Found a better way to check fridge door seals without the paper trick

I used to do the dollar bill test on every fridge door, but it was hit or miss, especially on older units. About six months ago, I started using a small LED flashlight instead. You turn off the kitchen lights and shine it along the seal from inside the fridge. Any light you see outside means a gap. It's way faster and you can spot exactly where the seal is failing. Anyone else have a different method for checking these?

3 comments

3 Comments

wrenstone3mo ago

The "spot exactly where the seal is failing" part is a bit much. If your fridge is cold and the food isn't spoiling, it's probably fine. I've had a visible gap on my garage fridge for years and it still keeps beer plenty cold. Not everything needs a full forensic investigation.

felix_jones3mo ago

Watched my buddy's garage fridge kill his whole freezer section last summer. He said the same thing, that it felt cold enough so the gap didn't matter. Then his ice cream turned to soup and he found frost all over everything. The motor was running nonstop trying to keep up. Cost him a couple hundred in lost food and a higher electric bill before he finally replaced the seal. Sometimes that little gap is working way harder than you think.

the_anthony10d ago

Not everything needs a full forensic investigation" - that's fair, but your garage fridge might be costing you more than you think. That visible gap lets warm air in every time the compressor cycles, making it work twice as hard even if the inside feels cold. My cousin had a similar setup, beer stayed cold but his electric bill went up about $20 a month just from that one seal leak. He checked after I mentioned it and the compressor was running almost nonstop in July. Took him a weekend and fifteen bucks for a new seal to fix it.