How to change the sealing gum on the refrigerator door with your own hands: replacement methods

Among the large number of malfunctions that lead to the problem of the operation of cooling equipment, the most popular is the malfunction of the seal. Modern technology, like the old one, is not immune to the appearance of this problem, so it is important to know how to fix it.

Reasons for the breakdown of the refrigerator

Basically, the occurrence of the problem depends on the incorrect installation of parts on the factory conveyor or on the careless use of the device in everyday life. Incorrect operation can lead to damage to the technician.

In case of a defect in the gum in the refrigerator the thermal regime changes. In order to correct malfunctions, the compressor operates at full capacity. All this will lead to damage to the refrigerator motor.

A service center that repairs electrical appliances will provide a large service bill. In order to eliminate such a problem, you need to carefully

watch your own refrigeration equipment. In any case, it is useful to know how to replace the rubber band on the refrigerator with your own hands.

The main symptoms of malfunctions

The main indicator of faulty operation of the seal is a loose door adhesion. In case you doubt the correct operation of the refrigerator, you can check this with the help of an elementary experiment.

You should take a strip of plain paper, then open the refrigerator doors and put the paper on the seal. After that, close the door, keeping a small piece of paper outside of it.

If the seal is firmly attached to the refrigerator door, the paper cannot be pulled out. Accordingly, in case of improper operation, the paper will drop by itself without the use of physical force.

In addition to this experiment, there are many signs that indicate a broken gum. Refrigerator Indesit or any other operates continuously without shutdown. The penetration of warm air through the openings between the door and the chamber forces the compressor to maintain the desired temperature inside the compartment.

You can also notice the following phenomena:

• With stable operation, the engine will malfunction.
• Insufficient cooling of the chamber. In this case, the compressor operates without stopping, which leads to rapid deterioration of the products.
• Ice continuously builds up at the rear of the refrigerator wall. All this happens as a result of the ingress of excess warm air.
• Condensation on the bottom shelf.
• Refrigerating chamber icing.
• Formation of an ice crust on the refrigerator door.
• Incomplete thermal conditions inside the chamber.

If you have these problems, you should contact the service center. It should also be noted that the breakdown of the seal leads to rapid deterioration of the products and constant overload of the compressor. As a consequence, he may burn out from overvoltage.

Seal wear

In some cases, you can quickly restore the refrigerator seal with your own hands. Of course, if the seal is torn or rotted, it will need to be replaced.

If the sealing rubber is slightly deformed, the following method can be used to restore it: heat the place of deformation with a hair dryer, shape it with your fingers and press down the door strongly, holding it as defined time. Small defects with such manipulations get better. In case of significant deformation, the elastic must be dip in hot water, and then insert into place.

But sometimes it is enough just to set up the refrigerator door when it is non-contacting. In this version, you do not need to change anything, just readjust it. If there are gaps in the structure, it makes sense to check how they were formed.

Refrigerator sealing gum comes in different types and can be fixed in different ways. Products are available in one and two cylinders. They can simply be inserted into the extension, or attached to the plane with glue, or installed using self-tapping screws.

You also need to pay attention to the part that will be glued - it must adjoin tightly. In some modifications of refrigerators, special recesses for inserting an elastic band are taken into account. This greatly simplifies the whole process: in this case, there is no need to stick it, it is enough just to mount it in the groove. The removable design is also easier to clean.

If you screw the system onto self-tapping screws, you can damage the doors or the seal itself. You can stick it on, but it will be harder to tear it off in the future. Therefore, it is more correct choose the optimal elastic band to the refrigerator model and install it correctly.

Replacement of the rubber seal on the refrigerator door is carried out in order to preserve the seal inside the chamber and to achieve the best fit of the closed door. If there is a slight destruction of the integrity of the gasket, it can be eliminated with glue, which is used when working with rubber products. Before connecting, it is recommended to wipe the surface of the rubber and directly the door channel with a small amount of alcohol.

Installing the sealing gum on the refrigerator

If the elastic on the refrigerator door is slightly stretched, it can be repaired. The refrigerator must be in a horizontal position, stand level and not tilted. First, the seal should be cleaned of dirt and dust with alcohol.

