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refrigerator smells like rubbing alcohol
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noname
Jul 13, 2017, 10:50:13 AM7/13/17
to
4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
Any ideas why that might be happening?
Any ideas why that might be happening?
Pat
Jul 13, 2017, 11:01:35 AM7/13/17
to
On Thu, 13 Jul 2017 07:50:06 -0700 (PDT), noname <tim...@gmail.com>
wrote:
>4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
>Any ideas why that might be happening?
What do you mean by "with the doors closed"? The smell is gone with
the doors open? Or, are you just emphasizing that the smell is there
even with the doors open.
Maybe a slow refridgerant leak? Maybe a bottle of rubbing alcohol
spilled nearby.
wrote:
>4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
>Any ideas why that might be happening?
the doors open? Or, are you just emphasizing that the smell is there
even with the doors open.
Maybe a slow refridgerant leak? Maybe a bottle of rubbing alcohol
spilled nearby.
noname
Jul 13, 2017, 11:13:16 AM7/13/17
to
noname
Jul 13, 2017, 11:18:21 AM7/13/17
to
Stormin' Norman
Jul 13, 2017, 11:30:58 AM7/13/17
to
On Thu, 13 Jul 2017 08:13:10 -0700 (PDT), noname <tim...@gmail.com>
step is to through clean-out and then clean the inside of the fridge
and freezer. You might find something in there that is spoiling which
you were not aware of.
Also, be sure you clean any coils, frequently accessible by removing a
plastic panel, at the bottom front of the unit.
Additionally, you most likely have a built in water filter in the
unit, have you replaced that recently? You want to look at anything
which has changed recently.
Lastly, refrigerant and refrigeration oil can have aromatic odors
which are somewhat similar to isopropyl alcohol, ammonia or nail
polish remover. If someone hasn't been exposed to a lot of chemical
odors, I have found they can only compare new odors to those they are
familiar with.
Hopefully you do not have a refrigerant leak, if you do, I hope you
have an extended warranty or a service contract. Getting these newer
refrigerators repaired professionally is obscenely expensive.
wrote:
>On Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 11:01:35 AM UTC-4, Pat wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Jul 2017 07:50:06 -0700 (PDT), noname <tim...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>> >
>> >Any ideas why that might be happening?
>>
>> What do you mean by "with the doors closed"? The smell is gone with
>> the doors open? Or, are you just emphasizing that the smell is there
>> even with the doors open.
>>
>> Maybe a slow refridgerant leak? Maybe a bottle of rubbing alcohol
>> spilled nearby.
>
>Pat thanks. Can't get the story straight our of her. With doors open smells worse. As a note last weekend I unclogged the bottom of the defrost drain tube of dust because we were getting water in the bottom of the crisper.
Refrigerator odors are notoriously difficult to diagnose. The first
>On Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 11:01:35 AM UTC-4, Pat wrote:
>> On Thu, 13 Jul 2017 07:50:06 -0700 (PDT), noname <tim...@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>> >
>> >Any ideas why that might be happening?
>>
>> What do you mean by "with the doors closed"? The smell is gone with
>> the doors open? Or, are you just emphasizing that the smell is there
>> even with the doors open.
>>
>> Maybe a slow refridgerant leak? Maybe a bottle of rubbing alcohol
>> spilled nearby.
>
>Pat thanks. Can't get the story straight our of her. With doors open smells worse. As a note last weekend I unclogged the bottom of the defrost drain tube of dust because we were getting water in the bottom of the crisper.
step is to through clean-out and then clean the inside of the fridge
and freezer. You might find something in there that is spoiling which
you were not aware of.
Also, be sure you clean any coils, frequently accessible by removing a
plastic panel, at the bottom front of the unit.
Additionally, you most likely have a built in water filter in the
unit, have you replaced that recently? You want to look at anything
which has changed recently.
Lastly, refrigerant and refrigeration oil can have aromatic odors
which are somewhat similar to isopropyl alcohol, ammonia or nail
polish remover. If someone hasn't been exposed to a lot of chemical
odors, I have found they can only compare new odors to those they are
familiar with.
Hopefully you do not have a refrigerant leak, if you do, I hope you
have an extended warranty or a service contract. Getting these newer
refrigerators repaired professionally is obscenely expensive.
Vic Smith
Jul 13, 2017, 6:33:35 PM7/13/17
to
decomposition.
>Hopefully you do not have a refrigerant leak, if you do, I hope you
>have an extended warranty or a service contract. Getting these newer
>refrigerators repaired professionally is obscenely expensive.
That was 6 or 7 years ago. The replacement is still humming along. Crossing fingers.
I still have an old Westinghouse in the basement - unused now - that works fine.
It's probably 50 years old.
Stormin' Norman
Jul 13, 2017, 6:52:19 PM7/13/17
to
probably take 3x the power to run.
