Your freezer door might become hard to open soon after closing it, due to rapidly cooling air that quickly returns to room temperature, reducing pressure and creating a partial vacuum that makes opening it harder.
Unfortunately, this problem can be quickly and easily remedied. Simply replacing the drawer gears and closing cams is quick and simple – hardware stores will have what you need available to them.
Door Hinges
Your freezer door hinges provide a smooth surface to open and close, but over time these hinges may become cracked and worn-out, leading the door to become hard to open or even difficult.
Hinges are relatively easy to install or replace, unlike closing cams and drawer gears. Most are constructed from metal or other resistant materials designed to sturdily open your freezer’s door without being compromised by corrosion, rust, or other factors that might erode over time. Therefore, it’s wise to periodically inspect your freezer to identify worn hinges that need replacement.
Step one in undoing a stuck hinge pin is using a wedge and hammer to tap underneath, followed by a screwdriver to pry it free. If this fails, try the Pin Popper Hinge Pin Removal Tool instead for optimal results.
Attempt to apply silicone-based lubricant directly to the hinge pin to loosen its grip and make removal easier. Soak in hot water may also work. Finally, if that fails too try tapping with a nail or screwdriver to loosen it further – this should enable removal from freezer door so parts such as hinge pin can be changed out as necessary.
Closing Cams
Refrigerator doors are complex pieces of machinery with various parts that work together to help it function smoothly, such as hinges, drawer gears (if your freezer is upright) and closing cams. Over time these parts wear down or break, needing replacement. Luckily replacement parts for them can often be easily found and relatively affordable.
Closing cams can be found on the lower hinges of your refrigerator and feature notched portions that interlock to hold open your door and work with gravity to assist with closing action. Over time and with repeated use, these plastic cams may become worn down and less effective – leading to potential food waste!
You can usually replace these cams yourself by unplugging your freezer before proceeding. In some cases, however, unthreading screws that secure one or more cams may also help pry them loose more easily. It is often advised to lubricate new cams prior to installation in order to enhance their effectiveness and minimize chances of becoming stuck either open or closed during their lifecycles – these pieces of hardware are sold individually for both fresh food and freezer areas of a refrigerator.
Gasket
Sometimes the gasket that protects the door and freezer becomes worn and damaged, leading to a vacuum between it and the door that makes opening it harder for you.
There is often an easy solution for this issue. Most often, the gasket needs replacing – you can find these seals at most hardware stores or hire a professional repairman to do this for you.
When installing your new gasket, apply a thin coating of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to help it adhere to its surface properly. After spreading this lubricant, close your freezer door and check that there are no gaps between seal and door; if any gaps appear then use a blow dryer with low heat setting to warm and smooth out its edges with low-heat blow drying.
Alternative strategies could involve sliding a knife between the handle and seal to break a partial vacuum that’s holding back the door from opening properly. If that doesn’t work, replacing hinge spacers at the bottom may be necessary – these can usually be found at hardware stores; or you could try using large metal washers as replacements instead.
Drawer Gears
Few things are as infuriating as an impasse drawer that just won’t open. After spending so much time and energy organizing its contents, only to have it stay still! Pulling open hasn’t worked either and your frustration builds as you realize there’s no immediate fix coming your way.
Your drawer’s problem may be caused by something getting caught between its rails and drawer, causing it to jam. Removing this obstruction and lubricating its rails will typically solve it; use candle wax or bee’s wax on wood pieces and WD-40 on metal ones for optimal results.
If these remedies don’t help and the drawer still won’t move, replacing the freezer drawer gears could be the solution. Replacing them yourself is an easy and cost-cutting way to repair your freezer drawer, eliminating professional services altogether. Before starting, set up an area for frozen food to “land”, and have another pair of hands ready to assist with stabilizing and aligning them after removal and installation – be sure to wear work gloves during this process; the Genuine Whirlpool refrigerator drawer gear kit works with many brands such as Maytag and Kenmore models!
