How to rearrange the doors in an Indesit refrigerator: a complete guide

The need to change the opening direction of the refrigerator door often arises when moving or remodeling the kitchen. Equipment owners Indesit face a situation where the standard arrangement of handles interferes with passage or access to the work area. Fortunately, the design of most modern models allows you to perform this procedure at home without calling a specialist.

The rehanging process requires care and a minimal set of tools. If you act carefully, following the algorithm, you can change opening direction in one hour. It is important to understand that different series of refrigerators may have their own design features, so the general principle may vary slightly.

Before starting work, make sure that you have free space around the unit. Safety is priority number one, so the refrigerator must be disconnected from the power supply. This will not only protect you, but will also prevent accidental starting of the compressor during manipulations with the housing.

Preparation of the workplace and the necessary tools

The success of the operation directly depends on the quality of preparation. You don't need fancy professional tools, but using the wrong items can damage the fasteners or plastic. Collect everything you need in advance so as not to be distracted during the work process.

The main tool will be a set screwdrivers (cross and flat) and, possibly, a wrench or 10 mm socket. Some models Indesit may use specific bolts, so inspect the hinges visually before disassembling. A soft rag will also be useful so as not to scratch the floor or doors when temporarily placing them.

⚠️ Attention: Before starting work, be sure to empty the shelves and door baskets of food. Heavy bottles or glass jars may fall out when the door is tilted, which will lead to breakage and contamination.

For ease of operation, it is recommended to call an assistant, especially if we are talking about a two-chamber refrigerator. The doors are quite heavy, and holding them with one hand while unscrewing the bolts is extremely inconvenient and dangerous. If there is no assistant, prepare in advance a stable stand or box on which you can rest the removed door.

Removing the top door of the refrigerator

You should always start work from the top of the unit. First you need to remove the decorative plugs that hide the top hinge mounting bolts. They are usually made of plastic and can be easily removed with a flathead screwdriver or your fingernail. Under them you will find mounting boltsthat need to be unscrewed.

After loosening the bolts, the top hinge does not need to be completely removed yet. First, you should unscrew the middle hinge if the design of your Indesit implies the presence of a common axis or a complex linkage system. However, in most classic models, it is the top hinge cover that is removed first, holding the door with the other hand.

Carefully lift the door up to remove the axle from the lower hinge mounting, and set it aside in a safe place. Now you can completely remove the top hinge from the refrigerator body. Pay attention to the condition of the seal and, if necessary, wipe it from dust.

It is important not to lose small parts, such as washers or bushings, that may be located inside the hinge mechanism. Lay out all the elements in the order they were removed on a separate surface. This will help not to confuse anything when reassembling it on the opposite side.

Removing the bottom door of the freezer

After the upper part is freed, move on to the bottom door. Here the algorithm is similar, but there are some nuances. It is necessary to remove the decorative panel of the lower hinge, which is often hidden in the plinth or directly under the lower door.

Unscrew the bolts securing the lower support. At this point, the freezer door must be securely locked to prevent it from falling. Remove the door from the axle and set it aside next to the top one. Now you have the front part of the case freed, and all the technological holes are visible.

If your model Indesit has a re-hanging system, you will see symmetrical holes on the other side. If there are no holes, perhaps your model does not provide overhang, although this is a standard feature for most modern lines.

⚠️ Attention: Do not use excessive force when unscrewing soured bolts. Use a penetrating lubricant (such as WD-40) if the fasteners do not budge to avoid stripping the threads in the body.

After removing both doors, inspect the ends for damage. This is a good time to spend Maintenance the seals by washing them with warm water and a mild detergent. A clean seal fits better and ensures tightness.

Rearranging hinges and fittings

The most critical stage is transferring all elements to the opposite side. You will need to rearrange not only the main hinges, but also the mating parts of the locks, if any, as well as the plugs. On the free side (where the hinges were before), you need to install the plastic plugs that came with the kit or were already installed from the factory.

Take the top hinge and install it on the new holes on the other side of the case. Insert and tighten the bolts, but do not fully tighten them yet. This will allow you to adjust the position of the door when hanging. Carry out a similar procedure with the lower support.

What to do with the holes for the handle?

If the handle in your refrigerator is not symmetrical and requires rearrangement, holes will also remain in place of the old fastening. Close them with decorative plugs, which usually come with the refrigerator or are located in the niche for vegetables.

