At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
It seems as though the bottom door hinge on my refrigerator has broken, as the door wouldn't close today until I lifted up on the door. How hard is it to take off the door and replace that part yourself?
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
1. Remove the toe grille. 2. Remove top hinge cover if available. Trace around the hinge with a soft lead pencil. This makes the re-installation easier. Remove top hinge and lift door off the center hinge pin, and set the door aside. 3. Unscrew the center hinge pin using an adjustable wrench and save for reassembly. Ensure that the plastic washer stays on hinge pin. 4. Lift the refrigerator door off of the bottom hinge and set aside. 5. Remove center hinge and shim by removing inside screw and loosening two outside screws enough to allow hinge and shim to slide out. Tighten screws. 6. Loosen two outside screws on opposite side of refrigerator, remove inside screw and install center hinge. 7. Remove two screws on bottom hinge with 3/8" socket wrench. 8. Install bottom hinge on opposite side with the two screws removed from Step 7. 9. Unscrew the bottom hinge pin using adjustable wrench. Move hinge pin to other hold in hinge and tighten with adjustable wrench. 10. Reverse door handles. 11. Move freezer and refrigerator door stops to opposite side. Before starting screws, use an awl to puncture the foam. 12. Position refrigerator door onto bottom hinge pin and screw center hinge pin through center hinge into the top of the door. Close refrigerator door to help align hinge hole. 13. Tighten center hinge pin with adjustable wrench. 14. Remove cabinet and hinge hold plugs and move to opposite side. 15. Lower freezer door onto center hinge pin (if you have a separate freezer door). 16. Close freezer door. Have an assistant lift up on opposite side of the door while tightening screws to install top hinge. 17. Flip top grille and reinstall. 18. Plug in electrical power cord and turn refrigerator temperature control to center position. Adjust setting as needed.
If you're loading up the door with a large amount heavy items such as gallons of milk, water, juices, etc. - the door may be sagging on its hinges.
Typically, there are several screws that hold the top and bottom hinges to the fridge frame. While supporting the weight of the open door with blocks or books, check to see of the screws have loosened up or if the hinge has slipped on the fridge cabinet. It may be helpful to partially / fully unload groceries / liquids from the door.
You may be able to detect that something has happened if there is space between the top hinge and door. This suggests that the door has slipped slightly and may be rubbing on something. Look for scrapes, scratches and filings in the area of the bottom hinge. These are a tip off that something has changed. Try lifting the door up. Is there "play" between the hinges that allows the door to slide up and down? A little bit is normal, but too much indicates a sagging or bent (not common) hinge. You may have to lift and support the door to take up the "play"; then loosen the bottom hinge's screws and slide the hinge up until it is snug against the bottom of the door. Tighten the screws firmly to hold the hinge in place. This should lift the door back to where it was (or close to it) and prevent any rubbing or scraping that may have been happening before.
Lastly, make sure that the doors seals haven't shifted or become damaged in such a way as to interfere with the door closing completely. Good luck!
This section of this refrigerator door repair guide will walk you though repairing a refrigerator door on a side-by-side refrigerator. On most side-by-side refrigerators there is a cam that lifts the door up when you open the door so that the door has a tendency to fall down and back into place while it is closing. If the refrigerator has a cam and it is working properly, the refrigerator door will rise up when you open it and lower when you close it. If this cam is broken the door will not close properly. A lot of refrigerators have two cams, one screwed on the door and one on the hinge. You may have to replace the entire hinge to replace the lower cam but the cam on the door can always be replaced. You will have to order the cam by model number and can do so on this website AppliancePartsPros.com.
On side-by-side refrigerators without cams there will be a spacer on the door hinge. If this spacer is missing replace it. Note that any plastic spacer will work as long as it will go on the hinge pin and is not too thick. Never use a metal spacer because this will cause wear on the door and it will eventually squeal when closing.
As on top-freezers the door gasket may be ripped and if so refer to the bottom section that talks about door gasket replacement.
Sometimes the door can get warped out of shape. If the door is closing at the top and not at the bottom or vice versa the door may be warped out of shape. You can fix this by twisting the door back into shape. Take you foot and place it at the bottom and pull the door out at the top or place your foot inside the door at the bottom and push at the top with your hand depending on which way you need to twist the door. Note don’t over do it twist it a little and if it isn’t enough twist it a little more. If it gets worse you may need to twist the other way.
Look at the door hinges;you should see some flat washers on the bottom of hinge.(maybe on top also).They are made with hard plastic or fiber,and are different thickness.You could probably use metal washers that you may have laying around.Loosen bottom hinge and pick up on bottom of door and hinge,and retighten hinge,someetimes this will solve problem.Other wise,may have to remove top hinge and lift door off and add washers till the door closes properly.When refrigerators are properly leveled,when you let go of the door,it should have a tenedency to close.Hope this helps Gregg
Hi there check that the door hasn't been pushed open too hard and stressed the hinge area,and if so try carefully tapping the hinges back.hope this helps.
http://www.subzero.com/locator/locator.aspx?type=0&zip=Zip%20Code is the locator area parts distributors. Once you get the parts in, remove everything from the door, food, shelves.... Then with the door closed remove the upper hinge. If you have a left hinge unit you can bend the shroud out of the way and bend it back when you are done. The door can be quite heavy if you have wood panels on it so you may need help. Open the door 90 degrees and lift up and over the bottom hinge. Remove the cam from the door using a phillips head screw. Then replace the hinge cam that is on the hinge that is still attached to the body. Now you will need help, lift the door up and have some one set it into the lower hinge pin. Close the door and have some one hold it closed while you climb up and reinstall the hinge. You may have to adjust the door by sliding it forward and back left and right until you get your sight line just right.
take the freezer door off and put a washer or two on the bottom hinge. sometimes there are extra plastic washers on the top hinge that you can move to the bottom to lift it up.
also check if the hinge is bent or loose, as this may cause the problem.
Yes, there is supposed to be a plastic bushing/washer under there. Usually 1/8 inch thick. If a dealer is not handy you may cut some out of plastic to put there. Then undo the top hinge, and carefully lift the door off (you might want to empty the shelfs). Put your spacer on the hinge pin, and replace the door and the top hinge.
×