What's going on
Many refrigerators are meant to sit a little higher in front than in back, so the doors swing closed on their own. Owner's manuals often describe this tilt and how to set it. Floors in older buildings have often settled over the decades, and plenty of them run downhill toward the front of the fridge. Level the fridge to a floor like that and the door wants to fall open, or it stops a hair short of sealing.
The floor isn't always the cause. Door bins stacked with heavy bottles pull the door down. Many doors have a small closer cam at the bottom hinge that can crack. A gasket can fold or tear. On French door and bottom-freezer models, a drawer or ice bin that isn't fully seated will hold the door open. A door that doesn't seal lets warm, moist air in all day, so you get frost, sweating and a compressor that hardly rests.
What you can check in five minutes
- Set a level on top of the fridge, first front to back, then side to side.
- Find the front leveling legs or roller adjusters behind the bottom grille. On many models they turn with a wrench or screwdriver. Raise the front slightly, following your manual.
- Open the door halfway and let go. On most models it should swing closed.
- Move the heaviest bottles out of the door bins.
- Run your hand along the gasket for tears or flat spots, and wipe it with warm, soapy water.
- Push every drawer, shelf and ice bin fully into place.
Rent, own or co-op: who handles it?
If the fridge came with the apartment, tell the super. A badly sloped floor belongs to the building, not to you. Don't prop the fridge up with cardboard or wood scraps, because those can shift or crush. Whether you own the appliance depends on your lease or your purchase, and a quick question to the super should settle who services it.
What a technician will look at
- •Hinge wear and the door closer cam
- •Door sag and alignment, especially if the doors were taken off for a move
- •Gasket condition and whether it needs replacing
- •Proper leveling on an uneven floor, using the adjusters the fridge was designed with
- •Frost or moisture damage from a door that has been leaking air
Andre's field note: In brownstone kitchens in Park Slope and other old housing, I often find a fridge set dead level against the floor when it should be tipped back slightly. A couple of turns on the front adjusters fixes more doors than any part I carry. If the door has been leaking air for weeks, the cabinet has been running hard, much like a fridge parked beside a radiator, so check the inside temperature too.
Door still won't close? Call ProFix NYC at (929) 699-8358 to set up a visit.