A Hinge Broken on the Fridge Drawer

Causes

• Most refrigerator interiors rely on plastic components. These parts, including hinges and sliders, are easy to clean, safe for contact with food, lightweight and inexpensive to produce and replace. However, plastic fridge hinges are also not very strong. They can break from repeated use even if you never overfill the drawer or put too much weight on it while it's open. This means that accidents and age can both cause a fridge drawer hinge to break.

Problem

• Broken fridge drawer hinges can cause several problems. In cases where one hinge breaks and others remain intact, the drawer may open at an angle or require extra effort to open. In other cases, the drawer will lift out of its compartment, rather than opening only to the extent that the hinge opens. This creates the opportunity for spills or accidents if you drop heavy food items on your feet.

Repair

• Repairing plastic refrigerator drawer hinges is challenging, since the plastic typically splits and can't be fused back together with the same strength. Hinges that are composed of multiple parts, such as plastic wings and a central metal or plastic pin, can be reassembled if they come apart during use. However, most broken hinges must be replaced for the fridge drawer to function properly.

Replacement

• Refrigerator manufacturers and third party part sellers offer replacement drawer components for many popular refrigerator models. If your fridge is too old or obscure to find replacement hinges, you can install a replacement hinge that isn't a perfect match. Find a metal hinge that has the same spacing for screws as the broken hinge you want to replace and install it in the same location. If you find a good match you can replace all of your refrigerator's plastic hinges with metal versions to avoid future breaks.