How to Realign a Door on a Domestic Refrigerator

Verify that the refrigerator is level by putting a level on top of the refrigerator and checking the position of the center bubble. If the refrigerator is not level, remove the grill or cover plate at the bottom of the refrigerator. You may need to remove one or two screws to remove the grill or cover plate depending on your refrigerator’s make and model. Moving the refrigerator to another area may cause the doors to dislocate, so align the doors in the area where you intend to keep the appliance.

Turn the leveling legs at the bottom of the refrigerator by gripping the leg with a wrench or by fitting a screwdriver into the adjustment slots on the plastic foot. Turn the legs counterclockwise to raise that corner of the refrigerator, and clockwise to lower it. Adjust these until the refrigerator is level. This often aligns the door to its proper position with no further adjustments needed.

Locate the door adjustment nut, found below the corner of the door on the hinge pin. Turn the nut clockwise to raise the door or turn it counterclockwise to lower the door. Continue turning the adjustment nut until the door is even with the top of the refrigerator across the entire width. If the refrigerator has an opening on the bottom of the hinge pin, use an allen wrench in the opening and turn it in either direction to move the corner of the door up or down. If the door does not have an adjustment nut or an opening on the hinge pin, use c-clips provided with the refrigerator to make the adjustment.

Lift the corner of the refrigerator door so that a small section of the hinge pin is exposed. Use pliers to grip a c-clip and snap it onto the hinge pin. The opening in the “c” fits onto the hinge pin. This raises the door slightly and the corner of the door rests on the c-clip. If the door needs a large adjustment, it may take 10 or more c-clips to accomplish the task. Remove some of the c-clips from the hinge pin by gripping them with pliers and pulling them off if the door needs to be lowered. Continue this process until the door is aligned.