How to Remove the Center Post on a Whirlpool Refrigerator

Whirlpool refrigerators come in a range of styles, sizes and types, offering many options for storing food in your kitchen. Besides their wide product line, Whirlpool also offers many refrigerator models that have adjustable shelves. These shelves can be installed at different positions based on where you place the posts that support them, including the center posts. Some Whirlpool refrigerators feature adjustable-width shelves, which also rely on center posts for support. Reconfiguring shelves involves removing center posts, which is a simple process once you clear out the fridge.

Large cardboard box or cooler
Flat-head screwdriver
Needle-nose pliers

Instructions

- 1
  Open your Whirlpool refrigerator's door and locate the temperature control setting. In most models this is a rotary knob with several numbers on it, or a scale that ranges from red, for warmer, to blue, for colder.
- 2
  Turn the temperature control to the warmest setting to prevent the fridge from running while you work.
- 3
  Remove the contents of the shelves and drawers around the center post. Place them in a cardboard box or cooler for temporary storage.
- 4
  Remove shelves that sit on top of the center post by lifting them upward. Lift up and pull the shelves toward you to extract them. Set them aside.
- 5
  Remove any adjustable-width shelves that attach to the clips on either end of the center post. Insert a flat-head screwdriver blade into the clips to open them, allowing the shelves to fall free.
- 6
  Remove the center post by hand, if possible, by pulling it toward you. Twist the post gently as you pull if it doesn't release easily.
- 7
  Grasp the center post with a pair of needle-nose pliers close to where it meets the refrigerator wall. Pull it out, twisting gently if necessary to loosen it.

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