We have a 26-ft Admiral side-by-side approximately 15 years old. It still works fine, except the door gaskets are getting hotter and hotter. This trips the breaker in the electric box. Is there a way to turn the gasket heater off? What do you suggest? HELP! We are an older couple and my husband just lost his job.... can't afford a new refrigator. Thanks, Sandy

Hi Sandy and welcome to FixYa, I am Kelly

Usually refrigerators use the condenser plumbing to create heat around the door gaskets. If your getting heat on the door gaskets that means that the condenser fan in the back is either not running or.... the condenser coils are clogged with lint. The fan should be running anytime the compressor is running. Since you said it is starting to trip the breaker.. I am assuming there may be a problem with the condenser fan being stuck or the windings have failed. Without a model number I can not pass you replacement fan parts information. I will say that the average person can change the condenser fan if they just take their time and pay attention to how it is mounted.

Remove the rear lower fiberboard cover:
Check the condenser fan... clean the condenser coils in the bottom rear of the unit. You can..... use and external fan directed into the back of the refrigerator while your awaiting parts to keep the unit going. All your doing is getting rid of the heat that the condenser fan would have done if it was working properly.

If directing a fan at the back of unit does not cause ther temperature around the door gaskets to drop your original assumption of having heating elements between the doors may be correct. Usually units that have actual heaters have an enrgery saver switch in the fresh food compartment that will turn off the heaters.

Thanks for choosing FixYa,
Kelly