The situation when the refrigerator has to be moved to another corner of the kitchen or the layout of the room changed often confronts the owners with a fact: the door opens in the wrong direction. This is not only inconvenient, but also violates the ergonomics of the space, preventing free access to shelves and drawers. Fortunately, most modern models of refrigeration units, from budget Indesit to premium Bosch, provide the ability to change the opening side.
The re-hanging process seems complicated only at first glance, but it requires accuracy and adherence to a certain sequence of actions. Incorrectly installed fittings can lead to skewing of the blade, loose seal and, as a consequence, failure of the compressor due to constant operation. In this article we will look in detail at how to properly hang the door, what tools you will need and what to pay special attention to.
Before you begin, you need to make sure that your unit technically supports such a modification. This is usually indicated in the operating instructions, but you can also check visually: if on the opposite side of the case there are holes for hinges and plugs, then reweighing possible. If there are no holes or the frame design is monolithic, alas, changing the opening side will not be possible without serious alteration of the body, which is not recommended.
Necessary tools and preparation of the workplace
The success of the operation is 90% dependent on proper preparation. You don't need complex power tools, but the set of hand tools should be complete and of high quality. The main task is not to damage the coating of the case and not to lose small fasteners, which often have a non-standard size.
For work you will need:
- 🛠️ A set of screwdrivers (Phillips and flathead) - often different sizes are required for the upper and lower fasteners.
- 🔧 Open-end or socket keys (usually 8, 10 mm) - for hinge bolts.
- 📏 Building level - critical for checking the vertical position after installation.
- 🧣 Soft rags or cardboard - to lay under the door and not scratch the floor.
- 🤝 Assistant - it is advisable to carry out the work together, since the door leaf is heavy and can slip out.
Pay special attention to organizing the space. Clear the area in front of the refrigerator by at least one and a half meters. The floor must be smooth and clean. If you are working on slippery laminate or tile, it is better to lay a rubber mat or thick cardboard so that the tools do not roll away and you yourself do not slip at a crucial moment.
⚠️ Attention: Before starting any work, be sure to unplug the refrigerator from the power supply! You will be working with metal tools near electrical components, and there should be no risk of short circuit or electric shock.
Prepare a container for storing screws and bolts in advance. It is best to use a magnetic tray or small jars labeled with a marker (for example, “top hinges”, “handles”, “caps”). The loss of even one small screw can turn a simple process into a multi-hour search for an analogue in a hardware store.
☑️ Preparation for re-hanging
Dismantling the top panel and removing the door
The process begins with dismantling the upper structural elements. First of all, remove the top cover of the refrigerator (if it is removable) or the decorative strip covering the top hinge. Fastening elements can be hidden under plastic plugs, which are carefully pryed off with a flat screwdriver or knife.
After gaining access to the top hinge, it is necessary to loosen, but not completely unscrew, the fastening bolts. At this point, you will need the help of a second person to hold the door, preventing it from falling. Then the bolts are completely unscrewed and the top hinge is removed.
Next comes the most crucial moment - removing the door leaf itself. The door is carefully lifted up to remove it from the bottom pin, and placed in a safe place, preferably on previously prepared cardboard or soft cloth. Do not place the door vertically, resting it on the corner, as this may deform sealing rubber or damage the internal structure of the leaf.
Now it’s the turn of the handle. If the handle is symmetrical, you can simply turn it over. If it has a specific shape or is fastened on only one side, complete dismantling will be required. Often the handles are attached with screws from the inside of the door, access to which is gained after removing the decorative trim or panel.
Rearranging the fittings to the opposite side
After dismantling all the elements on one side, the process of installing them on the other begins. On the opposite side of the case you will see holes covered with plastic plugs. They need to be removed. To do this, you can use a thin awl or a self-tapping screw, screwing it halfway into the plug and pulling it out with pliers.
The removed plugs are installed on the vacated holes on the side where there will no longer be loops. This is important for aesthetics and protecting the interior of the case from dust. Next, the lower support pin is transferred to the new side. In some models it is simply screwed into a threaded hole, in others it requires the installation of an adapter sleeve.
Pay special attention hole for the pin. The thread must be clean, free of factory grease or dust. If your refrigerator came with instructions, check to see if you need to use thread locker. In most household models, it is enough to simply tighten the pin tightly with a key.
Now we install the upper loop on the new side. It is important not to confuse the top and bottom of the loop itself if they are not symmetrical. The bolts are not tightened until they are fully tightened so that adjustment remains possible. At this stage, the structure is already ready to put the door in place.
| Element | Action | Tool | Nuance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plugs | Rearrangement to the opposite side | Awl, tweezers | Do not lose small parts |
| Bottom pin | Dismantling and installation on the other side | Rozhkovy key | Check the thread |
| Upper loop | Transfer and preliminary fixation | Screwdriver, key | Do not tighten completely |
| Door handle | Dismantling and installation mirrored | Phillips screwdriver | Follow the direction |
⚠️ Attention: Make sure that the holes for the hinges on the new side do not have manufacturing defects or chips. If the thread is broken, you cannot use this fastener - the door will hang loose. In this case, you may need to restore the thread or contact the service.
