Pierced hole in freezer lining! Appears to be leaking!

[g3org3y]

Long story but on attempting to chisel some ice with a screwdriver, I've managed to put a hole through the freezer lining. Worse than that, I can hear a hissing leak and it smells like 'coolant'.

I'm assuming this is bad times. If it was just the plastic lining, it could be repaired but I assume I've damaged the bits underneath and with the leak it is going to be a write off.

Any ideas!?

[The Nur]

Isn't that st really dangerous?

[Hugo a Gogo]

g3org3y said:

Any ideas!?

buy a new fridge, don't do that st again

only plastic or wooden implements

[Some Gump]

Op, put the fridge outside - some of the refrigerants used in the past are quite nasty.

[g3org3y]

I suspect it might be a good idea to turn it off.

Is it typical that you can turn the freezer section off separately from the fridge?

EDIT: trying to find a manual on the Zanussi website, it appears that can't be done. Not very good.

Gf is not going to be happy!

Edited by g3org3y on Monday 22 July 11:43

[Simpo Two]

I did the same thing, and to a Zanussi fridge-freezer, in about 1988. 'Hiss and the gas was gone'.

So I called a fridge repair bloke, who came and put what appeared to be sealing wax on the puncture, and regassed it, and charged me not a great deal. It was still working fine in 2009 when I sold it on eBay for £40.

That was in the day before everybody was terrifed of everything though.

[Some Gump]

refrigerant safety said:

Chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons are heavier than air and will replace air in a confined space. This situation can lead to possible asphyxiation for anyone working in the space. Oxygen starvation is the leading cause of death in accidents involving a refrigerant.

Technicians must take extreme care to avoid direct ingestion of refrigerant vapors. If a spill occurs, they will need to put on a self-contained breathing apparatus or evacuate the area until it has been properly ventilated.

hpa said:

Table 2. Common refrigerants (2) and their effects on health following a low level exposure via breathing in refrigerant gases and liquid refrigerants in contact with the skin.

Refrigerant

Health effects from breathing in the refrigerants as gases

Health effects from skin contact with liquid refrigerants

Ammonia

Burning sensation to eyes and throat
Cough
Laboured breathing
Shortness of breath
Sore throat (3)

Deep burns (3)

Hydrocarbons e.g. isobutane

Headaches
Ringing in ears
Respiratory irritation
Dizziness
Drowsiness (4)

Frostbite
Burns (4)

Fluorinated hydrocarbons e.g. 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane

Headache
Dizziness
Respiratory irritation
Disorientation
An irregular heart beat
Raised pulse (5)

Frostbite
Defatting of the skin
Irritation
Contact dermatitis (7)

Carbon dioxide

Dizziness
Headache
Elevated blood pressure
Increased heart rate (6)

Frostbite (6)

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons and chlorofluorocarbons

Headache
Dizziness
An irregular heart beat
Confusion
Drowsiness(1) (8)

Frostbite
Contact dermatitis(8)

Yep, anyone wanting to ventilate the room full of potentially flammable, side effect causing gas is a right mincer.

[Simpo Two]

The top one is sensible; the bottom one contradicts it; either they are asphyxiants or toxins. Neither is any dose rate mentioned, it is simply a big list that looks scary. It also includes every refrigerant under the sun, not the just one the OP has. But that makes a bigger scarier list.

You simply open the doors and windows until the gas has dispersed. Does it really need an internet forum to work that out?

Did you know a bucket of water can kill 12 people?

[Some Gump]

Simpo Two said:

The top one is sensible; the bottom one contradicts it; either they are asphyxiants or toxins. Neither is any dose rate mentioned, it is simply a big list that looks scary. It also includes every refrigerant under the sun, not the just one the OP has. But that makes a bigger scarier list.

You simply open the doors and windows until the gas has dispersed. Does it really need an internet forum to work that out?

Did you know a bucket of water can kill 12 people?

Jesus. They can be both asphyxiants and toxins quite easily. I simply culled a short list to explain why it might be better to vent / put outside than sit there sniffing it.

