Odor can it be freon leak? - Sub-Zero 661/F Side by Side Refrigerator

No household units use ammonia as a coolant. IF it did and it leaked, you would know it immediately. If the unit still works, there is no issue with the Freon that is in it. The odor could be a sealant that was used to make the interior of unit. You did not say how old it is. Freon can have an odor to it but the unit would stop working correctly pretty fast.

Freon is odorless. A sewer odor could be caused by an unused sink, tub, or floor drain trap where the water has evaporated. A gas odor is a very serious issue that should be checked immediately by the gas company or the fire department. Gas can seep in from a leak outside the house or accumulate in a wall if a fitting fails.

THERE IS A FREON LEAK OR YOU ARE COMPLETELY OUT OF FREON
Freon is a coolant/refrigerant used in A/C's or refrigerators to cool the air

Take note if after you have the refrigerant recharged, if there is an unpleasant odor inside the car after a few minutes or a few hours (with the windows up). If so, your refrigerant leak is probably in the evaporator coil behind the dashboard. If you do not notice any odor after recharging the A/C, then add some leak-detecting dye with the freon charge to see if you can tell where the leak is.

no refrigerant leaks have little to no odor and if it was leaking bad enough to smell it the unit would be out of refrigerant and not cooling...the problem sounds like gases coming off of a veggie of something un-covered inside the fridge--have you put any veggies in the fridge or freezer un-covered check real good if one or a piece of something has fallen behind something else where you cannot see...all else fails remove all your products from the unit and clean and get a box of odor control arm&hammer to rid the smell..as for a leak in the sealed system i think your just fine.

It is not a Freon leak Freon is odorless. You will have to try tracking down the odor but rest assured that it is not Freon.

The odor can be from contaminants in the duct system, Ford makes a spray to sterilize the ductwork.

The Freon can leak from any seal or joint in the system. Freon can leak with the A/C off. There are a few tools which help find leaks, and a few solutions besides replacements.

The types of seals can sometimes swell with an additive and gaskets in some joints can be filled in to hold pressure each by simply using additives.

There is a point where parts need to be replaced and another point when there is too much contaminated air in the Freon system for the Freon to work correctly.

About the last chance for salvation is to use a glowing chemical that shows up under ultraviolet light. It is a toss-up when you find the leak. If the leak is in a seal or joint you may have enough room in the system to add the appropriate sealer or conditioner and be fine. But at other times to get the room in the hoses you need to drain the system and refill with the repair chemical. You can borrow a vacuum pump to purge the hoses of moisture and create a vacuum.

After you have an empty system they need compressor oil and Freon and the repair chemical. If you can borrow the vacuum pump, you can find Freon for $5 a can instead of the $18 a garage charges.

Consult youtube videos for this subject. If fixing this stuff was easy you would find more places doing it. There is a lot of theory to it and many good mechanics would rather do something else.

Hi,

Refrigerant has tha oil in it to provide lubrication for the compressor. If you are seeing oil on the tubing, you may be losing refrigerant. Freon has a sweet smell, so it doesn't sound like the odor you're getting is that. A tiny leak would be extremely hard to smell. It will take an appliance company service call to repair your leak and replentish your freon. You'll have to do the math to figure out if you want to keep or replace it.
Best regards, and good luck,

--W/D--

very possible it is a freon leak somewhere in the system. Look for leak or call repairman who has a leak indicator tester

Hi serena38,

I'm Harvey the Master Plumber.

Your question is: You have a sweet chemical odor in our boat cabin, it leaves a sweet taste in your mouth. You cannot find the source. The fridge does not work. You can smell the odor stronger when the A/C is turned on or when the boat is closed up with the A/C off. Help????

Great, I live on a boat! I can think of two reasons for this. The first and most likly is electrical. Look carefully at the components especially the capaciter, it's on or near the motor. If it is leaking or out gassing, replace it. Wire corrosion can cause a wire to slowly give off fumes. These kinds of problems are common on a boat so look very carefully i.e. testing meter is helpfull here. I've already expirienced this and it sure was hard to find. Less likely is a freon leak. You won't smell the freon itself but if the oil is a little burnt, that can be smelly indeed. You will need a special leak detector for that. Anyway my money is on the electrical.

Feel free contact me again!
Please give me a rating here at fixya.com before you sign off
Thank you,
Harvey your Master Plumber