Kenmore Refrigerator Gasket

Decode the prefix first#

Kenmore never manufactured refrigerators. The prefix names the company that did, which determines the gasket retention method, the part number series, and how many gaskets your machine actually needs.

Order against the Whirlpool (W10/WP series) or LG number rather than the Kenmore-branded box — same part, roughly 30-40% cheaper. If you have a 795 Elite, it is worth knowing separately that LG's linear compressor in these carried a known defect and a class-action settlement; if yours has a compressor failure, check whether the serial falls under the extended coverage before paying for anything.

Confirming the gasket is the problem#

Close the door onto a dollar bill and pull. No resistance means no seal there. Repeat at the top, the bottom, both sides and all four corners — eight points maps where the gasket has given up, and it is a free annual check.

Supporting evidence: visible gaps at the frame with the door shut, condensation on the cabinet exterior or around the door edges, heavy frost in the freezer where humid air reaches the evaporator, a compressor running far more than it used to, and rubber that has torn, cracked, hardened or gone mouldy.

Surface mould cleans off with baking soda paste. Dark staining that will not lift means the mould has gone into the rubber structure, and that gasket is finished.

Fitting a push-in gasket (106)#

No need to unplug, but work briskly so the door is not hanging open.

1. Start at the top centre and pull the old gasket out of its groove by hand — no tools.
2. Work right around the perimeter until it is free.
3. Soak the new gasket in warm water for 10-15 minutes so it becomes pliable and loses its packaging folds.
4. From the top centre again, press the new lip into the groove.
5. Work down both sides, pressing firmly every few inches, and give the corners extra attention — that is where gaps show up.
6. Shut the door and leave it 24 hours before judging the seal.

Fitting a screw-retained gasket (795)#

1. Loosen — do not remove — the screws around the inner door liner perimeter.
2. Draw the old gasket out from behind the liner.
3. Press the new one in, starting at the top.
4. Retighten the screws gradually in a cross pattern so the pressure comes up evenly.
5. Re-run the dollar bill check at several points.

A Phillips #2 is the only tool, and either version runs 20-40 minutes. This is a DIY job in essentially all cases — the exception is a damaged door frame or liner, where no gasket will seat properly until that is fixed.

Getting the full life out of it#

A Kenmore gasket lasts 5-12 years, and what varies is how it is treated. Frequent door opening, a humid kitchen, slamming, and never cleaning the sealing face all cut it short. Worth knowing: the magnetic strip does not weaken with age here — it is the rubber losing flexibility that ends it.

So wipe the gasket monthly with warm soapy water to clear food residue and head off mould, and put a thin coat of petroleum jelly on it every 6 months to keep it supple and stop it sticking to the cabinet, because a stuck gasket tears the moment the door is pulled. Never use bleach — it accelerates the rubber breakdown you are trying to prevent. Minor warping from a door left open too long can often be reshaped with a hair dryer on low heat, warming the section gently and pressing it back against the frame.

Door frame damaged, or the seal still failing after a new gasket? Book now.