It is no secret that children can be hard on kitchen appliances, especially the refrigerator and the freezer. They will often bang the doors open and shut. I have even seen a few kids attempt to swing on a freezer door. Of course in the process of all that abuse the freezer door often ends up out of alignment. If you find that your children have knocked your freezer’s door out of alignment, don’t worry. It is easy enough to repair. Based on my experience, it will take you less than 10 minutes to put the freezer door back into alignment. Here’s how to get the job done:
Supplies Needed
In order to realign your upright freezer’s door, you will need a nut driver, a socket wrench, a screwdriver and a level.
Inspect the Freezer Door’s Hinge
Start by shutting off your upright freezer’s electrical supply. Next, examine the hinge located on the top corner of your upright freezer. You will want to examine it closely because different makes and models of upright freezers use different types of hinges. In many instances, the freezer door’s hinge will be fastened into place with a series of hex-headed bolts. Other upright freezer hinges may be held on by screws.
Once you have identified what tool is required, go ahead and loosen the hinge’s bolts. While doing so, check to make sure that the hinge and bolts did not get bent during the preceding mishap. If they did get damaged, you will need to replace them. Replacement upright freezer hinges and bolts may be purchased through appliance parts suppliers. Hinge prices will vary greatly based on the make and model of your freezer.
Realign the Freezer Door
If the upright freezer door’s hinge and bolts are not bent, realign the door by hand. You will want to make sure that the gaskets line up and the seal is tight. Once you have the freezer door in the correct position, retighten the hinge bolts. Afterward, check to make sure that the freezer door opens and closes properly. If the freezer door works properly and appears to be in alignment, take out your level. Use the level to make sure that the freezer door really is back in proper alignment. If everything checks out, go ahead and restore your upright freezer’s electrical supply. That is all there is to it.
Source: Personal Experience
Killeen Gonzalez has a history of completing DIY home improvement projects with her family.
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