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How to Get a New Fridge Through the Door

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Getting a new refrigerator can be very exciting, especially if you have been waiting on it for a long time. So, it can be highly frustrating when you finally get it home, only to find out it doesn’t fit through the door. Luckily, there are a few ways to solve this problem.

To fit a new fridge through a door, you should first measure the refrigerator and the door frame, then decide if you have to remove the handles or the door. Finally, use a dolly to navigate through the doorway easily. You can also try sliding it on a cloth or using dolly straps.

Couple choosing refrigerator in electronics store

If you have questions or are looking for a solution to getting your new refrigerator through an entranceway, keep reading this article. Here we will give you instructions on moving a refrigerator through all types of doorways and the best methods for each situation. 

How do You Get a New Fridge Through the Door? (Step-by-Step Instructions)

While it may seem like a pretty simple task, sometimes getting a refrigerator from the driveway, through the front door, and into the kitchen can be a lengthy process that requires planning and patience. 

Here is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process for anyone ready to take on this task.

man measuring the door size and write on paper at home

Getting a refrigerator

  • Step 1: Measure the entirety of the refrigerator. Write down the length, width, and height. You can rotate the fridge, using the thinnest side to move through the doorway.
  • Step 2: Measure the doorway; if your opening is wider than the refrigerator by at least one inch, you should be good to go. If the fridge is to wide to go in frontward facing, try rotating it to see if going in sideways will be any easier.
  • Step 3: If the smallest side is still too large to move through the door frame, you will have to remove the fridge’s door handle. This can easily be accomplished with just a screwdriver and will only take a minute or two.
  • Step 4: If the refrigerator is still to wide to fit through the door, the next step is to remove the fridge door altogether; this will also only require the use of a screwdriver and the removal of the cover plates over each hinge and the toe plate. Instructions for this should be listed in the owner’s manual. 
  • Step 5: Now that your new fridge is small enough to fit through the doorway, you can load it up on a dolly and wheel it into the kitchen, carefully laying it in place. 

How do You Move a Fridge Without a Dolly?

Although having a dolly on hand when moving large appliances is very useful, it isn’t necessarily required. You can move a fridge through a door frame in other ways as well. 

Phone a Friend

Mover Carrying Fridge inside the house

One way to move your refrigerator without a dolly is by grabbing a friend or two and asking for some help. A little bit of manual labor can go a long way in these types of situations. 

Before you start moving a fridge, you want first to tape the door closed, just to ensure it doesn’t swing open on accident during transport, and wrap the cord up and tape it to the back of the fridge to keep it out of the way.

When the refrigerator is ready, both people should grab hold of opposite ends and slowly move the fridge into place.

If you are looking for an easier way to carry a heavy appliance such as a fridge, using straps (shoulder dolly straps) will help lighten the load. Here is a great YouTube video showing you how shoulder dolly straps can help significantly.

Slip and Slide it Across the Floor

Another way to move your new refrigerator safely and without ruining the doorframe or your floors is by placing it on a rug or blanket and sliding it across the floor into place.

This is an excellent option for anyone attempting to move a refrigerator independently.

You can also do this with felt furniture sliders or leftover laminate boards. Both options can give you a smooth surface to move on without scratching up your floors or damaging your refrigerator.  

How Do You Move a New Fridge Through a Downstairs Doorway?

Traveling downstairs with heavy appliances can be extremely dangerous, and you should always use caution and make sure there is someone else around helping out.

two movers using dolly to move refrigerator

The best way to move a new fridge down a flight of stairs and through a door is with a dolly. Before you even start the process, make sure to secure the door and cord and secure the fridge to the dolly with rope or straps. 

You also want to ensure the fridge is going to fit through the doorway at the bottom of the stairs before you start to move it, accounting for doors and corners. 

Once you are ready to go, one person needs to be in the back, tightly gripping the handlebars, while the other person slightly pushes the fridge from the front, allowing the dolly to tilt back at an angle. While lowering the refrigerator, take it one step at a time and never rush the processes. 

Can You Move a New Fridge Through a Doorway on its Back?

You may often hear a refrigerator should never be placed on its back or side because of the coolant that travels through the components of the appliance.

While this is technically a situation you should keep an eye on, quickly moving a new fridge from the delivery truck to its new home shouldn’t cause any problems.

Problems typically arise when a fridge is left in the horizontal position for a lengthy period of time or is laid down directly on its back.

While on it’s side, the coolant can collect in one area and clog the cooling lines, causing some significant issues to the fridge.

The back of a refrigerator is where all of the more “sensitive” parts can be found. If you lie the fridge down on its back while transporting it, even for only a few moment, you can damage or loosen important parts of the appliance before you ever get the chance to use it. 

young man in protective workwear moving refrigerator in kitchen

How to Get a New Refridgerator Through a Thin Doorway

If your home has really thin doorways, you can still get a refrigerator through it without having to remove the doors.

You can try what some of the professionals call the “butterfly” method, where you open the door and slide the refrigerator through like an open book. 

Once the body of the refrigerator goes through the frame, push it sideways so that the door is now straight and can easily come through. 

Clear the Room and Make Some Space

When you are moving a new fridge into your home, it is going to go much smoother if the area you have to get through is totally clear and there is plenty of room to maneuver; this includes clearing behind doorways so doors can open as much as possible to provide the most amount of space when you come through with the appliance or event taking off the entire door.

Getting a New Fridge Through a Door On Your Own

Refrigerators are extremely heavy, with the average weight being around 250 pounds. This size appliance should technically be moved with another person or even 3 or 4. However, sometimes you don’t have that option, and you might find yourself trying to move a refrigerator on your own.

man owner moving refrigerator on his own

When trying to get a new fridge into the house, especially if you have stairs, a dolly will be the best way to go; remember to secure the door and cord before starting the transfer.

However, you can also move a fridge by yourself by placing it on a cloth or felt furniture slider and pushing or pulling the refrigerator through the door and into its space.   

Another option is “walking” the fridge through the doorway. This method will only work if you have some wiggle room on both sides of the refrigerator once getting to the frame. 

To walk the fridge through the doorway, all you need to do is:

  • Position yourself behind the appliance
  • Tilt it back a tiny bit
  • Tip it from one side to the other just enough to lift the corner off the floor and move it forward a few inches

This process may take a lot longer than other options, but it will get the job done.

Moving a New Refridgerator through a Door Still in the Box

Moving a refrigerator still in the box is definitely a much easier task than if it were out. Not only is a nice, even flat box going to be more convenient to work with, but the cardboard will help it slide across the floor.

Another bonus to your fridge still being in it original packaging is it has an extra layer of protection, giving you peace of mind while moving it around.

young woman hand opening new refrigerator door

Final Thoughts

Moving heavy appliances can be difficult, but luckily, there are many tips and tricks out there that can make getting your new refrigerator through the doorways of your home easy to do. 

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