Keep searches simple. Use keywords, e.g. "leaking", "pump", "broken" or "fit".
plastic water line through bottom door hinge assembly
This problem applies only to replacement of the bottom hinge assembly on the FREEZER door. Repair of the other side, the non-freezer door, is quick and easy.
The problem with the freezer door hinge assembly is that a plastic tube goes right through the bottom hinge. It appears that this tube supplies water to the ice maker.
On our fridge, the door could not be removed to do the hinge replacement without disconnecting the plastic tube. There was a junction in the tube right next to the hinge, but the junction would not give, meaning it could not be pulled apart. It appeared to be permanently joined.
So we had to cut the tube with shears. Then the door could be lifted off and the hinge was replaced.
Then the question was how to reconnect the tube. We finally did this by trimming off the remainder of the junction and rejoining the two tube ends by taping them over with lots of duct tape after the tube had been threaded through the hinge. Fortunately there was enough slack in the tube to allow this trimming and taping.
With that done, the door was lifted back onto the hinge, the top hinge insert was replaced, and the job was done.
The duct tape union in the tube so far has not leaked and we don't think it will.
40 year old refrigerator brittle light switch fell apart
with a jewelry screwdriver I pried the lock tab in and pulled switch down carefully, the hardest part was that the power wire connector was stuck on good but the pliers and the jewelry screwdriver was its match for a bout 5 minute for one connection a simple pull off prong connection. After the wire connected back to switch it popped back in SNAPP
Extremely easy repair, the hardest part was getting the old switch out. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to squeeze the tabs in and it came right out.
Remove the top cover above the door by lifting it slightly and pulling forward. I used a mirror to make sure that there was nothing in the way of accessing the switch from above. I used a blade screwdriver to press against the switch retainer on the topside, while GENTLY prying from below with another blade screwdriver to get the switch dislodged. Once the retainer was past the opening, I wiggled the switch downward and then rotated it to the left when the rounded top right edge of the switch was visible. This allowed the wiring to the connector to pass thru the hole. I pushed the wiring from the top and pulled from below to get the connector below the opening for the switch. I then unplugged the switch, plugged in the new switch and reversed the removal process feeding the connector thru first then rotating the switch to the right to get the rounded edge of the switch thru the opening, then pressed the switch up into the opening until it snapped into place. Total time less than 10 minutes.
Please note that I did this repair 2 times before and it was very easy, it took me longer to get the stuff out of the refrigerator door.
But this time the existing upper and lower cams broke, and the lower part of the door was making contact with the screw that holds the lower cam to the lower support bracket damaging the head of the screw.
Now I could not use a screw driver and I had to use a wrench and a vise grip to hold the round screw head (not easy), and then replace the screw and nut.
I had to insert 2 flat washers under the lower support, to separate the door an additional 1/32 from the ref. base to accomodate the fact that the door gasket had lost its regular shape in the lower part of the door (I discover this when I dismounted the door).
Then I removed the damaged cams, replace them with the new ones and now it is working ok.
Both door Cams broken even though I could see only one.
I learned from previous descriptions. Most important is there are two cams so order two. Second is that the door can be blocked from the bottom so the door doesn't have to be unloaded if you are careful. Remove the vent cover. Raise the door as high as possible while closed then block it from dropping down. I used wooden blocks. Remove the lower hinge and bracket on the bottom of the door. Put everythng back and you're back in business. A kit with both cams, spacers, and screws with diagram would have been nice to have.
I used a block of wood to hold up the door. Then unbolted the lower hinge from the fridge. That is when I found out that it was fine and it was the upper half of the hinge that was broken (worn). So I unbolted the upper hinge (mounted on the bottom of door) It uses the same part. So I installed the part on the upper half of the hinge.
I wish somebody would have told me that you need 2 of these for each hinge. The bottom one was in good shape, lucky for me.