Hi, I have an electric Kenmore about 10 years old. It's running fine, it's plenty cold but there has been a bad smell coming from it the last few days. I think there's a dead mouse in the wall but my wife says she recognizes the smell as leaking coolant. Its not the food in it that smells. Does leaking refrigerator coolant have a smell? If the refrigerator is working can I have a leak? I figure this is the place to ask.

Tim Hohs

A refrigerant leak is uncommon. The most likely cause for one big enough to smell is if you were chipping away ice and accidientally punctured the coil. If nothing was done that could have led to a puncture, then it is highly unlikely.

Refrigerant may have an odor depending on what was used. It is also toxic.

If there was a leak big enough to cause an odor, the fridge would probably stop cooling within a day or two at most.

Odor can occur when the defrost cycle traps foul water somewhere in the system. You ever notice how items in the freezer for too long get a bad taste, that is from the odors that build up in the fridge. Even if you you clean the interior of a fridge, unless you open up some of the interior, you will miss some of that foul water.

I just went downstairs to our refrigerator and I sell a chemical smell, almost like a permanent magic marker smells or some some chemical smell. What you post is exactly what I was wondering. Our refrigerator and freezer are working just fine and I do not see any leaking on the floor. However the smell makes me think something might be wrong.

Did you ever find if the smell was do to a coolant leak in your case?

Thanks!
Beth