The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Do it Yourself Discussion! => Topic started by: slackmax on November 03, 2021, 09:21:57 AM
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A month ago, my fridge door started to stick slightly when opening. I cleaned it off with paper towel and plain water. It no longer stuck. Until the next day, when it was stuck slightly. It is worst first thing in the morning.
I went away for 4 days and when I got back the door was severely stuck. The top would open slightly, but the bottom seemed to be glued on! I finally got it to open by prying it gently, then quite forcibly. No apparent damage done by using force, thankfully.
No sign of anything leaking onto the seal. It's always clean, but it likes to stick at the bottom, and it gets worse the longer the door is unopened.
My internet research so far says to use silicone lube on the door seal. Some people say petroleum jelly is also OK, but other people say petroleum jelly will degrade the seal quickly. No one says silicone will hurt it.
Suggestions?
Thanks
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The rubber in the seal may be starting to deteriorate a bit. I use a silicon spray on my uPVC windows, I guess that would work on your fridge seal. Not necessarily food safe, though.
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Honda Shin-Etsu silicone grease is great for any kind of rubber seal. You need very little of it. I've had my current tube since 2005 and used maybe a quarter of it (on my cars).
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-08798-9013-Silicone-Grease/dp/B00GD49GTS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=honda+shin+etsu+grease&qid=1636029914&qsid=141-5140403-1327052&sprefix=honda+shin%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-1&sres=B00GD49GTS%2CB006Z9TZ9M%2CB015DNME2U%2CB01HMZBD2Y%2CB016E5E59G%2CB077PD43P8%2CB0054DWS1W%2CB097F9LSRM%2CB07GS1MLHK%2CB00BFDFYKW%2CB00CMU2XQ0%2CB00IPPH69U%2CB00ZGAOW4E%2CB08YP5CRJQ%2CB07D8FMKM7%2CB0721SFBB9%2CB087R55KNM%2CB007SYG3JI%2CB07T32RYBW%2CB08HPPSBLR
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Sorry to hijack thread but what if the seal doesn't stick? My fridge door pops open if you don't push it really hard.
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Honda Shin-Etsu silicone grease is great for any kind of rubber seal. You need very little of it. I've had my current tube since 2005 and used maybe a quarter of it (on my cars).
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Honda-08798-9013-Silicone-Grease/dp/B00GD49GTS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=honda+shin+etsu+grease&qid=1636029914&qsid=141-5140403-1327052&sprefix=honda+shin%2Caps%2C66&sr=8-1&sres=B00GD49GTS%2CB006Z9TZ9M%2CB015DNME2U%2CB01HMZBD2Y%2CB016E5E59G%2CB077PD43P8%2CB0054DWS1W%2CB097F9LSRM%2CB07GS1MLHK%2CB00BFDFYKW%2CB00CMU2XQ0%2CB00IPPH69U%2CB00ZGAOW4E%2CB08YP5CRJQ%2CB07D8FMKM7%2CB0721SFBB9%2CB087R55KNM%2CB007SYG3JI%2CB07T32RYBW%2CB08HPPSBLR
Maybe rubber is just a generic term for whatever the seal is. It looks and feels more like white shiny plastic.
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Sorry to hijack thread but what if the seal doesn't stick? My fridge door pops open if you don't push it really hard.
Maybe the door is misaligned? It can be adjusted, so it may be worth taking a look.
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Sorry to hijack thread but what if the seal doesn't stick? My fridge door pops open if you don't push it really hard.
Could it be scraping on the bottom as it closes? Look for scratch marks down there.
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Update. It still sticks, after multiple wipings with clean water and paper towel. But I noticed that if I push the door in a bit just before I open it, it doesn't stick. Pushing it in slightly seems to unstick it somehow.
Si I'm just living with it. No harm being done, knock on wood.
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Sounds like some kind of a vacuum issue to me. Pushing it in presses the air out and then it releases. Not sure how a door seal could create a vacuum though. At least you've found a no cost solution.
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Sounds like some kind of a vacuum issue to me. Pushing it in presses the air out and then it releases. Not sure how a door seal could create a vacuum though. At least you've found a no cost solution.
Mystery solved!
It wasn't the seal at all. It was the bottom of the door scraping against the floor of the fridge when it closed and opened. I wiped it off well with water and paper towel down there. Not much of anything came off. But whatever I did fixed the problem!
No more sticking. Must have been some sticky residue down there. I knew it had scraped there in the past, when I had to replace a washer in the hinge, but I never suspected it was still scraping. Couldn't hear anything. Heck, it could still be scraping, but it sure isn't sticking. Yay!
Thanks for the input, everyone !