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Refrigerator door not closing
Common reasons your refrigerator door not closing
The most common reasons your refrigerator door is not closing are a damaged door, defective electronic control board or a dead power supply board.
35% of the time it's the Door
21% of the time it's the Electronic Control Board
12% of the time it's the Power Supply Board
32% of the time it's the Something else
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Common refrigerator repair parts you may need
Replacing one of these refrigerator parts may fix your problem.
Door Replacement
When a refrigerator or freezer door is damaged, it may hinder proper door closure and sealing. This could manifest as difficulty in smoothly opening or closing the freezer drawer, requiring excessive force or encountering resistance. Furthermore, it may lead to a misalignment of the drawer, resulting in an imperfect fit with the freezer door. Moreover, a damaged door may emit scraping or grinding noises during operation, indicating friction or misalignment problems. Additionally, the door gasket will be unable to maintain an effective seal, allowing warm, humid air to enter the refrigerator. Consequently, this can cause condensation and water leaks inside the refrigerator that cannot be properly drained.
Electronic Control Board Replacement
If the electronic control board in a refrigerator is faulty, it can cause a variety of issues, such as power loss, cooling irregularities, and water leakage. This is because the board functions as the central control unit of the refrigerator, overseeing critical functions like temperature regulation, fan operation, defrost cycles, icemaker control, and dispenser functions. When the board malfunctions, it can disrupt communication among different components, including automatic door mechanisms if applicable. A defective board may produce clicking or chattering sounds and emit a burning smell. Given its potential impact on multiple components, it's advisable to have a Sears Home Services professional inspect the board using diagnostic tests to determine if replacement is warranted.
Power Supply Board Replacement
When the refrigerator's power supply board is defective, it can cause a total loss of power, resulting in no lights, cooling, or operational sounds. The display panel, if present, might be blank or unresponsive. In refrigerators with automatic doors, a malfunctioning power supply board may cause the doors to no longer open or close automatically. Sometimes, there may be sporadic power issues, causing the refrigerator to work inconsistently. Moreover, the failure of the power supply board can result in the absence of any typical humming or clicking sounds associated with the refrigerator's normal operation.
How do you fix a refrigerator door that won't close?
Level the refrigerator properly
When your refrigerator door won’t swing gently shut on its own, you’ll often need to adjust the leveling feet.
The refrigerator should have a slight tilt from front to back (about ½ bubble).
The cabinet must be horizontally level with the leveling feet stable on the floor. Press down on diagonally opposing corners of the cabinet and adjust the leveling legs to eliminate play if necessary.
Here’s a video that shows how to level a refrigerator properly so the doors align and shut properly:
If you’re unable to level your refrigerator so the doors close properly, schedule professional refrigerator maintenance and we’ll send a technician to your home to level the fridges and perform thorough cleaning and maintenance of the appliance.
Adjust refrigerator door hinges
To fix a problem with the flipper mullion not retracting and extending properly on a French door refrigerator, you may need to adjust door height using shims, snap rings or by adjusting a leveling screw.
Over time, the weight of items that you store in a refrigerator door can bend the hinge and cause the door to sag.
The right-hand door that houses the flipper mullion on a French door refrigerator can eventually sag so much that the top tab of the flipper mullion fails to engage with the flipper mullion guide channel at the top of the opening to the refrigerator compartment.
Follow the instructions in your owner’s manual to adjust the door hinges and flipper mullion height so that the door opens and closes properly. The image below shows an example of how to adjust the door height and flipper mullion height on a common type of French door refrigerator.
If you need to have a service technician make these adjustments, schedule refrigerator maintenance service and we’ll send a Sears Home Services technician to your home to adjust the doors as well as to clean and maintain your entire refrigerator.
What to expect when you experience a refrigerator door not closing issue
How is the door not closing problem rectified?
Fixing most door not closing problems usually involves replacing the door, electronic control board or power supply. However, there are many potential causes, so a thorough diagnosis is essential for understanding the extent of the repair needed and effectively resolving the issue.
Recommendations for a refrigerator door that is not closing
If a refrigerator door is not closing it can be for many reasons. To avoid replacing unneeded parts we recommend having a Sears Home Services professional inspect the refrigerator and repair the issue. Our technicians are experienced at diagnosing all types of refrigerator failures.
Things to look out for with a refrigerator door not closing diagnosis
Diagnosing issues with modern appliances can pose significant challenges for individuals lacking adequate knowledge and training. Without employing proper diagnostic techniques, rectifying refrigerator problems may involve merely replacing parts based on guesswork. In the past decade, appliances have undergone substantial advancements, incorporating intricate electronic components that are increasingly difficult to troubleshoot. As a result, do-it-yourself repairs on contemporary appliance models have become progressively difficult.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Glossary Terms
A dual ice maker is a feature in some refrigerators that includes two separate ice makers: one in the fridge compartment and another in the freezer section. This setup doubles the appliance's ice-making capacity.
A French-door refrigerator features two doors that open side-by-side on the top section for the refrigerator compartment, with a bottom freezer drawer, combining style, efficiency, and easy access to both refrigerated and frozen goods.
Refrigerant is a chemical compound used in HVAC systems and refrigerators to absorb heat from the environment by cycling through states of evaporation and condensation, enabling the cooling process through its cycle of evaporation and condensation.
R-12 refrigerant, also known as Freon-12, is a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) compound that was once widely used in air conditioning systems, refrigerators, and aerosol propellants before its phase-out due to environmental concerns.