Talking About Appliance Repairs

How To Replace The Freezer Door Gasket On A Side-By-Side Refrigerator

The gasket on a freezer door ensures that the door forms an airtight seal when closed. If the gasket becomes warped or broken, the door won't shut completely and cold air will leak out while warm air leaks in. The results can lead to higher energy bills and warmer food inside your freezer.

Replacing the gasket isn't difficult on a side-by-side refrigerator, but might require you to remove the freezer door first, depending on the model of your unit.

Things You Need:

• Lifting assistant (optional)
• Wrench
• Kitchen towel
• Screwdriver
• Socket wrench
• New gasket

Step 1: Prepare for Replacing the Gasket

Unplug the refrigerator from the electrical outlet before removing the door just to be on the safe side. Evaluate whether your door will need to be removed in order to fully remove and replace the gasket. If you will need to fully remove the door, ask an assistant to join you now if you will need help lifting the heavy freezer door.

If you don't need to remove the door, skip to Step 3 in these instructions. Otherwise, continue on.

Step 2: Removing the Freezer Door

Open the freezer door. Locate the grated kick plate that runs along the bottom of the freezer door-. Grab each end of the plate and lift up and out to remove the plate. Set the plate aside for safekeeping. You should now see the water dispenser tube inside the freezer area that the plate was covering.

Place a kitchen towel under the tube. Use a wrench to grip and press in on the quick connector that joins the tube and the freezer. Pull the tube out of the freezer connection and place the tube end over the towel to absorb any trace amounts of water that might drip out.

Close the freezer door and locate the hinge cover on top of the door near where the door meets the side body of the unit. Use a screwdriver to remove the fastener on the hinge cover, then pull off the cover and put the cover aside. Disconnect the wire harness above the hinge. Use a socket wrench to remove the bolts securing the door to the body or cabinet of the refrigerator. The door is now mostly detached so be careful for the next action.

Partly open the door and lift up, using a helper if needed, to unlock the door from the bottom hinge. Pull the door off the body completely and lay the door flat on the kitchen floor so that the gasket side faces up.

Step 3: Replacing the Gasket

Replacing the gasket works the same way whether or not the door is attached to the fridge. The only difference will be the position the door is in when you work.

Grab an edge of the door gasket and lift up to pull the gasket clear of the door liner. Continue this process as you slowly work your way around the entire doorframe. Once the gasket is fully removed, use a putty knife to remove any trace gasket foam or adhesive that is stuck behind the liner so that the area is clean for the new gasket.

Pick up the new gasket and line up one corner with the appropriate corner on the freezer door. Press the gasket corner firmly behind the liner so that the liner is holding the gasket in place. Keep pressing the gasket behind the liner, working your way around the entire door.

Step 4: Put the Door Back on the Fridge

If you needed to remove the door to work on the gasket, simply reverse the steps in Step 1 to put the door back on. Start with lifting the door back on the bottom hinge then attaching its mounting bolts. Reconnect the wires, replace the hinge cover with its fastener, hook the water tube back up, and replace the kick plate.

Plug the unit back into the wall and test to make sure your problem is fixed. If not, call an appliance repair parts service. To learn more, speak with a business like Prompt Appliance Services, Inc.