Swap your refrigerator door handles in minutes.
Time 1 hour or less
ComplexityBeginner
CostFree
Introduction
If you moved your fridge into a new room, and now the doors open the wrong way, it can make for inconvenient beverage access. It's a problem that must be corrected before pursuing other home improvement activities. Luckily, fridge doors can easily be reversed on almost any refrigerator door by removing a few screws and bolts.
It's an easy DIY project, but you do have to pay attention to the disassembly and reassembly steps and keep track of the plastic parts, because if you put the refrigerator hinges back in the wrong place or leave them out, the doors won't close properly.
Ahead, learn how to reverse your fridge door without a hitch.
Tools Required
- 4-in-1 screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Pliers
- Socket/ratchet set
Materials Required
- None required
Project step-by-step (5)
Step 1
Empty the fridge
First thing’s first: start by removing all the food from the upper and lower door shelves.
Step 2
Lift off the door
Tilt the upper door away from the fridge and lift it up and off the middle hinge pin with a flat-blade screwdriver. Hold the door in place while you remove the upper hinge screws. Then remove the upper door.
Immediately check for a plastic washer or guide that fits into the bottom of the upper door. Locate those parts and put them in a safe place.
Step 3
Swap the handles
Next, remove the middle hinge screws and the bottom door. Check for plastic parts at both hinges and label them. Then remove the bottom hinge and mount it on the opposite side of the fridge. Swap the door handles and the door stops to the opposite sides of the door.
Unsnap the plastic “vanity” plugs that cover the door handle screws and label them. Then remove the door handle screws and swap the door handles.
Step 4
Reverse the hinge pin
When you flip the middle hinge to the opposite side of the fridge, the upper and lower hinge pins will be facing the wrong direction. Don’t panic!
Just reverse the hinge pin by grabbing the hinge pin with pliers and unscrewing it. Flip the pin upside down and screw it back into the hinge.
Step 5
Mount the middle hinge
With the middle hinge pin reversed, it’s time to reassemble the doors and hinges. Hold the bottom door in place and insert the middle hinge. Then install the screws and tighten. Now you can reload your fridge!
