Repairing a Refrigerator Door Gasket?

You can't really repair those seals. New ones are stiffer
than old ones and will cause a high spot. Jut order a new
seal kit from the manufacturer or a refrigeration repair
company.

Be prepared for a shockingly high price! They claim that
the seals are specially cut and glued together at the
factory, which is not true. I use the magnetic fridge seals
also for window seals, and one time, when I ordered a
hundred feet, I got a roll of the rubber, but the local
refrigeration repair company had forgotten to stuff the
magnetic strip into the sleeves.

If it is just a repair job, you can re-use the magnetic
insert, and just replace the rubber. Cut the old rubber off
with a long box cutter and scrape any old glue residue
off. You might need some acetone to get rid of some glue.

Then cut the new rubber at 45 degrees, peel back some

of the paper and lay the rubber from the bottom up
without stretching it. Do short sections until you get to a
corner. If you do long sections, you WILL stretch the
rubber.

When you get to the corner, cut it at 45 degrees, stick
the magnet insert in and do the next side.

When all sides are done, glue the corners with the
absolute minimum of rubber cement or Pliobond. That's all
there is to it.

Have FUN!
DearWebby
webby.com/humor

Dear OlsenPride,
DearWebby ideas are great, learned something myself. In the past I have found that by the time the door seals need replacing, the rest of the unit is probably near the end of it's normal service life. The last time I bought a door seal from a reputable appliance parts house, it cost $400 and that was five years ago. I did not have a problem replacing the gasket, just was sure to remove any dirt & adhesive materials left from the old one.

Getting it to fit snugly & flat required some patience. To make a long story short, about a month after replacing the door seal, the compressor motor conked out. Buying a newer, more efficient unit may be a better option.
Nockmoi