What could be wrong with my fridge?

Question

It smells like chlorine and is having trouble staying cool. The freezer on top works just fine. We were told by a friend to defrost it by unplugging it overnight as there could be ice blocking the intake. We did this, and cleaned out the fridge several times. Right now it is very sparse due to the problem, so I know there is nothing rotting. Does anyone know what the problem is? And also, is this smell a sign of danger? I have 2 little boys and I don't want them breathing in harsh fumes that could hurt them.

Answer 1

Yes, if the freezer is cooling you don't have a leak. Refrigerant has no smell.

A warm refrigerator will smell even if no bad food in it. That is the likely source.

And sometimes with the newer foam insulated units the insulation will give off a smell when they aren't cooling well. I won't go in to it but that is called "outgassing", it is the foam curing some more. That does go away rather quickly.

Check to see if you can feel air coming in through the vent to the fresh food section.

If you unplugged it overnight to defrost I hope you left the doors open or that might not have cleared it. But that is usually just treating the symptom and not the cause.

Likely you have lost your fan or the defrost circuit is not working.

Good Luck.

  

Answer 2

You're leaking freon. Yes it a hazardous situation with air pollution. It won't get better until you have someone fix the fridge and refuel it.

Answer 3

If the freezer is working fine, you have no leaks.

put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to help absorb odors. See if the odor is actually outside of the fridge. If the refrigerator section is not cooling good enough, it could have a variation of problems. See if you can spot yours here -

http://appliancequickfix.com/REFRIGERATO...

Answer 4

I would suggest pulling the fridge out and checking the back and see if there are any leaks or anything that needs tightening. I'm no expert I'm just guessing, It could be something really simple.