Fridge door hinges

[Novoiceleft]

I just want to check I am not doing anything incredibly stupid here.

I had a brand new fridge delivered. But I can only open the door about 1 inch because one or both the door hinges seem to be jammed. Believe me I have used brute force.

So I am in the process of organising a replacement - but I just want to check. Would these hinges have some sort of safety catch in them to keep them closed in transit ? I have looked hard - but cannot see anything obvious.

NoVoice

[jackdaww]

anything in the instructions?

sometimes transit protection is used .

[Novoiceleft]

The instructions are inside the Fridge ... so I can't get them !!

[jfgw]

The door is usually held closed with sticky tape in my experience - nothing else. This might be blue so you can see it, but sometimes it is white.

Is it freestanding or integrated? The hinges on freestanding fridges usually consist of a pin in a hole - nothing more complicated than that.

Built-under fridges have more complicated hinges. They don't normally seize shut, however. The cabinet door is not hinged to the carcase but is fixed directly to the appliance door.

In-column fridges can have hinges of either type. If the appliance door has the simple pin-in-hole type hinge, the cabinet door is hinged to the carcase just like any other cabinet door. The appliance door and cabinet door are linked using sliders.

Is there any sign of damage to the appliance?

The instructions are inside the Fridge ... so I can't get them !!

You can probably find them online.


Julian F. G. W.

[jackdaww]

The instructions are inside the Fridge ... so I can't get them !!

==========================

how do you know??

[Novoiceleft]

Thanks for your helpful responses so far ... .

So I can open the door about one inch only - enough to see the instruction booklet lying inside.

I will see if I can find the instructions online - good idea.

I have definitely removed all the tape.

Its an integrated fridge and the hinges are solid, substantial and complex looking affairs. I've been looking for something that looks like a release pin or catch, but I can't see anything.

Yes there is sign of damage. There is a dent in one of the back upright flanges. I wasn't concerned about it because it will be hidden from view. I plugged it in for a couple of minutes and it does run OK.

NoVoice

[jfgw]

Its an integrated fridge and the hinges are solid, substantial and complex looking affairs. I've been looking for something that looks like a release pin or catch, but I can't see anything.

I have installed a lot of these and I have never known a hinge to have any sort of release catch. The door has always been held closed by tape on the side (and you wouldn't open the door at all if you left the tape on).

Most such hinges look like these, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hinges-Siemens ... B07HJ66MW4 . Some look like these, https://tdspares.co.uk/product/candy-cf ... onents-top . They can both break after extended use but I have not known one to not open. (If it did, it would be a serious problem as it is necessary to open the door to get at the hinges.)

It seems to me as though the appliance is faulty. If you want to be sure, you could undo the screws that you can see and try to open the hinges individually. They are sprung so you may need to lever them open with a biggish screwdriver (put the blade into the big hole with the handle pointing sideways away from the appliance and lever open). If one opens and the other does not, you know that there is a faulty or damaged hinge.

A minor dent shouldn't be a problem; the thin steel used for most of these is easily bent. Occasionally, appliances are delivered with packaging in excellent condition but with considerable damage to the appliance (possibly due to being dropped from a fork truck or similar prior to being packaged).

What brand is it?


Julian F. G. W.

[Novoiceleft]

Thanks for your reply Julian.. that is extremely helpful.

The hinges look like the Siemens ones you show. I looked at it again with a mechanically minded friend and we have again reached the conclusion that
one of the hinges is faulty and jammed-there is no sign of a transit catch.

Its an Electra fridge. Its probably a cheap brand but it is for an annexe and is only going to be used once or twice per year.

Funny how the supplier AO is super efficient when you want to place a new order, but I am now in a 7 day queue with customer service to have a conversation about a replacement.

Again, thanks everyone

NoVoice

[Mike4]

Funny how the supplier AO is super efficient when you want to place a new order, but I am now in a 7 day queue with customer service to have a conversation about a replacement.

That's disappointing. I've always found AO service exemplary, but then I've yet to have reason to complain.

Did you pay by credit card? Hopefully yes as contacting your card co must surely be be your next move.

[Lanark]

I wonder if one of the shelves inside has slid forward in transit enough to block the door?

You might try tilting it backwards and giving the whole thing a jiggle to see if anything moves back.

[malakoffee]

I have a fridge with a drawer at the bottom. If that drawer is too far forwards it can jam the door shut - wedging against the shelves in the door itself.

This only happens very rarely, but when it does I have to use (controlled) force to unjam it.

Not recommended for a newly delivered fridge though !