Freezer Door Won’t Close Properly? Here’s How To Fix It

Are you frustrated because the door to your freezer isn’t closing properly? If your freezer door will not close, you will have a difficult time keeping your food cold. Therefore, this is something that you have to address as quickly as possible. There are several possible reasons why the door to your freezer might not be closing properly.

One of the most common reasons why your door is not closing properly is that something is wrong with the door seal. You may have to clean the door seal to get it to close properly. Or, you may have to replace the entire thing.

Regardless of the reason why your door is not closing properly, there are a few common steps you have to follow. The first thing you have to do is check the door seal. Then, we can discuss a few other possible solutions.

Are you ready to learn more about how to get your freezer door to close properly? If so, take a look at the research we have done, and get your door seal working properly again.

What You Will Need To Address the Door Seal

If you would like to address the door seal on your freezer, there are several important items you need to have. These include:

• You will need to have access to the freezer door.
• You will need to have a warm washcloth.
• You will also have to have a routine cleaning solution.
• You should also have access to the manual that goes with your freezer. 
• You might also need to have a replacement door seal handy. 
• You should also have a bunch of towels just in case some moisture or water starts to leak from the freezer. 

After you have collected all of these items, it is time to get started. 

How To Fix Your Door Seal: The Steps

There are several steps you need to follow if you want to investigate, clean, or replace your door seal. These include: 

Step #1: Move the Food Out of the Way

The first thing you have to do is move all of the food in your freezer out of the way. Even though you might not necessarily need to move the food to access the door seal, this will make your life significantly easier. Furthermore, the door to the freezer is going to stay open during this process. Therefore, you need to protect the food by moving it somewhere it is not going to warm up. 

The best idea is to take your food and move it to the refrigerator. Make sure you keep all of the food in your freezer in the same spot in the refrigerator. That way, you can minimize cold loss and prevent the food from warming up. 

Step #2: Put Some Towels Underneath the Freezer

If the door to the freezer is going to be open for a long time, then you may want to unplug the freezer entirely. If this happens, the freezer will start to defrost. As a result, moisture is going to leak out of it.

This moisture is going to go all over the floor. If you do not protect your floors, they are going to get damaged. Hardwood floors could start to warp. You do not want this to happen, so you need to use towels to clean out the moisture.

To get the towels underneath the freezer, you may need someone else to help you. While one person leans the freezer slightly, another person can slide the towels underneath. That way, you don’t have to worry about the floors getting damaged as you work on the door seal. 

Step #3: Take a Close Look at the Door Seal

Now, it is time to take a closer look at the door seal. First, you should look for any signs of cracks in the door seal. Your door seal is made out of rubber. Rubber can dry out from time to time. When this happens, it will not be as pliable and may not seal as intended. Dry rubber is prone to cracking, which is a sign that you may need to replace the door seal. 

You should also look for signs of dust and debris that may have collected around the door seal. If there is a bunch of debris on the edge of the door seal, it will not be able to form a strong connection with the rest of the freezer. Therefore, you will have to remove this dust and debris if you want your door seal to work properly. Fortunately, this is a relatively easy process. 

Step #4: Clean the Door Seal Thoroughly

The first thing you should do is clean the door seal. Take a warm washcloth, dip it in some warm water, and then put some detergent on top of this. A standard kitchen cleaner should be enough for you to clean the door seal.

As you start to work on the door seal, make sure you get the edges as well as the center. You never know where a bunch of this dust and dirt is going to collect. You might have to go over the same area multiple times. This is particularly true if a door seal has gotten dry.

After you are done washing the door sill, take a dry cloth and remove the detergent. Then, try to close the door again. If you get a firm seal between the door seal and the door frame, you have solved the problem. If you are still having a difficult time getting the door to close completely, it may be time for you to replace the door seal. 

Step #5: Replace the Door Seal, if Necessary

If you have to replace the door seal, you will definitely want to unplug the freezer. Therefore, you will want to put towels underneath the freezer if you have not already done so.

First, you have to remove the old door seal. Fortunately, this is relatively easy. All you have to do is peel off the old door seal. This takes a bit of strength, but the old door seal should come right off. 

After this, you have to clean the gunk between the door seal and the door. You may need to use the warm washcloth and detergent once again. If you skip this part, the new door seal is going to have a difficult time forming a strong connection.

Finally, you should apply the new door seal. Remove it from the wrapper, stick it to the edge of the frame, and make sure you have a strong connection. Then, test the door by closing it. You should get a pretty firm fit, but if you don’t that’s ok, it can be fixed.

Sometimes, gaskets can be misshapen due to sitting in the box for too long. To get them back to normal, you can use heat. Place the gasket under running warm water on the sink and let it sit there for a couple of minutes. You can also place it in the dryer and let it tumble for a while in a heat setting. Once you have done this, the gasket should be more malleable, and it should be easier to place it on the door.

You could take a look at the manual to see what type of door seal you need. That way, you order the right side. As long as you order the right door seal, you should have an easy time with the replacement process.

These are the steps you need to follow if you want to investigate and replace the door seal. Of course, there are other reasons why the door to your freezer might not be closing as well.

Is the Freezer Too Full?

Another possible reason why the freezer door is not closing as it should is that it has been overfilled. If you have too many items inside the freezer, the door is not going to close. Even though you may be able to force the door closed temporarily, this is nothing like the trunk of your car.

There is no latch between the door to your freezer and the door frame. Therefore, the door is simply going to pop open again, causing the freezer to get warm. If you want your door to close, you need to make sure the items have been arranged appropriately. You might need to remove a few items from the freezer if you want the door to close. Fortunately, this should not require you to purchase any replacement parts. 

Is the Door Out of Alignment?

You may also want to check and see if the door is out of alignment. What this means is that the door to your freezer might not be matching the frame. If that is the case, the door seal is not going to be able to stick appropriately.

There are a few possible reasons why the door to your freezer might be out of alignment. For example, one of the hinges might be broken. You might have to replace the hinge to get the door to close properly. Another possible concern is that one of the screws might be damaged. You might have to replace the screw to get the door to work properly.

Yet another possibility if you just moved, is that the movers placed heavy objects on top of your freezer and warped the frame. If this happens, the door won’t close as it should, and you’ll need to repair it.

You should be able to find the parts you need to fix these issues at a local improvement store. If you have questions about doing the repair on your own, you may want to reach out to a professional who can help you. 

Make Sure the Freezer Door Closes Properly

Ultimately, there are plenty of reasons why your freezer door might not be closing appropriately. You might be closing the door too hard, or the freezer might be too full. It is also possible that the door might be out of alignment.

One of the most common reasons why your freezer door might not be able to close is that something is wrong with the door seal. The door seal is made of rubber and is responsible for forming a strong connection between the door and the door frame.

You should always start by cleaning the door seal first. Then, take a look and see if you can get the door to close. If the door is still not closing properly, and you might have to replace the entire door seal. This is something you can do on your own, but you might want to reach out to a professional if you have concerns about getting a good stick between the new seal and the frame.