QUESTION FROM CHERYL MCKENTY

My 5 year old basic refrigerator has just recently started to lose it's seal on the top corner freezer gasket. I am puzzled as to why - there is no dirt or grease, and nothing is stored above the unit that fell onto the gasket. Condensation and ice is forming on the ceiling of the freezer constantly. Short of replacing the gasket, what can be done to get the seal back, and do you have any guesses as how this can be prevented since I already keep it clean and do not instill damage?

Thank you.

ANSWER FROM HOME-WIZARD

Dear Cheryl:

Since your refrigerator/freezer is only 5 years old, and it sounds like you have been taking very good care of the gasket, I would suspect that the problem may not be with the gasket of your freezer, but rather that the door of your freezer may be out of alignment. If the door of your freezer is not aligned properly, this could explain why the top corner is not sealing properly. If you are handy, you can adjust the screws that hold the door, so that the door is in better alignment with the face of your freezer. When it is in proper alignment, you should be able to close the door on a dollar bill, and when you tug on the dollar bill, you should feel some tight resistance. And the door should pass this "dollar bill" test all the way around.

You probably want to solve this problem soon, not only to reduce the ice formation inside your freezer, but also, the poor seal of the corner of your door is causing your unit's compressor to work harder, and as such, could lead to the unit wearing out sooner.

Hope this is helpful.
Home-Wizard.com