Do It Yourself » DIY Dirt Cheap Broken Fridge-Freezer Gasket Remedy

DIY Dirt Cheap Broken Fridge-Freezer Gasket Remedy

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It’s Murphy’s law that if something can go wrong, it will. . . and most often this occurs when you’re already overextended and can’t afford to shell out money on yet another unexpected expense. Most recently in our house, the gasket on our side by side upright freezer suddenly stopped working altogether.

At first, I blamed my spouse, telling him he left the freezer open when he grabbed ice. He insisted he hadn’t even been in the freezer to get ice, he’d gotten something out of the fridge. When I got in the fridge and closed the door, I noticed that the freezer door popped open.

So we started looking closely at the freezer to see if it was no longer level, no longer tilted properly, how the gasket looked. Well, to be honest, it looked like crap. It’s peeling off in the corner, again.

Mind you, in the 10 years we’ve had this junk Kenmore freezer, we’ve replaced quite a few parts in it, including the gasket, twice.

diy-dirt-cheap-broken-fridge-freezer-gasket-remedy

The first two times we paid a repairman to replace it, which entailed making an appointment, waiting over 2 MONTHS for someone to NOT show up, then another 2 weeks for them to reschedule and show. We actually had to purchase a chest freezer in the meantime to put everything in because, in order to replace the gasket on this model, they have to take the door completely off and remove panels.

It was a nightmare and it was expensive, to the tune of over $250 each time, for the service call and parts, so you can imagine my extreme displeasure when the issue started all over again.

This time, I found a much cheaper solution that doesn’t involve calling a repairman, doesn’t involve waiting 2 months for him to show up, doesn’t involve duct-taping my fridge or freezer shut and then scraping the residue off every couple days and reapplying tape just to ensure it stays closed and we don’t lose food, or risk our health.

Nope, this involves 2 minutes of “labor” and less than ten dollars.

Instead, we purchased some dual action multi-use latches, that actually match our fridge/freezer coloring quite well.

DIY Dirt Cheap Broken Fridge-Freezer Gasket Remedy

Does your Fridge or Freezer Pop Open all the time?

How to Apply:

  • Determine where to install latch before removing adhesive.
  • Clean and dry all surfaces before mounting appliance latch.
  • Once the location is determined, remove adhesive backing and firmly press latch to surface. Make sure the back plate is level with lock.
  • Clean the surface where the latch will be installed. Be sure it is dry.
  • Remove the backing, press the product onto the surface.

Here’s why we love them

    • Secures cabinets, drawers, appliances, toilet seats, and more which is great when you have nosy pets or small children.
    • Requires dual button operation to release, release and rotate when not in use
    • Flexible strap allows latching around corners, we use them in our RV as well.
    • Easy to install with provided adhesive – won’t damage furniture and is easy to remove
    • The latches are durable, even when used multiple times daily.

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8 thoughts on “DIY Dirt Cheap Broken Fridge-Freezer Gasket Remedy”

  1. Haha, we installed these locks on our fridge because our german shepherd realized he can open the door and get his own piece of cheese instead of waiting for mum or dad to do it.

    Reply
  2. I called a repair guy to come repair our freezer door gasket because the freezer seal is broken and he told me that I’m looking at a 4 month wait. When we went to go buy a new freezer, we were told that it would take 12-16 weeks to arrive because they’re back ordered.

    I bought these clips and a tube of Silicone Gasket Maker.

    1 Clean out the freezer (put everything in a cooler with ice)
    2 Shut the freezer off.
    3 Examine the existing freezer gasket for major gaps between the freezer and the gasket itself (where outside air may be getting into the freezer).
    4 Apply the silicone gasket maker in an 1/8″ bead along those points.
    5 Wait a half-hour, then smooth the silicone down with a wet or gloved finger to remove any major “high” spots.
    6 Once the silicone has set for an hour, shut the freezer door so it is in complete contact with the freezer.
    7 Check for any gaps and repeat as needed.

    If your freezer begins to frost up in a few days, you know that you’ve missed some spots!

    Reply
  3. Thanks for sharing this, our freezer door popped open the last time we went camping and when we got to the campground ALL of our food was spread out all over our camper. It was a huge mess. I’ve ordered a set of these to secure the doors!

    Reply
  4. Here’s a trick to help your refrigerator door seal better:

    Upon feeling a small gust of cold air, the loose area has been located. Push some petroleum jelly into the groove underneath the loose rubber with a cotton swab. The rubber will be easier to push back into place and will help seal any leaks. The seal should then be pushed back into the channel.

    Reply
  5. I learned how to fix a broken fridge-freezer gasket by applying an easy and cheap solution. I had been using my emergency ice chest for over a month waiting for an appointment from the repair guy, so finally decided that it was time to get the problem fixed.

    What I didn’t know is that most repair men would have cost $200 or more! When they finally called me back they basically said I’d have to wait another month and it would be a couple hundred bucks. That’s when I came across this child safety lock freezer gasket trick. Thanks for saving me some cash.

    Reply
  6. 4 stars
    I’m glad to hear that you’ve been able to find a cheap and easy way to fix your fridge-freezer. I had the same problem a few months ago, and I was really frustrated because I didn’t have the money to buy a new one. I’m so happy that I was able to find this solution!

    Reply
  7. 5 stars
    This is a great idea, the gasket on my fridge hasn’t sealed properly in over a year but I can’t afford a new one and the repair costs almost as much as a new refrigerator! Many thanks for the idea

    Reply

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