Reattaching a Door Shelf on a Fridge

The home refrigerator appliance gets a lot of use. It is on 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. One thing that can break over time is any of the plastic parts that are subjected to stressed regularly. In addition to fatigue caused by use, plastic becomes brittle with age. Not surprisingly, plastic parts can break over time. The do-it-yourself (DIY) can save money by not having to purchase a new (and usually pricey) replacement part from the manufacturer..

Pulling Door Closed by Shelf Has Broken Shelf Off

It is quite clear that a fridge door is designed to be opened by pulling on the exterior handle on the door. But closing it is awkward. I find myself pulling on a door shelf to swing the fridge door shut. Unfortunately, this pulling places a lot of stress on the shelf, probably something it wasn't designed for. After 16 years of such use, my fridge's top shelf finally broke off from this abuse.

Now I see how the shelf attaches and how it has broken.

After some head scratching, this solution is what I came up with:

(1) a little piece of shaped wood, a small nut and matching screw;

(2) drilling a hole at an angle in the broken end piece and its mating part;

(3) screwing everything together.

Yes! It works.

- Clifford V. Arrow, Spring 2008