# Ether smells from fridge?



## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Has anyone ever come across the problem of ether smells from the fridge? Every time we open the fridge door we get a smell of ether from it. The van was bought new last Sept. Any ideas?

flyboy63


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

Check that you _did_ put the can of "easy-start" back with the tools and the canned aerosol cream in the fridge..............You think the smell is bad, wait 'till you squirt the cream into the fuel intake. :roll:

I had a chemi smell from a new fridge/freezer (minus 40) awhile back. Dealer said it was a leaking compessor/pipe/rad or something and changed it.


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

I will watch out for that cream!!! Though it smells like easy start I do not carry the stuff.
and my gas alarm does not go off so god knows what it is.

Bill


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## Detourer (May 9, 2005)

Hi Bill

Glad you took the joke OK.

It can only be the "Coolant" I would think. As I said I had a similar problem. Smell stopped when the fridge failed...........due to lack of Coolant I supose. If the fridge can be pooled out why not check connections/tubes etc. Don't smoke while you are doing it........bound to be infamable!!


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Ray, I don't think I will pull it out as it may mess up my warranty.
I have had a look on Dometec's web site and they have an agent in my town so I will drop it down to them and see what they make of it. I think you are right, it is probably a coolant leak, I just cant understand why we only smell it when we open the fridge door.

Stay happy
Bill


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Hi all,

I’m sure its not ether in your fridge, at least I hope it isn’t, can you image What would happen to a van that was full of inflammable fumes and in the presents of a naked flame.

I would be interested if any one knows what gas/liquid is used these days. When I worked on refrigeration system Freon was used, but now with the ozone scare something else has been found.

Doug...


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Hi Doug, Do you know anything that smells like ether that is used in fridge coolant systems?

Bill


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

Tend to agree with Detourer = Ether smell sounds like coolant 
/refridgerant

Our fridge is Piezoelectric & has a plate in the Cold box that transfers heat out of the fridge. So no coolant

Just check if this is the case with yours. If not yours is the type (think its a compresser type) that uses a coolant

Ether is HIGHLY FLAMABLE so I would get it seen to as soon as possoble. If not before

Otherwise you may end up on a sky rocket. Heard some nasty tales from a hospital techncian about the results of sparks from equipment when ether was used for anasthetics *****************


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## 89043 (May 12, 2005)

*hydrogenchlorofluorocarbons*

Hi 
My apologies for the multi syllable in the subject line...
but that is what you smell

Compressor coolers were in the past filled with CFC's 
as they have to be environmental friendly
CFC' are out
there substitutes are HCFC's one substituent more to get them less stable.. better for the ozone layer, yet a bit more corrosive at out level

They are colourless, and the majority of them are practically
odourless or have a faint ethereal odour (HCFC 141b and HCFC 123).

so if it smells ethereal and it comes from your fridge think coolant, think HCFK...

Remedy .... get the fridge exchanged under warranty
Archimedes


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Thanks for all your help, I think it is a coolant leak so come Monday it will be down to Dometic's agents to get it checked over. I do not think you can be too careful with these types of smells.

Thank you all, this is just what this site is about.

Bill


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

flyboy63 said:


> Hi Doug, Do you know anything that smells like ether that is used in fridge coolant systems?
> 
> Bill


Hi Bill,

No I cant say that I do, But then I cant say that I have smelt freon either, the idea when working with these gasses is not to let the stuff leak and in a ships engine room there are so many oil and fuel type smells the it would be masked any way.

Doug...


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

If its a problem you getting to the dealer it may be possible for Dometic to come out to you. When it was Electrolux they would come to you in the first twelve months. This may have to be organised by your dealer though


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

There should not be a problem as they are only 5 mins down the road. I just wonder if they will be able to work on motor homes to get the seals right etc.

bill


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

If it is a new Compressor type fridge, the regrigerant wil be one of the CFC free ones. If it is an older type using Freon, there would be little smell, but it would be oily around the vicinity of the leak. However it is not flamable so no worries there.

If the fridge is an absorbtion type using a heat source, the refrigerant is ammonia and water - you would at least smell the ammonia.

Whichever type it is, it there has been any type of refrigerant leak, the fridge wouldn't cool down as they don't carry a large refrigerant charge.

If it is an absorbtion type, could it be the heat source drying out any sealant?

Try removing the outside vent covers and check for any smell at the rear of the appliance or any visible fault.


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Hi Robmd,

The van was bought new last Sept. so the fridge will be of the latest type - I would imagine!

I only get the smell when the fridge door is opened. I will give it to the guys who are agents to sort out the problem. I will post the result for the information of all.

Many thanks

Bill


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## flyboy (May 10, 2005)

Update to my problem.

Dometic engineer came out today. Could find no reason for the smell.Spent most of his time smelling the plastic components trying to lay the smell to bad food or spilt milk.
He is going to fax Dometic at Luton to see if they know what it could be.
Will keep you updated 

Bill


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## 89079 (May 13, 2005)

I don't think this will relate to your newer model Bill.

I thought I would post in case it is of interest to owners of older models.

http://www.nhsestates.gov.uk/download/engineering/HN 2003 04 - Electrolux Refrigerator.pdf


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## 92046 (May 1, 2005)

*Refrigerator*

Hi Steven

Thanks for that link, and to all the others, as my fridge has some rust spots on the pipework, and in one place a lump of rust, and just looked up the spec, and it's cooling medium is Ammonia R717,
A call into N.L. Services on the way south may be worth while,

Not my posting, but noticed it only yesterday, on a routine check over when I thought the fridge was a little slow to get cold,

Colin R..........


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## Anonymous (Nov 10, 2000)

Hi all,

As this post has the subject of identifiing smells I thought I would tell you about an insident that happend to me some time ago, please forgive the deviation off subject.

Whiles on passage from the UK to Turkey on a British container ship it was reported to the bridge that there was a strong smell of lemons coming from the containers that were carried on deck.

As we were carrying a fuel additive (lead) for for a refinery in Turkey the old man (captain) made a radio call to the head office for advice.

It was not possibe to say what was causing the smell and now that the Turkish port authority was informed, permision to enter port was denied untill the smell was identified.

Eventualy a Shell engineer was helicoptered on to the boat with the equipment to check for any leak on the suspect container tank.

The engineer reported that there was no leak ant the ship was allowed tp enter port were it was discovered that the container next to the suspect one had been damaged and the cargo of "VIM pan cleaner) was contaminated with sea water. 

Doug...


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Doud
LOL, could only happen at sea???
Bet you had a shiny deck though......
Keith


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