I am looking to replace the gasket on a very old chest deep freezer. It is a Sears Coldspot Twenty-two and was manufactured in the mid-50s, I believe. It is not self-defrosting. The freezer works great, but the gasket has torn loose and now there is mildew gathering around the outside edges of the freezer all the way across the back and halfway up one side.
he gasket is not fixable. It is misshapen and cracked and torn in 3 places. The freezer belonged to my mother and she got it used many years ago. It's been in the basement for nearly 40 years and still runs like a top. The lid will no longer stay up on it's own, but it is not loose or wobbly so I can prop it up when I am rummaging in the freezer. It has plenty of ice buildup in it at present, as it helps to insulate around the places where the gasket is missing. I was wondering if I could use any of the silicone gasket makers that are sold for automotive use. I did find one that said it was good for temperatures in the range of -40 to 500 degrees. I also read that for a super cheap (temporary) fix, you can glue sponges on in place of the missing or damaged gasket. Anyone have any experience with this or have any ideas?
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Sears repair shops sell gaskets for their freezers.
You will need the model number if possible but the over all size is what they will go by.
Measure the inside and the outside just to be sure.
Judy is correct in that it is probably an electricity hog but if you want to keep it then try Sears before they go bankrupt.
They may have this type gasket in their online store.
Go on eBay. My opinion is that a freezer this old uses a lot of electricity and you are probably better off buying a new, energy-efficient model
I am not financially able to replace the freezer at this time. Hopefully will be able to before this one dies. :)
I can thoroughly understand about not being able to purchase a new freezer so I hope you were able to find a new gasket.
Did you check Sears service center as I have purchased gaskets from them and it would be the right size (if you can take even a small piece of your present gasket with you) and you may need to check on how to glue your new gasket.
Some auto parts stores do carry gaskets in rolls also so I believe it is possible to make use of your older freezer for some time in the future.
If you find a good gasket, it would be best all around if you could thoroughly defrost your freezer and clean it out for a fresh start.
You might also think about covering your freezer with a blanket as some people at fish camps do this to help out an older freezer that needs to keep going for a while.
I would recommend that you keep checking the free lists on Craigslist, Freecycle and especially Nextdoor.org as these sites many times have items people just want to get rid of.
And - for sure - add your free ad to their sites under wanted as you may be real lucky and get a nice freezer just for picking it up. Please do this.
Good luck with repairs and/or hopefully a "new" free freezer - this could happen.
Here is a link to eBay auctions for refrigerator gaskets:
There are some junk yards/salvage yards that sell parts like this also...just like they do for cars. I don't know if your city has one, but it is worth a try. I totally get it about it works so you want to keep it going.
You may want to do the math to find your tipping point when replacing it is less than repairing. That is something I find helpful when I know I can't afford something...but sometimes the fix ends up costing more than the replacement.
I often see good freezers for sale on our NextDoor site, but you have to be able to haul it. That is often the challenge. Wishing you all the best!
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