3 ways to repair your fridge like a pro

Your fridge works hard so a bit of wear is expected. Before you turn to a professional for help, here are some repairs you can do yourself. Save your money, and your fridge.

• If you find yourself with a level refrigerator but the door still sags, it's easy to fix.
• First remove the hinge cover, if any, from the hinge at the top of the door.
• Use a nut driver or screwdriver to loosen the hinge screws. (If the unit has a separate freezer door, you may have to open or remove the top door to adjust the lower one.)
• Reposition the door, and hold it firmly in place while you tighten the hinge screws.

• If your refrigerator door isn't sealing because it is warped, you usually don't need a new door.
• Here's the easy fix that works most of the time:
• First empty the door compartments.
• Then pull back the door gasket so you can loosen all the retaining screws. (On some models you'll have to remove the gasket to get at the screws.)
• Grab the outer door panel at the top and side, and twist it opposite the warp to flatten the door.
• Have a helper tighten the retainer screws while you hold the door in this position.

• Are there mysterious puddles of water inside your refrigerator? It almost certainly has a clogged drain tube.
• Here's what's going on: When air in the freezer compartment is cooled by the condenser, it gives up water.
• This water drains through a tube that runs down the back of the fridge, where it drips into a pan under the unit and evaporates.
• Sometimes the drain gets clogged — usually with algae spores — and this causes the water to back up and drip into the refrigerator compartment.
• Here's what to do about it:
  1. Pull the refrigerator away from the wall. You'll find the tube stuck into a hole in the back of the unit, sometimes secured with a clip.

  2. Remove the tube, take it over to the sink, and flush it out with a bulb baster. Using a small funnel, pour five millilitres (one teaspoon) of ammonia or bleach (use one or the other, but never mix ammonia and bleach) into the tube to inhibit algae-spore growth.

  3. Replace the tube, making sure the bottom end is resting in the drain pan.