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Energy Saver: Refrigerator & Freezer Door Seal
(continued ...) without tearing but thin enough to find any legitimate leaks. Use standard letter grade 18 to 20 weight paper. Cut a strip about 2 inches wide. A dollar bill will work too. Again, start at the top and work your way around the complete perimeter. Clockwise is good. Open the door; place the paper in between the seal and the mating door jamb surface. Close the door and try to pull the paper out. As you go inch-by-inch, pulling the paper out should offer noticeable resistance. If the paper pulls out freely, then this test fails.
Is the seal brittle and not soft or supple? Did you find cracks, defects or gaps? Did you see any light leaking out? Does the paper test fail? If there is a yes to any of these questions, consider replacing the seal. This is fairly easy to do and the cost is low if you do it yourself. And that is what EnergyWrite.com is all about.
Locate the refrigerator or freezer manufacturer's information tag. This is frequently inside the appliance on the side wall or back wall. Write down the manufacturer, model number and serial number. Take your appliance information to a nearby appliance dealer, hardware store or home center. If they don't carry your brand, they can likely still order a replacement kit for your unit. If the old seal doesn't have an integral magnet, ask when you're ordering the replacement if a magnetic version is an option. Magnetic seals are far superior.
When you have the kit, open it and inspect the new seal. The kits usually include instructions specific to your model. But if it does not, here are some general installation guidelines. First, hold the new seal over the old one and verify that it is likely the right size. The new seal is probably all bent up from being in the ...