Door-open alarm (open door or bell)
A door of the fridge or freezer has been open longer than the appliance allows, so it beeps and lights the symbol.
What to do when it lights up
Close the door properly — that stops the alarm on every appliance cited. Check nothing is keeping it ajar. You can silence the sound while the door is open with the alarm button (Liebherr, Bosch).
What it does not mean
It does not mean the food has warmed up or the appliance is faulty — that is the temperature alarm. Pressing the alarm button does not switch the door alarm off for good: on Liebherr it is active again once the door closes.
Makes differ, check your fridge’s manual: the same drawing can mean different things on different brands, and only your model’s manual says exactly what a button does, what temperature it sets and when it switches itself off.
- What it looks like
- A fridge outline with its door swung open, a bell, or “ALARM” in the temperature display, with a beep.
- Names used
- Door alarm (Bosch, Miele, Liebherr, Hisense, LG); Door open alarm symbol (Electrolux); – ALARM – in the display (Bosch)
Where makers differ
The delay differs: 60 seconds (LG), 2 minutes (Hisense, Electrolux), 180 seconds (Liebherr), and on Miele you can set 30 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds (1:00 by default). LG lets you switch the door alarm off with its ALARM button.
Other symbols with the same shapes
Sources
No public standard defines this panel symbol, so its meaning is taken from the manuals of 6 different maker groups (Bosch, Electrolux, Hisense, Liebherr, LG, Miele), each fetched and read on the date shown:
- Bosch: Bosch — Instructions for use, fridge-freezer KGN.. (9001101173 F, PDF) — “The door alarm switches on and – ALARM – appears in the … temperature display … if the door of the compartment is left open too long. Close the door of the compartment to switch off the door alarm.” Checked 2026-09-27.
- Electrolux: Electrolux — User manual, freezer-fridge RCB732E5MX (PDF) — “If cooler door is opened more than 2 minutes, appliance sounds ‘beep beep’ and door open icon will be light.” Checked 2026-09-27.
- Hisense: Hisense — User’s operation manual, HR6BMFF435 / HR6BMFF520 (PDF, copy hosted by productreview.com.au) — “Leaving the door of the refrigerator, or the door of the freezer, open for over 2 minutes will activate a door alarm. The buzzer will sound 3 times per minute for 10 minutes … Closing the door cancels the door alarm.” Checked 2026-09-27.
- Liebherr: Liebherr — User guide, built-in combined fridge-freezer HCB 1060 (7086622-03, 2021-04-09, PDF hosted by a Liebherr parts store) — “If the door is open for longer than 180 seconds, the acoustic warning sounds … When the door is closed, the alarm function is active again.” Checked 2026-09-27.
- LG: LG — Owner’s manual, bottom-freezer refrigerator, P/No MFL62184515 (PDF) — “When either the refrigerator or the freezer door is left open for more than 60 seconds, the alarm tone will sound … When you close the door, the door alarm will stop.” Checked 2026-09-27.
- Miele: Miele — Operating instructions, fridge-freezer, M.-Nr. 11 746 390 (PDF) — Settings: “Change the time before the door alarm is triggered” — factory default 1:00, adjustable between 30 seconds and 3 minutes 30 seconds. Checked 2026-09-27.
Written in our own words; quotations are the regulation’s or the makers’ wording.