Original refrigerator door handle. The original handle for the refrigerator door How to fix the handle of the refrigerator
Refrigerators stand out among other household appliances. They are used every day and repeatedly. An important element of the refrigerator is the handle. It is worth remembering about it when choosing a unit, it needs to be taken care of and, sometimes, it has to be replaced. The modern market offers a wide variety of elements for opening the refrigerator door, everyone can choose the most acceptable and comfortable option.
Varieties
Refrigerator handles have come a long way with changes and modifications. The first were mechanisms resembling automobiles with a built-in lock. They were installed on the facade of the product in a vertical or horizontal position. Later, such mechanisms had to be removed due to many accidents with American children. The refrigerator could not be opened from the inside and was deemed unsafe.
They were replaced by a regular door handle. They were placed so that a person of average height could open the refrigerator. The main criterion for manufacturing was ergonomics. Fixed elements allowed the refrigerator to be opened from left to right and nothing else. The demands of customers grew and the companies were forced to once again revise the technology of opening and closing the refrigerator.
Simple details have become longer and have become comfortable for people of any height. Their appearance has improved, the handle has become an important functional and decorative element of the refrigerator. Now the part could be located not only in the usual ways, but diagonally.
Many manufacturers began to experiment with hidden handles. They are a recess in the wall of the door. They were made in such a way that the fingers of an adult could pass there without any problems. A little later, refrigerator manufacturers came up with refrigerator handles that open from right to left. In many models, flip doors appeared, the buyer could install them so that the equipment opened in the right direction.
All modern opening mechanisms have pushers in their structure. They provide easy door opening with minimal effort on your part. Most models have long removable handles. Provided that they are of good quality, they are comfortable and reliable. Refrigerators with built-in (recessed) handles have received a new life, they save space significantly.
You can find a refrigerator with a handle on suction cups. It is universal and is used as furniture. The newest models have a touch-sensitive opening method. It is enough to bring your hand to the handle, the refrigerator will open itself. This option is very convenient when your hands are busy.
Which ones break more often?
Over the many years of development in the technology of manufacturing and installing handles, certain trends and inclinations have been noticed. More often it is overhead plastic structures that break. Metal structures are usually more reliable. Recessed mechanisms are not prone to breakage. Old-style handles are also very reliable; they are often found on Soviet-era refrigerators.
The cause of the problem may be a small area for attaching the handle to the door of the equipment. In this case, the fasteners themselves may fail. An important factor is the material of the element. Metal will last much longer than plastic.
How to choose?
The handle is an important element of the refrigerated cabinet, it has both a functional and a decorative purpose. Refrigerators with recesses quickly lose their appearance because dirt clogs in the handle. It is quite difficult to wash such an element, so many do not consider this option at all.
The outer handle should be checked for strength even in the store. Open and close the door several times. Try to intuitively feel the correct distribution of pressure along the entire length of the element. Make sure the affected area is fairly wide.
Test the handle itself as well. It must be durable, not allow the element to hang out at hand. It is important to evaluate your own efforts that need to be made to open the technique. Do not forget about the location of the handle. Here the choice largely depends on the layout of the kitchen, where the refrigerator will be located. Consider the direction of opening, the appropriateness of the large element and its location relative to the body.
Handle replacement
If the plastic handle is broken, it is worth considering replacing it. This process is quite simple and does not cause difficulties even for beginners. Do not forget about safety measures - be sure to unplug the device from the mains. After that, wait a couple of minutes and get to work:
- The handle rests on the screws, and they are hidden under the bar. This bar plays the role of a stub. Push it in and pull it up.
- Do this with the second plank as well.
- Unscrew all screws and remove the handle with gentle, smooth movements. Do not make sudden jerks, as you can damage the door. Effort may be needed only when removing the plastic lining, but it is not at all worth putting pressure on the wringing mechanism.
- After removing the element, it is worth cleaning the surface of the door. You can use any conventional detergent. Be sure to dry the door with a paper towel.
- Now install the new handle. To do this, align the holes in it with the appropriate ones on the refrigerator. Tighten the screws and lower the planks.
Such replacement of the handle is done independently. Just buy a new item for your brand of refrigerator and that's it. If there are no screws included with the new part, then you can use the fasteners from the old one.
The following video will help you repair the refrigerator handle yourself.
Master class on making a pen
It happens that the handle breaks too unexpectedly. There may not be enough time or money to buy a new one. It is worth thinking about making products from improvised materials. A master class on building a handle from 2 forks will come to the rescue. Procedure:
- Pick up two absolutely identical forks.
- Bend each of them so that one holds on to the door, and the second acts as a handle. The view should match exactly your door shape, so it's all up to you.
- On the first fork, bend the inner teeth, and twist the handle so that the second fork is fixed in it.
- Drill a hole in the bottom of the second fork. With it, the product will be attached to the door from the side of the facade.
- Now just install the homemade element in a convenient place on the refrigerator door.
I offer my idea for making a handle for a refrigerator from table forks.
It so happened that after several repairs (gluing the broken parts together), the plastic handle on the refrigerator door completely crumbled.
There was nothing to replace it, it was useless to look for a new replacement. So the home master had to be smart. The fork just fell into place. "Why not," I thought, and set to work. I must say that this was my fastest homemade.
It was not difficult to make it: it was enough to give the desired shape to two forks (bend), drill a hole in one of them and close the sharp teeth of the forks.
