Make sure that all the surfaces, gaps, tears, and rips are covered with the jelly.

How will the petroleum jelly help in repairing the freezer rubber seal? It's not common knowledge, but the gasket on your freezer door can dry up like wood.

When that happens, the gasket hardens and becomes less effective in sealing the cold.

Applying a thin film of petroleum jelly helps in moisturizing or locking in the moisture after cleaning.

As a result, the freezer door's sealing ability will somehow be restored to its original state and keep the freezer doorway shut after.

How do you test a freezer door seal?

Now, when you have done all the methods above, you need to check if every process worked.

Here are the ways to test the results of your freezer door seal repair sessions:

Paper test

The easiest way to determine if you have properly repaired the freezer door seal is through what repair technicians call a “paper test” or “dollar bill test.”

Simply trap a paper or a dollar bill in every corner of the gasket and the doorway.

If your test material comes off easily, then the gasket is not yet sealed properly. A properly sealed freezer door must be able to resist your pull.

Check with your hands

For this testing method, turn up the temperature of the freezer. After 30 minutes, run your hands on the door and feel if there is cold air leaking out.

Reapply petroleum jelly to any area where air escapes.