Feel free to let us know the outcome.
Ed Pawlowski
Jul 13, 2017, 6:53:51 PM7/13/17
to
Art Todesco
Jul 14, 2017, 8:41:03 AM7/14/17
to
wondered if replacing it would be worth it for the savings in power. I
put my kill-a-watt on it and gathered data for about a week. It was one
of the warmest weeks, although the AC in the house was on. The results
were that it would take many, many years to save enough to warrant the
purchase. The old one is still humming along. I wish I could say the
same thing about the regular fridge ... 8 year old house and we're on
the 3rd fridge. We replaced the 1st on because it just didn't fit in,
but it did have ice maker problems. The side by side doors were
physically in the way. A new french door unit (Whirlpool) solved that
problem, but the 1st one had many problems, including just shutting down
when it decided to. Whirlpool actually bought it back. 3rd one,
Samsung, is actually exhibiting some of the same problems as the WP and
I've come to find out that the WP was actually made by Samsung. Samsung
really shouldn't be playing with microcontrollers if they don't know
anything about fault tolerance.
Ed Pawlowski
Jul 14, 2017, 9:44:21 AM7/14/17
to
On 7/14/2017 8:40 AM, Art Todesco wrote:
>>
> I will comment on the old stuff. I have a 45 year old freezer. I
> wondered if replacing it would be worth it for the savings in power. I
> put my kill-a-watt on it and gathered data for about a week. It was one
> of the warmest weeks, although the AC in the house was on. The results
> were that it would take many, many years to save enough to warrant the
> purchase. The old one is still humming along.
I replaced our "second" fridge a few years back when it died. It was a
>>
> I will comment on the old stuff. I have a 45 year old freezer. I
> wondered if replacing it would be worth it for the savings in power. I
> put my kill-a-watt on it and gathered data for about a week. It was one
> of the warmest weeks, although the AC in the house was on. The results
> were that it would take many, many years to save enough to warrant the
> purchase. The old one is still humming along.
14 cu ft and I replaced with an 18 cu ft frost free. Savings was $10 a
month so payback for a $400 base model was reasonable. Our kitchen
fridge though was a lot more money and payback could not be justified at
that rate.
Stormin' Norman
Jul 14, 2017, 11:26:47 AM7/14/17
to
On Fri, 14 Jul 2017 08:40:58 -0400, Art Todesco <acto...@yahoo.com>
wrote:
>> Without a doubt the older stuff was made much better, however it will
>> probably take 3x the power to run.
>>
>> Feel free to let us know the outcome.
>>
>I will comment on the old stuff. I have a 45 year old freezer. I
>wondered if replacing it would be worth it for the savings in power. I
>put my kill-a-watt on it and gathered data for about a week. It was one
>of the warmest weeks, although the AC in the house was on. The results
>were that it would take many, many years to save enough to warrant the
>purchase. The old one is still humming along. I wish I could say the
>same thing about the regular fridge ... 8 year old house and we're on
>the 3rd fridge. We replaced the 1st on because it just didn't fit in,
>but it did have ice maker problems. The side by side doors were
>physically in the way. A new french door unit (Whirlpool) solved that
>problem, but the 1st one had many problems, including just shutting down
>when it decided to. Whirlpool actually bought it back. 3rd one,
>Samsung, is actually exhibiting some of the same problems as the WP and
>I've come to find out that the WP was actually made by Samsung. Samsung
>really shouldn't be playing with microcontrollers if they don't know
>anything about fault tolerance.
Here is an interesting calculator, from EnergyStar.gov, it allows one
to calculate approximate energy use of different size and vintage
refrigerators and freezers.
https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator
There is a very significant difference in energy use between the older
and newer machines.
As for reliability of the new appliances, IMHO, it is a really good
idea to install a high quality, whole house surge suppressor. It
doesn't seem to take much to destroy many microprocessor controlled
appliances and devices.
wrote:
>> Without a doubt the older stuff was made much better, however it will
>> probably take 3x the power to run.
>>
>> Feel free to let us know the outcome.
>>
>I will comment on the old stuff. I have a 45 year old freezer. I
>wondered if replacing it would be worth it for the savings in power. I
>put my kill-a-watt on it and gathered data for about a week. It was one
>of the warmest weeks, although the AC in the house was on. The results
>were that it would take many, many years to save enough to warrant the
>purchase. The old one is still humming along. I wish I could say the
>same thing about the regular fridge ... 8 year old house and we're on
>the 3rd fridge. We replaced the 1st on because it just didn't fit in,
>but it did have ice maker problems. The side by side doors were
>physically in the way. A new french door unit (Whirlpool) solved that
>problem, but the 1st one had many problems, including just shutting down
>when it decided to. Whirlpool actually bought it back. 3rd one,
>Samsung, is actually exhibiting some of the same problems as the WP and
>I've come to find out that the WP was actually made by Samsung. Samsung
>really shouldn't be playing with microcontrollers if they don't know
>anything about fault tolerance.
to calculate approximate energy use of different size and vintage
refrigerators and freezers.
https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator
There is a very significant difference in energy use between the older
and newer machines.