Then we fix the new handle on the refrigerator door. The table fork is comfortable to hold in the hand during intended use and as a handle for opening the door, it is quite comfortable. It is only necessary to bend the forks correctly, choose their correct location, height, angle - and we get an ergonomic door handle.
After installing the handle on the refrigerator, it also became a holder for a kitchen towel or potholders, as well as leaflets, reminders of future purchases in the store.
Perhaps this is a temporary pen, but if it seems convenient, then, like everything temporary, it will grow into a permanent one.
The handle of the refrigerator can break quite often, which is caused by several factors at once. First of all, the pen may be exposed to excessively active influence from the household. Of course, we are talking about small children who strive to pull on her during their games.
It is noteworthy that the handles break in almost all brands of refrigerators, so even the most branded units are not immune from this unenviable fate. By the way, a broken refrigerator handle is considered mechanical damage, so you won’t be able to replace it under warranty, even if the refrigerator was bought recently and you have a warranty card on hand. It turns out that you will have to deal with this problem yourself.
Is it possible to do without a pen at all?
Of course, the handle of the refrigerator is not such an important part as the compressor or the engine of the refrigeration system, but its absence can be the result of big problems in the future. Yes, the refrigerator will function, but the following problems may occur further:
- You can open the door without a handle, but it is completely inconvenient to do so. But this inconvenience is not the main problem. Over time, if you open the door over the edge, the rubber seal will quickly become unusable.
- There are times when, after the handle breaks, the door stops closing tightly at all. This is already much worse, because a layer of ice quickly begins to grow inside, and in this state the refrigerator will quickly fail.
As we can see, the replacement of the refrigerator handle must be made without fail, because this small problem will eventually grow into a big nuisance.
Many people think that they will be able to repair the handle of the refrigerator, but this is almost impossible, because in the event of a breakdown, mainly plastic parts are damaged. Of course, they can be glued, but such a handle will not last very long, so the only way out is to replace it.
How to replace the handle?
To replace the refrigerator handle, you first need to buy it. Remember that you only need to purchase a “native” pen, because components from other manufacturers simply will not suit you. There will be other connectors, mounts, shape, etc.
Of course, handles for refrigerators are different, depending on the manufacturer, so their shape, structure and type of attachment will be different. Consider the example of replacing the handle on a LIEBHERR refrigerator:
- First, remove the protective pads from both mounts.
- Very carefully remove the handle from the pushers.
- Remove protective pads.
- We unscrew the bolts located on the handle using a 5.5 head.
- Next, you need to put new fasteners, but in the reverse order, as we did before.
- Then we snap the handle onto the door mounts.
The advantage of these handles is that their replacement does not require disassembly of the door itself, which happens in some models. Replacing the handles on a Whirlpool refrigerator looks even easier. The procedure will be something like this:
- Using a flathead screwdriver, remove the plastic covers on both sides of the handle.
- We unscrew the screws in order to remove the old handle.
- Install the new handle in place so that the holes match.
- Next, tighten the screws until they stop.
- We put in place the plastic lining, which we took out in the first place.
- We check our handle by opening the refrigerator door. If we did everything right, then it should not hang out.
Replacing refrigerator handles can be done in other ways, depending on the specific brand of refrigerator. But if considered as a whole, then this does not require special skills, so most people can handle this task. The only thing that can cause difficulty is finding the right handle for your refrigerator, because not all stores fully stock consumables from various manufacturers.
Buy a refrigerator handle in the Samodelkin online store
Video: handle replacement
Like any mechanism, the refrigerator handle tends to break, which is affected by a number of factors. First of all, a malfunction may occur due to too active use of it by family members. This applies to the smallest, who often pull on her during the game and do not understand that this cannot be done.
Feature of removing the handle on a Liebherr refrigerator
Liebherr refrigerator handle
Externally, the handle from the Liebherr model is very similar to a door handle. It is logical that it can break from the same reasons. If you systematically pull on it with more force than required, then sooner or later it will need to be repaired. Of course, the easiest way is to purchase a new one, but before that, you should correctly remove the damaged Liebherr part, and then install the purchased one in its place. After all, using a door without a handle will be a real test, which will only lead to damage to the rubber seal.
broken handle
The process of hanging a part on a Liebherr model
- Since this element is held on by screws, you should gain access to them. To do this, you need to move the decorative overlays. From the side of the bend, we easily pick up the bar, after which it slides off smoothly, moving along the guides specially installed for this. It should be borne in mind that on some models of refrigerators outwardly it seems that the decorative strip and the mechanism that holds it are one, although this is not so. Therefore, you should not try to remove them together, because this will only damage the integrity of the door and other mechanisms.
Decorative overlays
- The next step is unscrewing the screws that hold the part. To do this, you need to have a simple Phillips screwdriver with you.
- Next, we fasten the new part with screws, and then return the decoration plates to their place. The installation process is over and your refrigerator looks like new.
Parts included in the kit
By the way, the question of replacing the handle in a Liebherr refrigerator is the most popular among all possible problems with this technique. The remaining components are made at the highest level, as befits a self-respecting German company. If you need to replace the freezer handle, then the above tips will also work.
Replacing the freezer handle follows the same principle.
Depending on the model, the replacement process may be different. Summing up, it should be noted that this work does not require special knowledge and the involvement of a master. Even a schoolboy can cope with such a procedure.