Pay attention to latch rod (if your model has it). It also needs to be moved to the other side of the door for the closing mechanism to work correctly. To do this, you may need to remove the inner door panel or operate through the technological holes.

Do not forget to rearrange the door handle if the design requires it. In some models Indesit the handle is hidden (mortise), and it needs to be removed and inserted into the prepared hole on the other side, having first turned it over.

Installation of doors and initial adjustment

Now you can start hanging the doors. Start at the bottom door of the freezer. Carefully put it on the lower axle, helping yourself with a second person. Make sure that the door is level and not warped.

Then install the top door. Align the holes in the door with the top hinge on the frame. Insert the top hinge pin into the door hole and secure the structure with bolts. At this stage, the bolts can be tightened more, but the final adjustment is best done after checking the progress.

Check how the doors open and close. They should not touch the body or each other. If you notice friction or a loose fit, additional adjustments to the position of the hinges will be required. Often it is enough to loosen the fasteners a little and move the door a millimeter in the desired direction.

⚠️ Attention: Make sure that the melt water drainage hose (if it runs inside the door or near the hinges) is not twisted or pinched by the hinge mechanism. This may lead to leakage inside the refrigerator.

Final adjustment and leak check

After installation, a final check must be carried out. Close the doors and evaluate the tightness seal along the entire perimeter. There should be no gaps anywhere through which warm air can penetrate.

To check the tightness, you can use a simple test with a sheet of paper. Clamp the sheet with the door in different places around the perimeter. If the sheet is pulled out with force, then the fit is good. If the sheet falls out or slides too freely, you need to tighten the hinge adjusting bolts.

Plug in the refrigerator and let it run for several hours. Check whether the door closes tightly after opening. Sometimes it takes time for the seal to “straighten out” after rearrangement.

If you notice that the door has begun to close worse than before the rearrangement, check the installation level of the refrigerator itself. It is possible that when moving the unit, the adjustable legs got lost and the tilt of the body changed.

Frequent errors and ways to eliminate them

When performing work independently, beginners often make mistakes that are easy to correct. One of the most common is mixing up the left and right end caps or installing the hinges upside down. Carefully study the symmetry of the parts before tightening the bolts.

Another problem is the skew of the door, due to which it does not fit in the upper or lower corner. This can be solved by adjusting the height of the refrigerator legs or tightening the middle hinge bolts (if there is one). Don’t be afraid to experiment with the position, but do it smoothly.

If after all the manipulations the doors still open on their own or do not hold the magnet, perhaps the problem is in the seal itself, which could be deformed during removal. In this case, you can try warming it up with a hairdryer or replacing it with a new one.

Why does the door slam?

If, after rehanging, the door begins to slam loudly when closing, check whether you have tightened the hinges too much, depriving the door of free movement, or whether the air duct is jammed between the chambers.

Remember, that high-quality installation is the key to long service life of the compressor. A loose door causes the refrigerator to work without interruption, which leads to increased energy consumption and wear on parts.

Do you need to completely defrost the refrigerator before moving the doors?

Full defrosting is not necessary if you work quickly. However, if there is a lot of ice inside, it may fall out when you tilt or remove the doors. It is better to remove all the products in advance and let the unit stand for a while so that the ice moves away from the walls.

Is it possible to rearrange the doors if the refrigerator is built into the kitchen unit?

This is extremely difficult and often impossible without removing the refrigerator itself from the niche. To hang the doors of built-in appliances, you usually need full access to the ends and sides, which is not available in an assembled set.

What to do if plugs for old holes are lost?

Plugs can be ordered at the service center Indesit or select universal analogues in furniture stores accessories. As a last resort, the holes can be carefully sealed with a decorative sticker in the color of the body.

Does rearranging the doors affect the warranty?

Rearranging the doors yourself, as a rule, does not void the warranty, unless the parts were damaged in the process, the threads were torn off or the plastic was broken. However, if you call a warranty technician due to a breakdown that occurred after your remodel, questions may arise.

How to rehang the handle if it is integral with the door?

In models with integrated (hidden) handles, it is often enough to simply turn over the decorative trim or rearrange the handle itself into symmetrical holes that are closed plugs. Study the instructions for your specific model.