Now we need to find the position of the deformation of the seal, for which we take an ordinary sheet of paper and press it down with the refrigerator door: where the sheet is mobile, the place of damage is located. If the deformation is not more than 2 mm, you can slip any suitable material under the seal.

Replacing the rubber band on the refrigerator door is carried out in the following way:

• heat the gum with an ordinary hair dryer to 70 degrees, after which you should give it the necessary shape and stick it on the refrigerator door;
• in addition, you can use hot water, but in this case, the seal should be poured with hot water before the gum is heated, then give it the required shape;
• another method is using a steam iron.

You can also check the presence of density with a flashlight. The lantern should be placed in the refrigerator, then check the presence of gaps along the perimeter of the door.

Bonding gum in the refrigerator

Before replacing the door gum, clean the door surface with a mild solvent. The best solvent option is alcohol, like for acrylic paint.

Acetone is needed to remove the glue that has survived after removing the old gum. Even when changing the sealing gum, it is imperative that use the same mounting method, which was used to fix the old material. The seal can be fixed with glue or with a screw.

Replacing rubber on the refrigerator can be of two types:

1. Screw connection. In this case, you should try on the rubber band on the door, and if it fits snugly, just wrap the fasteners.
2. Fixing the gum with glue. After trying on the refrigerator seal, apply a thin layer of glue around the perimeter of the door and attach the prepared rubber band.

The glue for replacing the gum on the refrigerator should be chosen high quality silicone based: if you buy low-quality glue or an inexpensive imitation, you will need to change the seal again. Switching on and using the refrigerator is allowed only after the glue has completely dried.

Reweighing the door

What if the methods described above do not work or did not help? Try to hang the doors in the opposite direction, if the model allows it. Before carrying out this work, you should take into account the position of the kitchen furniture and the possibility of unhindered opening of the door in the other direction.

Other ways to replace the rubber band

If you find cracks on the part, if the gum is torn or rotted, do not try to restore it. In this case, only replacement with a similar part will help.

The first thing to do is to determine the fastening method and the type of element set by the manufacturer of the refrigerator. Sometimes in different models of the same brand there are different fasteners and types of seals. If the gasket is glued, screwed or mounted in a groove, you can easily and simply change it. You can buy a suitable component part at a service center or a specialized shopping center.

In general, the process of replacing the gum looks like this:

1. Remove the door from the awnings.
2. Lay it flat on a table or floor.
3. Dismantle the defective part using a utility knife or other sharp object. Cut the joints.
4. Use tweezers to remove the elastic from the grooves. Be extremely careful not to harm the door.
5. Now install a new rubber band using a thorn or hairpin. If you made the seal for the old refrigerator yourself, cut out 4 elements - 2 sheer and 2 horizontal lines. Fix the joints with glue, double-sided tape (use a car tape, it is "more powerful") or adhesive tape.

The problem of wear on the gum is most common in older freezers. However, even a new unit may fail as a result of improper operation or an initially incorrect design. Meanwhile, breaking the sealing gum leads to temperature changes in the refrigerator under the influence of warm air entering it.

As a result, in order to maintain the set temperature, the freezer compressor starts working without shutting down, which can cause a faster failure of it. This will result in expensive repairs, so in order to prevent this problem from occurring, you should think about replacing the damaged seal in time.

It is important to understand that breaking the rubber seal on the refrigerator door is not a trifle, but a malfunction, which can greatly affect the operation of the entire unit and cause more fundamental problems.

Operating rules

Although each rubber seal wears out, you can still increase its life if you follow some simple rules:

• When purchasing the product, you should pay attention that it is free from defects.
• After purchasing, you must wait at least a day before attaching the product.
• The doors must be opened with a handle.
• Try to protect equipment from defects.
• It is recommended to lubricate the seal with a special silicone grease every month.

If a deficiency has been identified, then you need to contact a specialist in time and change the seal. It is much cheaper and will help to avoid complex and lengthy repairs, but if you are sure the owner in his own power can replace the sealing rubber in the refrigerator at home conditions.