How does a fridge seal work?

There are two possible answers to the question, 'How does a fridge seal work?' The first focuses on its function - what a fridge seal is for.

The second answer concerns the properties of the seal - how it performs that function.

Your fridge seal performs one simple but vital task for your business. It stops the cold, dry air generated by your fridge from leaking out into the room. Once cool air starts escaping, two things happen:

Warm, moist air rushes in to replace it. This contains bacteria, mould spores and other nasty micro-organisms. It also provides the ideal warm and wet conditions these organisms need to tthrive. On a practical level, this means unsightly mould and bacteria growth and a shorter shelf life for your food.
Your fridge starts to work harder to replenish the cold air. This leads to increased electricity bills and you may even fail an appliance efficiency test.

But how does a fridge seal work in terms of its properties? First, the seals are made from materials that are airtight. There are many different materials and compounds available, but they will all contain either rubber, plastic (pvc) or synthetic alternatives to these.

In order to perform its function, the door seal also needs to hold firm against the fridge body. Most fridge seals contain a magnetic strip and it is this which 'sticks' to the metal unit to complete the seal.

As an additional piece of trivia, this system was invented in response to the Refrigerator Safety Act of 1956, which ruled that fridges must be able to be opened from within. Prior to the Act, fridges were often latched closed.

What to do if your fridge seal isn't doing its job

Hopefully we've done enough to answer the question, 'How does a fridge seal work?' But what if your gasket isn't performing its role efficiently?

If your fridge appears to be consuming more energy than you think it should, if you see visible signs of mould growth inside the unit, or if your food is spoiling sooner than you expect, there's a good chance that your fridge seal needs replacing.

There is a well-known test for determining whether your fridge is sealing properly. Simply place a five or ten pound note (or sheet of paper) between the door and fridge body, and close the door. If the note or paper slips down, something is going wrong.

Before immediately assuming that the fridge seal needs replacing, you should check that your fridge is standing level and that the hinges are aligned. Also look out for internal obstructions and excessive weight in the door. Finally, give the gasket a good clean with mild soap and warm water, apply some petroleum jelly, and repeat the test.

If you need to replace your fridge seal, you've come to the right place.

The pain-free way to find and order a replacement fridge seal
We've written several detailed guides on how to repair and replace fridge door seal gaskets, so we will only summarise the process here:

Cut out a section of the gasket so you can measure its profile
Visit our 'Seals by Brand' or 'Seals by Profile' webpage to locate the precise gasket you need
Go to our 'Identify a Profile' page if you are still unable to find the correct seal type.
Place your order, or contact us to visit your premises and carry out a fridge seal replacement while you wait.