Fridge freezer door not closing or sealing: what our engineers find
These figures come from NAC's own repair records: 225 fridge, freezer and fridge freezer jobs our engineers attended for this fault. Here is what they found, what fixed it and what it typically cost.
When a fridge or freezer door won't close or seal properly, the cause is most often a worn or broken door hinge. Hinges can lose their tension or the spring inside can fail, so the door springs back open or won't stay shut, and a damaged or missing hinge pin or spacer can let the door drop out of line. The next most common cause is a torn or worn door seal. Seals can split, harden and shrink back, or come loose and fill with ice, which lets warm air in and can lead to frosting or water collecting.
An engineer will usually start by checking that nothing inside is catching the door, then look closely at the hinges and the seal. Worn hinges are replaced, often as a pair. A seal that has simply come loose without damage can sometimes be refitted after defrosting. A damaged seal is replaced, though on some models the seal is built into the door, so the whole door has to be changed.
Engineers sometimes also find a blocked drain leaving water in the bottom of the fridge. Because the right hinge, seal or door usually has to be ordered, the repair is often finished at a second visit.
Written by our engineers from these jobs.
- Jobs attended
- 225
- Confirmed repairs
- 123
- This is not a success rate. Jobs inside their 60-day window, jobs still being classified, jobs held for review and visits that didn't end in a repair aren't counted.
- Fixed at the first appointment
- 37%
- about 1 in 3 of our repairs
- Typical total paid by customers
- £108 to £252
- including parts and VAT, from 115 repairs
What's usually behind it
The causes our engineers found and fixed, as a share of our 123 confirmed repairs for this fault.
-
Worn or broken door hinge: about 2 in 5 of our repairs, from 49 jobs.
40% -
Torn or worn door seal: about 1 in 4 of our repairs, from 33 jobs.
27%
We only list causes with enough repairs behind them, so the shares won't add up to 100%.
About the price. £108 to £252 is the typical total paid by customers, including parts and VAT: the middle half of what customers paid on 115 of these repairs. Repairs paid for by manufacturers and insurers aren't counted, because that work is charged at contract rates. It's a guide, not a quote. Your engineer confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Before you check anything yourself
- Switch the fridge freezer off and unplug it, or turn it off at the isolator switch, before you touch anything. Our guide to safely isolating an appliance walks you through it.
- If it involves the mains supply, sealed parts, or you're not confident at any point, stop and book a qualified engineer rather than risk injury or further damage.
Rather leave it to us?
- Fixed-price quote before any work starts
- Same or next-day visits where available
- UK-wide engineer coverage