Help with loose door handle on 10-year old Maytag refrigerator

9 months ago

We have a bottom-freezer refrigerator with a slide-out freezer compartment. There is a long handle across the top of the freezer drawer that you pull to open it. It is becoming more and more loose, and the owner's manual is not offering much help. All of the videos I find online are for handles either with set-screws in the handle or with door handle clips on the door, and my unit has neither. The photo below shows the current state, and it seems pretty clear that there is no clip. The exposed surface of the handle is perfectly smooth -- no set screw.

Has anyone else experienced this? Is it something I should be able to fix? It looks like it should be simple...

Thanks!

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Comments (3)

dadoes
9 months ago
Search your model number (which you didn't cite) online for parts diagrams, which should help with the details on how the handle assembles to the door for you to garner ideas how to fix the problem.
Dave Mc
Original Author
9 months ago
last modified: 9 months ago
Thanks for your reply. The model number is MBF2258XEW3. This is an example of the parts diagram. It appears that door clips are in use, but I can't see them where I think they should be (see photo). Based on the visibility I do have, there does't seem to be a notch or cut-out in the door to accommodate the clips as shown in this YouTube video at 1:21. And the screw that I can see in photo I uploaded appears to be significantly longer than the one shown in that video. My conclusion is that, if there is a door clip, it's very different from what's shown in the video.

At this point, I'm wondering whether the handle was installed incorrectly. Does that seem plausible?

I welcome all suggestions.
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wdccruise
9 months ago
last modified: 9 months ago
"All of the videos I find online are for handles either with set-screws in the handle or with door handle clips on the door, and my unit has neither."

Probably not. The clip (part #5) probably isn't visible, hidden by the door handle. You see only the screw (part #4) aka "shoulder screw" in the instructions below.

Here are two instructions for tightening the refrigerator door handle. Note that the instructions state that the door handle has to be slid up. You would slide your freezer handle to the left or right (dunno which).
- "Mark, You'll need to remove the handle first. Apply firm pressure on the handle to slide it up and off of the shoulder screws ", then tighten the screw holding the mounting clip to the door panel. Thanks and Good Luck"
- "Hi. You'll need to remove the handle first. Apply firm pressure on the handle to slide it up and off of the shoulder screws, then tighten the screw holding the mounting clip to the door panel. Use blue loctite on the door clip mount screws to hold them tight to the door. Then replace the door handles. Thank You."
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Help with loose door handle on 10-year old Maytag refrigerator

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dadoes

Dave Mc
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Help with loose door handle on 10-year old Maytag refrigerator

Comments (3)

dadoes

Dave McOriginal Author

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Dave Mc
Original Author