As for reliability of the new appliances, IMHO, it is a really good
idea to install a high quality, whole house surge suppressor. It
doesn't seem to take much to destroy many microprocessor controlled
appliances and devices.
Wayne Boatwright
Jul 14, 2017, 1:56:53 PM7/14/17
to
On Fri 14 Jul 2017 06:44:16a, Ed Pawlowski told us...
I know from the gitgo when I buy a new appliance that it will usually
be larger, have more features, and higher technology, and I don't
really expect to realize in savings in operation. The largest
refrigerator I could fit in this kitchen was 20 cu.ft. It had all
the faetures I was looking for. Then, when we decided we needed more
room, be bought a second refrigerator, but had to fit in a closet and
was only 18 cu.ft. with only the basic feaures. It was meant
primarly for long term storage of primarily staple items. I suspect
it uses less energy than the first one.
Our electricity is included in our co-op fee at a flat rate. We only
see an electric bill if we exceed the monthly allotment, which we
generally do during our hotest months of the summer.
--
~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~
~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~
**********************************************************
Wayne Boatwright
be larger, have more features, and higher technology, and I don't
really expect to realize in savings in operation. The largest
refrigerator I could fit in this kitchen was 20 cu.ft. It had all
the faetures I was looking for. Then, when we decided we needed more
room, be bought a second refrigerator, but had to fit in a closet and
was only 18 cu.ft. with only the basic feaures. It was meant
primarly for long term storage of primarily staple items. I suspect
it uses less energy than the first one.
Our electricity is included in our co-op fee at a flat rate. We only
see an electric bill if we exceed the monthly allotment, which we
generally do during our hotest months of the summer.
--
~~ If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it. ~~
~~ A mind is a terrible thing to lose. ~~
**********************************************************
Wayne Boatwright
Uncle Monster
Jul 14, 2017, 5:02:36 PM7/14/17
to
On Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 9:50:13 AM UTC-5, noname wrote:
> 4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
> Any ideas why that might be happening?
Did you spill any grape juice or other fruit juice in the fridge. If it drained into the pan under the refrigerator, it could have fermented or it could be in the bottom of the refrigerator turning into wine. ヽ(ヅ)ノ
> 4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
> Any ideas why that might be happening?
[8~{} Uncle Smelly Monster
Art Todesco
Jul 15, 2017, 11:00:48 AM7/15/17
to
was destroyed in the electronics. I just went weird. The processor
shut down the unit giving no indication on the front panel. Even though
we were on vacation, a friend checked in every 2 days and would have
caught an indicator light on the panel. BTW, this has also happened to
the new replacement (Samsung) unit, but we were at home. The indication
was that none of the lights inside came on when you opened the door.
Flipping off the breaker for a minute and then on again, "solved" the
problem. BTW, a friend has a Samsung unit and a similar thing happened
to his unit. I now have a temp probe inside the fridge that reports to
a cloud website. If the fridge goes above 50 degrees, it will notify me
via email. If I'm out of town, I can call someone who has a house key.
Tekkie®
Jul 15, 2017, 4:33:39 PM7/15/17
to
noname posted for all of us...
>
> 4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
> Any ideas why that might be happening?
Maybe she's running a home massage business.
--
Tekkie
>
> 4 year old Samsung side-by-side refrigerator. Wife just called me at work says the with the doors closed there is a smell of rubbing alcohol.
>
> Any ideas why that might be happening?
--
Tekkie
micky
Jul 16, 2017, 5:07:19 PM7/16/17
to
In alt.home.repair, on Sat, 15 Jul 2017 11:00:46 -0400, Art Todesco
We love you anyhow, Art.
Bertha
Aug 27, 2020, 4:30:07 PM8/27/20
to
Is it harmful to eat the ice when it smells like alcohol
--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/refrigerator-smells-like-rubbing-alcohol-1137496-.htm
--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/maintenance/refrigerator-smells-like-rubbing-alcohol-1137496-.htm
micky
Aug 27, 2020, 4:48:19 PM8/27/20
to
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 27 Aug 2020 20:30:03 +0000, Bertha
Probably not. Why does it smell like alcohol? Ethanol? Methanol?
Isopropyl? Some other one?
Probably not. Why does it smell like alcohol? Ethanol? Methanol?
Isopropyl? Some other one?
bruce bowser
Aug 28, 2020, 1:47:28 PM8/28/20
to
Why ask some 3 years later?
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