I was trying to defrost this college sized refrigerator. I was using a screwdriver to try to break loose the ice build-up around the top freezer section when all of a sudden a heard a noise and steam began to come out as if I had punctured something. There is now a small hole in the freezer compartment and it smells like gas. Do you know what happened?

There is a fan in the back of the freezer that runs when the compressor is running. It sounds like you have ice build up around the fan.
You could have one of these problems: (Sorted by most likely to least likely)
1) Auto Defrost timer, defrost bi-metal or defrost heater is defective - the unit will go into auto defrost about twice a day, if this fails you will have lots of ice built up around the cooling fins and sometimes on the fan. Pull the back off the inside of the freezer and check for ice build up around the cooling fins, there should be none or very little if its running normal.

2) Bad door gasket - if the freezer door is leaking warm moist air inside the freezer it could be condensing around the fan causing ice (you will also see ice build up on things inside your freezer too).

3) Plugged drain - the drain leads from the freezer down to the drain pain under the fridge. If this is plugged ice will build up on the bottom of the freezer and potentially around the fan.

Hi,

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heatman101

Is the fridge getting warmer at the same time? How cold/warm do you have the adjustment set? Have you removed the far rear panel of the freezer? Behind the far panel you will see the defroster unit. Make sure it is not frozen up or that could be the defrost heater or timer may be bad. There is also a vent that goes from freezer to fridge, ice can build up in there and cause the majority of the air to stay in the feezer, you should clean out the blockage. I use coat hangers and screwdrivers myself to break all the ice free.

if your freezer is cold but your fridg isn't then you have a defrosting problem. behind the back wall of your freezer you will probably find a very large mass of ice. unplug your ref and using hot water melt the ice. you will need several large towels for this since it will make a mess. once the ice is cleared if you have an ohm meter you can check the defrost element you are looking for continuity( closed circiut) if that tests ok find the defrost termintor(also called a bi-metal defrost) it is about the size of a quarter and is usually located in the top left side of the freezer. It will be clipped to one of the tubes. if it looks like it has popped then it is bad. If the bi-metal looks ok you will need to hook the element back up and go to the control panel in the fridge. looking up at it you will see a small hole and a gear inside that you can turn with a slotted screwdriver. turn it until you hear it click and the fans stop running. if the defrost heater comes on then change the defrost timer(the part you just turned)

You should not have to manually defrost. Your auto defrost system is not working. Check the timer usuall in the frig compartment near the thermostat ( a small hole, use a screwdrive flat tip 1/4" to rotate the timer till it clicks starting the defrost cycle) check freezer in 10-15 min should be defrosted if not you will need to check the heater and thermostat located behind the rear or bottom panel of the freezer.

The defrost timer could be under the box in the front behind kick panel or in the rear by the compressor.

the defroster isn't close enough to the drain to be effective. remove the back wall of the inside of the freezer, remove the excess ice. clear out the ice from the drain using hot water and a turkey baster. there is a kit from whirlpool that uses a piece of metal and a screw around the defrost rod, but I found out that a piece of 14 gauge solid core wire with the insulation stripped off works great too. stick the stripped wire into the drain, 2 to 3 inches, and wrap the rest around the defrost rod.

The most likely problem is in the defrost system. Behind the freezer panel there is not only an evaporator fan, but also the evaporator itself, and a defrost heater, termination bi-metal, and drain pan (or trough). You will likely find ice build-up in the evap coil. This could be caused by the defrost timer, the heater, or the termination bi-metal.
Have a service tech look at the unit.

sounds like a similar problem I have, but with a top loaded freezer/refrigerator. I took the back panel of the freezer out (carefully so as not to break anything). I discovered ice covering everything; coil, defrost heater, and perhaps a defrost timer (I didn't see one). I suspect (according to what I've been able to find on the internet without having to pay for a response) that the defrost heating element and/or defrost timer are defective. I only use this 4 yr old refrigerator seasonally, so I don't mind having to manually defrost the freezer. I will try to get parts in the states when I return in the fall. This doesn't tell you how to repair the problem in entirety; but it may give you a hint and possible temporary solution. Oh, I used a hair dryer to melt all the ice covering the above noted freezer parts. My refrigerator is working just fine; however, I'm sure that it'll build up with ice once again. I'm leaving in 6 weeks, so I don't care so long as I know that I can remedy the problem for now. The article I read recommended using a volt meter tester; that I'm not familiar, it may very well allow me to determine which part is defective. The heater coil is about $25, I didn't check on the timer. Try this site: http://www.applianceaid.com/defrost_cycle.html . Good luck. Tom

If the ice build up is only on the back panel of the freezer then you have a defrost problem. Most likely a defrost thermostat or control board/timer. If frost build up is around the walls of the freezer then warm air is getting into the freezer. Most likely cause of this would be gaps in or torn door gasket or door alignment. In some cases the door was left cracked open. If gasket and door alignment is ok remove the frost and see if it comes back.