What to Do If Your Commercial Refrigerator Door Won’t Stay Closed

It’s the middle of a rush, and your walk-in cooler door won’t stay shut.
Or maybe your reach-in fridge keeps creeping open and you’re sick of slamming it shut with your hip.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common issues we see in commercial kitchens—and it’s usually caused by one of a few fixable problems. Here’s how to figure out what’s going wrong—and what to do next.

1. Check for Obstructions

Before you assume something’s broken, check the basics:

• Is the gasket catching on something?
• Are there food containers, boxes, or trash bags preventing the door from closing fully?
• Is ice or frost buildup keeping the seal from engaging?

🧠 Pro Tip: If your walk-in has frost on the threshold or door frame, it could point to a failing seal letting warm, humid air in.

Inspect the Door Gasket

Gaskets are the flexible rubber seals around your door. If yours is:

• Torn
• Cracked
• Stiff or warped
• Covered in mold or grime

…it probably isn’t creating a tight seal. And if the door doesn’t seal, it often bounces back open instead of staying shut.

✅ Fix:
If the gasket’s just dirty, try cleaning it with warm, soapy water.
If it’s damaged or won’t bounce back into shape, it’s time to replace it. (We’ve got you.)

Look at the Hinges and Hardware

Over time, hinges wear out—especially on heavy cooler doors. If the door is sagging, out of alignment, or not closing evenly, the problem might not be the gasket at all.

Other signs of hinge trouble:

• Door seems crooked
• Only the top or bottom gasket is sealing
• You have to lift or push the door to close it

✅ Fix:
We repair and replace refrigeration hinges, handles, and latches too—not just gaskets. If you’re dealing with hardware failure, we’ve seen it before.

3. Check for Overfilling

This one’s easy to overlook. If your fridge or walk-in is overstuffed, the air circulation gets messed up—and boxes or bins can physically block the door from sealing.

In fast-paced kitchens, it’s common to cram items wherever they’ll fit, but even slight pressure on the door from inside can cause it to pop open later.

✅ Fix:
Reorganize shelves to keep clearance around the door. And if your team’s consistently short on space, it might be time to revisit your layout—or talk to us about optimizing door performance.

4. Magnetic Strips Might Be Worn Out

Some commercial gaskets contain magnetic strips to help pull the door closed and keep it shut. If that magnet is weak or broken, the door will feel loose and may not “grab” like it used to.

✅ Fix:
There’s no real DIY fix for this. If the magnet’s shot, replacing the gasket is the only way to restore full sealing power.

🔧 Need Help? We’ve Got You.
If your refrigerator or walk-in door just won’t stay closed, don’t duct tape it or slam it harder.
Let us take a look. We’ll figure out whether it’s the gasket, the hinges, or something else—and get it fixed fast.

At Gaskets Rock of Arizona, we manufacture, deliver, and install custom-fit commercial refrigeration gaskets—and we handle hardware issues, too.