Is Your Refrigerator Door Seal Dry-Rotted Or Broken? How To Check It And Install A New One

The door seal around your refrigerator, believe it or not, has a very big job to do. This seal is responsible for making sure the warm air inside your home doesn't get into your refrigerator. If it does, it can cause your food to go bad, leaving you with a lot of food loss and money wasted. The door seal can also help prevent anything else from getting into your refrigerator, as in if you have pests in your home. If your door seal is broken or dry-rotted, you need to have it replaced with a new one. If it appears to be in good shape but isn't holding a very good seal, there are ways to check this. Read on for information on how to check your door seal and how to install a new one.

How To Check Your Door Seal

To check your door seal, run your hands along the exterior of the seal, pulling apart the seal to check for any cracks or broken areas. If the seal is broken at all, or you find any cracks, even minor ones, it may be dry-rotted, and you need to have it replaced. If you haven't found any cracks or broken areas in the door seal, the seal itself may just be worn out that it doesn't hold the seal properly any longer. If this is the case, you can place a piece of paper between the door and the seal to check if the seal is actually holding tightly to the door. Place the paper in the door, then close the door. Attempt to pull out the piece of paper. If you can easily pull it out, the door seal is no longer effective and needs to be replaced.

How To Replace Your Door Seal

To replace the door seal, you need to find the replacement seal for your particular door. You can find a new seal at your local hardware store, or online. You may also find a door seal through a local appliance parts store. When you find the new door seal, remove the old one by removing the screws holding it in place. Clean all around the door to remove the years of dust and other grime and to ensure the new door seal will adhere properly and without any air pockets, which can allow warm air into the refrigerator. Once clean, you can install the new door seal. To do this, you need to follow the manufacturer's instructions and only use the new screws that came with the new seal. Install the screws one at a time and tighten them all the way once you have them all in place. Once they are tightened and the new seal is properly installed, test your seal. Use the piece of paper again to test your seal. 

If the seal on your refrigerator is not in good shape, it could be allowing warm air to get into your refrigerator, which can lead to food loss. Hire a professional to help you with the new door seal installation or for your other refrigerator repair needs.