Maytag Fridge SS door swollen?

[Fridger]

Fridge side door - when opening/closing it is catching against freezer door edge. Hinges and their bushing are fine/not loose or worn. I grinded hinge holes for screws wider so I can get more adjustment with no result. I measured width at corners on top and bottom and it is 19". Sliding down with tape and measured 1/4" more on the inside edge of the door slab. Running up and down with machinist angle shows the bent as well. When you lay the door down with Styrofoam insulation up, it is like a shallow box filled with insulation and the upper edge is wider/bent than the bottom edge. No sign of moisture build up, it looks like it was made like that and the Styrofoam when it was filled in, just pushed sides wider and hardened in that shape causing these door edges, freezer to fridge catching against each other. Did anyone had such issue with door on a fridge? When they fill the door sheetmetal with foam, it should have been boxed so it can't push these week sides wider.

I measured only the fridge side, not freezer. I tried to clamp/hammer down the widening through wooden block with hard time to not much result. It dents the edge of the door so short of gouging the foam out along the edge, bending the sheetmetal and refiling with foam, I can't see it other way to shrink it to factory size. I can't see a store selling this fridge when new with such issue or if not, how the foam can swell latter to widen the inner edge? If that would be a freezer side, it could be related to moisture build up and frost but it would damage the Styrofoam but fridge side makes no sense.

Thanks for comments

[Quick]

@Fridger

You're asking something that would require eyeballs on it.

That and no model number, expect to hear crickets. 

[Terry Carmen]

The chances of the door getting bigger after purchase are very close to zero.

It's much more likely that something is bent, misaligned or worn.

[Fridger]

The only thing I tested positive for been bent is the edge I mentioned, anything else is squared off and straight when I used long straight edge and 90 degree machinist tool for verification. No other worn or bent parts, hinges and its bushings are always suspect but not in this case. The fridge sits on straight ground and is square at each corner. The only-thing I see is the mentioned edge pushed out 1/4" by the foam and that is the spot it is hitting.

[Fridger]

On 7/30/2020 at 8:51 AM, Quick said:

@Fridger

You're asking something that would require eyeballs on it.

That and no model number, expect to hear crickets. 

Maytag mod. MSD2454FRW , ser. 10858775WW.

The only thing I tested positive for been bent is the edge I mentioned, anything else is squared off and straight when I used long straight edge and 90 degree machinist tool for verification. No other worn or bent parts, hinges and its bushings are always suspect but not in this case. The fridge sits on straight ground and is square at each corner. The only-thing I see is the mentioned edge pushed out 1/4" by the foam and that is the spot it is hitting.

[Joe's Repair]

This is a real long shot but I'll throw it out anyway. I have heard of refrigerator door sweating on the outside because of poor insulation. Is it possible that you had moisture get in and freeze and swell something up?

[Fridger]

I saw in the past issues like you mentioned but the foam gets ripped a part and stays swollen/gets mushy even after drying but this happens in freezer sections and my case is the fridge side door. I just measured the fridge door slab and it is bowing from "outside in" as well so it looks like this door slab was not poured properly where the the door just bent while drying. I checked by straight edge my other electronic fridges showing doors OK within 1/16" of bowing only but sides of the fridge (not doors) freezer and fridge sides are bowing pretty good - 1/4" on each side when level cantered in the middle of the hump.

The fridge with swollen/bowed door is an older fridge SS and has no electronic controls. I could just scrap it and for parts but it cools good and if we get hit by EMP, this fridge can run on solar or generator so I prefer to save it from vultures or my self taking it a part. So definitely there is some issues with fridges bowing out or in whether doors or sides. Foam maybe can also absorb moisture I guess due to its microscopic structure with tiny chambers - open cells?

I just found something about these types of insulations: Rigid foam panels are all closed-cell, while spray foams are either closed- or open-cell, depending on the product. https://mcsmag.com/making-sense-of-closed-cell-and-open-cell-insulation/

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
All foam insulations are composed of numerous tiny “bubbles” (cells) within a polymer material. If these cells are fully enclosed like an inflated balloon, then the foam is considered to be closed-cell. The open-cell foams have holes in the cells that allow for the blowing agent to dissipate in the foaming process and the holes allow air to act as the insulator.
It is not possible to tell if foam insulation is closed- or open-cell simply by looking at it since the cell configuration is microscopic, but the manufacturer will list what the cell configuration is of their products.

Check your fridge with level as well whether old or new or newish fridges.