Installing the door and initial adjustment
When all the preparatory work is completed, you can put the door in place. One person holds the door in an upright position, aligning the bottom hole with the installed pin, and the second carefully lowers the top hinge onto the door leaf pins. This requires good coordination.
After the door is in place, the top bolts are tightened, but, as mentioned earlier, it is too early to do the final tightening. Now it's important to check the geometry. The door should open freely, not touch the body and close tightly under its own weight (if a closer is installed) or light force.
If you notice that the door is crooked or skewed, you need to use the adjusting screws. They are often located on the hinge itself or under a decorative trim. By rotating them clockwise or counterclockwise, you can achieve the ideal vertical position.
Check the operation of the magnetic lock. The door should “stick” to the body along the entire perimeter. If there is a gap left in some corner, the cold will go away and form ice cruston the walls. Adjust the position of the door until the gap disappears.
Subtleties of working with two-chamber models
Owners of "Side-by-Side" type refrigerators or models with a bottom freezer compartment (No Frost) will have to tinker longer. In such units it is often necessary to rehang not one, but two or even three doors (if there is a freshness zone). The principle of operation is similar, but the stage of removing intermediate partitions is added.
Often, in two-chamber models, a common one is used central hinge, connecting the door of the refrigerator and freezer compartments. Its dismantling requires special care, since it bears the main load. When removing such a structure, be sure to hold both doors simultaneously.
In some models LG or Samsung the wires may need to be reconnected. If there is a display, power button or indicators on the door, an electrical cable runs through the hinges. It must be carefully disconnected, pulled through the new holes and connected again, observing the polarity of the connectors.
Do not try to forcefully separate the plastic wire chips. They often have locking latches that must be pressed out with your fingers or a thin screwdriver. Damage to the wiring can lead to failure of the refrigerator control electronics.
What to do if the wires are not long enough?
In rare cases, when moving the loops to the other side, the standard length of the wires may not be enough. In such a situation, you should not stretch the cable. It is necessary to carefully disassemble the plastic hinge box and lay the wire more compactly, or (if the design allows) move the harness inside the door by removing the internal plastic panel.
Final check and elimination
After final assembly and tightening of all bolts (now they can be tightened all the way), carry out the final diagnostics. Take a sheet of paper and clamp it with the door in different places around the perimeter. If the sheet is pulled out with the same force everywhere, the tightness is ensured. If in some place the paper falls out freely, it means that seal does not fit there.
A common problem after rehanging is that the door opens itself or, conversely, closes too tightly. If the door opens on its own, check that the refrigerator itself is installed horizontally. Often, for proper slamming (self-closing effect), the front legs of the refrigerator must be unscrewed slightly higher than the back ones, creating a tilt back.
If the door closes tightly, check whether it is touching the internal shelves or drawers. Sometimes, when the refrigerator is tilted, the contents of the refrigerator shift and block movement. Also, the cause may be that the top hinge is too tight - try loosening it half a turn.
Plug in the refrigerator only after making sure that all tools are put away and the doors open freely. Let the unit operate for 2-3 hours without loading food so that it reaches the desired temperature and you are convinced that the system is working correctly.
⚠️ Attention: If after all the manipulations the refrigerator begins to make more noise than usual or the vibration increases, check whether the door is touching the body when opening 90 degrees or more. Also make sure that the refrigerator is stable on all four legs.
Do you need to call a professional to rehang the door?
If you have basic skills with tools and the physical strength to hold a heavy door, you can do it yourself. However, if you have an expensive model with a touch screen on the door or a complex hinge system, it is better to entrust the work to professionals so as not to damage the electronics or break the threads in the case.
What to do if the plugs for the holes are lost?
The plugs perform not only a decorative, but also a heat-insulating function. If they are lost, you can order original spare parts for the refrigerator model or use universal furniture plugs of a suitable color and size, placing them on a drop of glue.
Why did a gap appear at the top or bottom after re-hanging?
This is a sign of misalignment. Either the hinges are not tightened evenly, or the refrigerator body itself is on an uneven floor. Use a building level for diagnosis. Adjusting the height of the legs of the refrigerator often helps eliminate visual gaps in the door.
Is it possible to hang the door if the refrigerator is built into the furniture?
It is more difficult, but possible. You will need to remove the front panels of the kitchen unit, rehang the refrigerator door, and then rehang the furniture fronts. It is important to take into account the thickness of the hinges and gaps so that the door does not touch adjacent cabinets.