So tell me Mr Simpo, great internet hard man of "it's health and safety gone mad". Which refrigerant is the one in the OP's fridge? I think we can safely rule out ammonia, it doesn't smell like coolant; we can also dismiss CO2, because it's odourless and would have given him a headache already. That leaves a wide veriety of other things it might be, some of which are on the list. Many might not have an effect in small concentrations, some will give him a headache or worse for the rest of the day. Since he's going to have earache when his missus gets home, I think he's probably got all the side effects he needs for one day...

[The Nur]

OP hasn't posted in a while.

I think he's dead already.

R.I.P G3org3y

[5potTurbo]

The Nur said:

OP hasn't posted in a while.

I think he's dead already.

R.I.P G3org3y

Shame: he posted some good road trips.
R.I.P. G3org3y


Still, every cloud and all that.... when the fridge is taken to the local recycling place or refuse tip, you won't have to pay for the safe disposal of the CFC ridden appliance since it'll be empty already!

[The Nur]

5potTurbo said:

Shame: he posted some good road trips.
R.I.P. G3org3y


Still, every cloud and all that.... when the fridge is taken to the local recycling place or refuse tip, you won't have to pay for the safe disposal of the CFC ridden appliance since it'll be empty already!

Saves our taxes so more can be spent on the roads. A true PH hero.

[Simpo Two]

Some Gump said:

Jesus. They can be both asphyxiants and toxins quite easily. I simply culled a short list to explain why it might be better to vent / put outside than sit there sniffing it.

The idea that he should sit there sniffing it is yours not mine, and thoroughly deserving of a Darwin Award!

In answer to your question I would do what I said, and indeed did do, namely open the doors and windows and allow whatever gas it is to clear. So unless it's a '3-step' gas like arsine it doesn't matter what it is, the action is the same.

An asphyxiant suffocates by physically denying oxygen; a toxin acts at cellular level by actively interfering with biological processes. Alcohol is a toxin.

[RealSquirrels]

Simpo Two said:

The top one is sensible; the bottom one contradicts it; either they are asphyxiants or toxins. Neither is any dose rate mentioned, it is simply a big list that looks scary. It also includes every refrigerant under the sun, not the just one the OP has. But that makes a bigger scarier list.

You simply open the doors and windows until the gas has dispersed. Does it really need an internet forum to work that out?

Did you know a bucket of water can kill 12 people?

ammonia hasn't been used as a refrigerant in domestic appliances for about 80 years.

CFCs will do naff all, you can inhale them fine, there is an asphyxiation risk but probably not from a domestic fridge sized leak.

HFCs can be slightly worse but are not really all that bad.

stick some blu tack over the leak, or seal it with wax.

[g3org3y]

5potTurbo said:

The Nur said:

OP hasn't posted in a while.

I think he's dead already.

R.I.P G3org3y

Shame: he posted some good road trips.
R.I.P. G3org3y


Still, every cloud and all that.... when the fridge is taken to the local recycling place or refuse tip, you won't have to pay for the safe disposal of the CFC ridden appliance since it'll be empty already!

Don't worry gentleman, I'm still alive.

I wasn't concerned re the health risks, more whether I could bodge a fix together or if it was time to buy a new one.

Turned it off to stop it, unfortunately that meant the fridge was off too. Not very convenient. We can live without a freezer for a while but fridges are quite useful (esp given the weather).

Did a quick search on gumtree for fridges in London. Found this for sale down the road in Whitechapel (my gf lives in Bethnal Green):


Quick phone call (advert had only been online a few hours), drove over and collected it (in true PH fashion - E36 328 touring ) and it's now in the kitchen plugged in cooling down ready to transfer the stuff from the other fridge.

It's a temporary measure but given the issues, it has worked out quite well!

Now I have the rest of the day to work on another road trip write up. Sorry about the bandwidth issues on the banger rally, will bump it once the Photobucket bandwidth is reset at the end of the month.

[The Nur]

Don't forget that full fridges cool down quicker, best pop into the shop and get some beer to aid with the fullness.

[Simpo Two]

So no fridge repair blokes around any more?



NB Congrats on your survival, a close-run thing. Checked the hamsters?