Refrigerator Door Won't Close All the Way?

When a refrigerator door won't close all the way, something is usually in the way: an overfilled door bin, a drawer or ice bin that is not seated, or food sticking out a little too far. The next most likely causes are a refrigerator that is not tilted back enough, a dirty or folded gasket and, on French door models, the center flap folding the wrong way. Most of these take minutes to fix, and it is worth doing today, because a door that stays open even a crack lets in warm, humid air.

Unplug the refrigerator or switch off its breaker before you remove the base grille or any hinge cover.

Refrigerator door won't close? Checks you can do yourself

1. Look for what is in the way. GE points to large items such as trays, platters, pizza boxes and ice behind the ice bin. Rearrange so nothing touches the door liner.
2. Check the door bins. Overfilled door bins and tall containers are among the obstructions Whirlpool lists. Take a few things out, or move a bin up or down a notch.
3. Seat every drawer, shelf and the ice bin. A drawer, shelf or ice bin that is not pushed fully in can hold a door open. Items behind the refrigerator pressing on the door can do it too.
4. On a new refrigerator, check for packing material. Some of the packaging used to protect a refrigerator in shipping can keep a door from closing, and doors removed during installation may not seal if they went back on incorrectly.
5. Clean the gasket, as described below.
6. Check the level and the tilt, as described below.
7. On a French door model, watch the center flap as you close the left door.

Level it, with a slight tilt back

Refrigerators are designed to lean back a little so the doors swing shut on their own. Whirlpool's target is level side to side with the front about 1/8 to 1/4 inch higher than the back. To adjust, remove the base grille (toe grille) and turn the front leveling feet; on Whirlpool's threaded feet, clockwise raises and counterclockwise lowers. Make small changes and recheck each time.

Then test it the way GE does: open the door halfway, to about a 45-degree angle, and let go. If it does not close on its own, raise the front a little more.

On Samsung models, a properly leveled refrigerator rests on its front leveling legs with the front wheels off the floor.

The gasket: clean it, test it

The rubber gasket is what seals the door, and Whirlpool notes it can become dirty, brittle, cracked or warped, and that even small gaps let warm air in.

• Clean it. Wipe the gasket with a damp cloth and dish soap; Samsung suggests doing it about once a month. Pay attention to the hinge side and the bottom corners, where spills collect.
• Tuck it in. If the gasket has pulled out of its groove in one spot, press it back in by hand.
• Do the dollar-bill test. Close the door on a dollar bill and tug. You should feel slight resistance. Repeat all the way around.
• Read the result carefully. On a new refrigerator, doors that are not aligned can make the bill test fail even when the gasket is fine, so level the cabinet and align the doors first. If the bill still slides out easily in one spot after cleaning, the gasket needs replacing.

French door center flap folding the wrong way

On a French door refrigerator, the left door has a hinged flap, sometimes called a mullion, that seals the gap between the two doors. Whirlpool explains that it folds inward automatically when the left door opens and forms a seal between the doors when both close. If it is folded outward when the door is open, fold it in by hand before you close the door, or the doors will not close or seal properly. A cracked flap, a flap that no longer springs into place, or a door that sits lower than its partner usually needs a technician.

Refrigerator door won't stay closed

A door that closes but drifts or pops back open is usually a tilt, gasket or hinge problem:

• It swings back open. Recheck the level and the tilt; the 45-degree test above is the quickest check.
• It needs a push to seal. Many refrigerators have a door closer at the bottom hinge that pulls the door shut for the last few inches. On Whirlpool models with the soft-close feature, a door removed when it was not open to 90 degrees needs its bottom hinge reset before it goes back on. Worn closing cams are replaceable.
• The freezer drawer will not seal. LG suggests pulling the drawer slightly off its guide rails, then fully opening and closing it three times to reset the rails, then closing it firmly.
• Frost is in the way. Frost around a door is a sign the seal is already leaking; clear it, then fix the cause, or it will come back.

Door sagging or out of line: the hinge

If one door sits lower than the other or rubs, the hinge may be loose or out of adjustment. Many models adjust door height at the bottom hinge. On the Whirlpool French door models it describes, you insert a 1/8-inch hex key into the bottom hinge pin and turn it right to raise the door or left to lower it, after checking that the cabinet itself is level. Unplug the refrigerator or switch off the breaker before removing hinge covers, and support the door while you loosen any hinge hardware. A cracked hinge, stripped hinge screws or a door that will not adjust is a repair.

Why it matters: frost, a warm fridge and water

• Frost. LG notes that even slight openings around the doors can let in enough moisture to cause frost buildup. If the freezer is losing its cold, see freezer not freezing.
• Wasted energy. A door that will not close securely leads to temperature swings, higher energy use and food that spoils sooner.
• Warm food. The FDA says the refrigerator should hold 40°F or below. A door left open a crack for hours can push it past that.
• Water. Humid air that gets in condenses on the door edges and inside the cabinet, and extra frost means extra meltwater for the drain. See why is my fridge leaking water.

What usually fails

• Door gasket. Torn, hardened or flattened, and it fails the dollar-bill test after cleaning and alignment.
• Door closing cam or hinge. The door no longer pulls itself shut, or it sags.
• French door flap. A flap that no longer springs into place or no longer meets its track.
• Door bins, shelf rails or drawer slides. Cracked or bent parts that keep something from seating.

Gaskets, closing cams and hinges are all replaceable parts, and door gasket and hinge repairs are usually quick once the right part is on hand.

What it costs in Atlanta

The diagnostic visit is $80, and it is waived when you approve the repair. Repairs start at $180 labor plus parts, and you get a written flat-rate estimate before any work begins. On standard brands, most refrigerator repairs run $250 to $500 in total, and premium brands run higher; see the typical totals on our pricing page. If a part has to be ordered, there is no trip charge for the return visit to install it. Every repair carries our 60-day parts-and-labor warranty.

Schedule a visit or read about our refrigerator repair service. Prefer to talk? Call (470) 778-4087.