Certain situations or needs may require that you remove your refrigerator door.
For instance, while moving your refrigerator into a new home or room, or after a new unit has just been delivered, you might need to remove the door in order to create more room that will allow you to navigate through doors and corners more easily.
Not only that, if you notice the door has shifted out of alignment or does not close properly, you would also want to remove it and re-adjust.
Some refrigerator repairs also require the door to be removed. A typical example will be replacing the hinge cam.
What’s more? If your refrigerator door is reversible, you may need to remove the door to reverse it to a side that you prefer or that is more convenient for you.
More so, it has been recommended by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission that refrigerator doors be removed before disposal or storage to reduce the risk of children crawling in and getting trapped inside the refrigerator while playing around.
Whatever your reason might be, it is imperative that the removal is done with great care to avoid damaging the door.
Now, even though care is advised, the process of removing a refrigerator door itself is quite straightforward and easy.
By following the steps below and using a few basic tools, you will be able to remove a refrigerator door just fine.
Table of Contents
How to Remove Refrigerator Door – A Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Switch Off and Unplug The Refrigerator
As a rule of safety, before carrying out any work on your refrigerator (or any other electrical appliance for that matter), always switch it off and unplug from the power source first.
This reduces the risk of electric shocks or other accidents happening.
Step 2: Remove Anything in the Unit’s Door Compartments
If you have stored items in the door compartments of your refrigerator, you need to unload the compartments before attempting to remove the door.
This reduces the weight and prevents the contents from spilling over and creating a huge mess when you remove the door.
Move these items into the main refrigerator shelves instead and close the door afterward.
Step 3: Locate and Remove The Hinge Cover
Also known as the beauty cover, hinge cap, hinge trim or hinge plate, the hinge cover serves to conceal the door hinge and all the screws, bolts and wires on it. This prevents them from hanging out and looking tacky.
Some refrigerator models do not have this cover but if present, this cover can usually be found at the top corner of the door and might be screwed into place or just be snapped shut over the hinge.
If the cover is screwed in, remove it with the aid of a screwdriver, but if it is simply capped or snapped shut, use a flat blade screwdriver to lift the cover off. A putty knife can also be used here. Make sure to keep the screws and cover in a safe place so you can reattach them later when you are done.
[amalinkspro type=”showcase” asin=”B00EXX8MNC” apilink=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXX8MNC?tag=refrigeratorsreviewed-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1″ new-window=”true” addtocart=”true” nofollow=”true” sc-id=”4″ imgs=”LargeImage” link-imgs=”false” specs=”Each wrench boasts incredible strength and resistance to corrosion because they are made from heat-treated and specially-formulated Crestoloy alloy steel~~~ Off-corner loading technology incorporated on the wrench’s box-end minimizes fastener rounding.~~~The size of each wrench is stamped on its two sides to make identification easy.~~~It owes its durability and long-lasting protection to its Nickel chrome plating~~~Mirror polish chrome finish makes it easy to wipe off oil and dirt.~~~” btn-color=”#ff9900″ btn-text=”View on Amazon” alignment=”aligncenter” hide-prime=”0″ hide-image=”0″ hide-reviews=”0″ hide-price=”0″ hide-button=”0″ width=”1000″]Crescent 10-Piece 12-Point Combination Wrench Set[/amalinkspro]
Step 4: Disconnect the Wire Connector, If Any
Some refrigerators have an electrical wire on top of the refrigerator hinge. Remove this carefully before moving to the next step.
If your unit does not have this, then you can just jump straight to Step 5.
Step 5: Remove the Hinge
Use a screwdriver of the appropriate size to remove the screws that attach the hinge to the refrigerator. These are usually hex screws.
Note that some hinges are attached with bolts and nuts, rather than with screws. For these types, use a wrench (of the right size) instead to remove them.
Do this for all the hinges that you have to remove and remember to remove the hinge pins too (by pulling them out).
Step 6: Lift the Door Off
Once the screws and pins are out, use both hands to hold the refrigerator door on each side. Then lift carefully and gently up and off the refrigerator. You might have to open or tilt the door first before lifting it out to make it easier.
Also, be careful to avoid scratching or dropping the door accidentally by placing it gently on the floor.
Step 7: Repeat the Process as Necessary
This applies if you own a refrigerator with side by side or top and bottom doors.
If you do, repeat steps 1 to 6 above to remove other doors.
Need specific information on how to remove the door of a top-mount refrigerator? Check out the stepwise guide in the video below:
Check out these other in-depth articles/reviews…
Garage Refrigerators: How to Buy the Best
Igloo 12-Bottle Wine Cooler — Detailed Review
NewAir 12-Bottle Wine Cooler — Extensive Review
Westinghouse 6-Bottle Wine Cellar — Detailed Review
Wagan 24-Liter 12V Cooler/Warmer — Extensive Review
Wine Enthusiast 12-Bottle Wine Cooler (Black) — In-depth Review
How to Remove Refrigerator Door – Some Important Things to Note
It is useful to note that for some refrigerator brands and models, removing the refrigerator door(s) would require some extra steps such as disconnecting the water system, toe grill as well as the electrical system completely first before following the above steps.
We recommend that you go through the user’s manual that comes with your refrigerator so that you can take note of any peculiarities. Also, follow all the instructions given to the latter.
If you still can’t figure out how to remove your refrigerator door, then ask someone who might know, and should ideally include asking a repair professional or the installation guy from the refrigerator company to help you out.
Quick Summary on How to Remove Refrigerator Door
There are several reasons why you may find yourself in that head-scratching moment of trying to figure out how to remove a refrigerator door.
As complicated as it may seem, removing the door of a fridge is quite straightforward especially if you have the right tools.
Having said that, disconnecting your refrigerator from the power supply is the important first step, after which you need to empty the door shelves of its contents completely.
The next step will be to find the hinge cover (if present) and remove it. After this, proceed to remove the hinge screws or bolts and the hinge pins too.
Do well to keep all these items in a safe place to avoid losing them as they can easily roll or fall into corners.
Once the hinges are removed, lift the door upwards and outwards carefully with both hands, taking care not to drop or scratch it.
And Voila! You have successfully removed a refrigerator door.
Pingback: How to Fix a Refrigerator Door - In-depth Refrigerators Reviews