Why healthy fridge door seals are important

In a commercial food environment, energy efficiency is vital, as is food hygiene. Your fridge door seal, also known as a gasket, plays an integral part in both of these factors.

A properly functioning, well maintained fridge seal keeps warm air out and the inside of the fridge relatively dry, minimising mould and bacteria growth.

However, if a fridge door gasket is breached, warm air and moisture can enter the interior, decreasing the shelf life of food, and placing a higher energy demand on the appliance.

Understanding problems with fridge door seals

When people are searching for guidance on how to repair fridge door seal gaskets, they are usually conscious that their fridge door isn't performing as it should be. However, there are relatively few occasions when the gasket itself can be repaired.

In fact, it is almost always more economical to replace the gasket with a new one. If you can see tears or cracks in the material, or it has become rigid over time, we advise you to replace the seal in full.

If the gasket is warped, you may be able to repair it. Using warm air from a hairdryer on medium heat, you might find you can restore the shape of a twisted gasket. If you feel a patch of cool air down one side of the fridge, your issue could be that the gasket has popped out of its groove. Applying some petroleum jelly is often all that is needed to secure it.

Sourcing a replacement fridge door seal

When a customer asks us how to repair fridge door seal gaskets, we give them two options.

If they are happy fitting the gasket themselves, they can order the seal they need from our user-friendly website. We offer a variety of ways to track down that elusive gasket type. This may involve cutting out a section of their existing seal to compare it with our detailed profile illustrations.

Even if your fridge is out of production, don't worry. Gasket Guy manufacture fridge door seals, so we can almost always produce a match.

Another option for business owners researching how to repair fridge door seal gaskets is to ask us to come to their premises. Not only can we supply and fit your gasket on the same day, we can also create a bespoke asset register for all of your appliances. That way, ordering gaskets in the future will be simply a case of giving us a quick call.

Fitting your replacement gasket

For most fridges, especially newer models, replacing the gasket is easy. Using a blunt, flat object (e.g. a putty knife), you should be able to prise the corner of your fridge seal out of its groove. You can then pull the gasket free by peeling it back. For older models, you may find you need to loosen some screws to remove the gasket. Please call us if you are having difficulties.

Give the groove and surrounding area a clean with a specialist fridge cleaner or, failing that, a dilute solution of washing up liquid. If there is any stubborn dirt, use a toothbrush to work at it.

In the meantime, stretch out your new gasket in a warm area of the room. This will help to remove any kinks. If any remain, hold a hairdryer, on medium heat, about 20cm away and gently stretch the gasket out.

Fitting the new gasket is simply a case of pushing it back into the groove, starting at one of he corners. The best corner to start with will depend on the type of fridge you have and the space available.

For more information on how to repair fridge door seal gaskets, chat or call us on 0845 0171200. If its time for a replacement, then head over and identify the profile.