Fridge "died" last night

[gadzooks]

Here's another handy self-help suggestion I found when I googled:


It sounds like you have a plugged defrost drain line. This is where the water goes to in the bottom of your freezer when it goes through the defrost (removal of ice from the freezer coil) cycle. It sounds like that hole is plugged and now the water/ice has now frozen in the vent that lets air circulate down into your refrigerator compartment. What I usually do in this case is to unplug the refrigerator, empty out the freezer compartment. Usually I also end up either pulling off the back panel or the bottom panel (in the freezer compartment) Looking for that defrost drain hole and thawing it out with a heat gun (be careful of melting plastic) or actually I use a hair dryer. I can sometimes do this also by pouring small amounts of HOT tap water onto it and then sopping/absorbing it away with a sponge or dishcloth. I repeat this until I get the water to go down the drain tube. I hope this help everyone.

Boy, me too! I had to do this recently. Fridge was still cold, but I had a pond forming in the bottom, under the crisper drawers. Pulled out the freezer interior and thawed the drain with a blow dryer. At least a hundred dollars cheaper than a repairman. I searched answers.com using "why is there a puddle in the bottom of my refrigerator?"

 

[Callisto in NC]

I could scream. This really is about venting but it's about the fridge situation too.

So they bring the "new" fridge from Rent a Center ~ something that was supposed to be a patch until I could see if the landlord would let our maintenance guy look at mine (the fixes didn't help). Well the JERKS from RAC ripped my doors off my old fridge and used the wrong tools. They were supposed to move it, but just threw it in my front yard. When I went to complain, the manager just stood with his arms crossed staring at me like I was green (or more like "you're just a woman, why do I have to bother with you?"). His comment "they shouldn't have moved it to begin with." Well, they did and they should take responsibility for their actions. If they weren't "allowed" I should have been told. I'm so mad. And to add insult to injury, the fridge they brought is missing a piece and was dirty. I was told it would be new and they sent a used one. I'm so mad.

 

[In the Kitchen]

I thought I saw this thread somewhere. symptoms must be contagious. Thursday all the food in my freezer was soft and meat blood all over. The fridge man was here today and put some kind of condenser motor that was not working and preventing the cooling system. Thankfully, I have service man I trust as he tries to do things as best he can to avoid me paying for the time. One creep I had told me he would have to return w/proper part and I would have to pay again for service call! This was complete shock and told him I was calling someone else. Instead of calling man who worked for company of the fridge I called this guy who knows abou t all appliances. He also told me the average age of appliance repairman is 55 years and this is across the count ry. The government will pay for someone to learn about heating and cooling but not about appliances? You ge t this? The government wants you to pay for new rather t han repair! 55? this really bothers me and I know this guy is serious person. Not joking or telling stories. Now I am fearful that he will retire. I live on the edge with everything. He also advised me to keep my condenser clean with using a brush underneath and to wipe my gaskets with little soap and water regularly. He also said since I was in the storm and without electricity probably all loss and abuse of food being bad my gaskets took a beating. I sure think it is shameful that someone tells me about cleaning. But he is right. I thank him for that.

 

[pacanis]

Ouch, ITK. That hurts.
Were you able to salvage anything? Was it just freshly thawed?

 

[In the Kitchen]

Ouch, ITK. That hurts.
Were you able to salvage anything? Was it just freshly thawed?

Thanks for asking! appreciate someone's understanding of having things being throw out especially when I try to buy on sale and then this happens! I did manage to save things that were still solid but the meat was just bleeding over everything. Like he said, clean it up to save the gaskets. They will cost he said to replace. Time is the cost here. I just cannot believe that losing food that you have three separate times. insurance helped but all the time and savings was lost. They just offered me flat rate on one time basis as my deductible or something was not enough or making same claim again. I cannot help what the weather brings. I am only sorry about people having the floods around here and all the animals that are being left behind. I guess the Lord is trying to tell me things could be worse. Just accept this and quit complaining about it. Kind of cruel if you ask me. Everyone needs to complain sometimes. Thanks again pacanis.

 

[dyscjocki]

I do not agree with the butter being okay. It is cream based and not cooked. Real butter can can rancid and make you very ill. We are talking about a person in NC in the summer months. I know growing up real butter never saw the fridge but I would not trust it. The health department would differ also. They would say anything in the temperature danger zone (41 to 135 degrees F) for more than 4 hours should be tossed.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I do not agree with the butter being okay. It is cream based and not cooked. Real butter can can rancid and make you very ill. We are talking about a person in NC in the summer months. I know growing up real butter never saw the fridge but I would not trust it. The health department would differ also. They would say anything in the temperature danger zone (41 to 135 degrees F) for more than 4 hours should be tossed.

Well, I didn't throw the butter away and didn't get sick. As my father's GF said, butter was never refridgerated in the old days and I had an aunt that never refridge'd her butter. And while my house is in NC, it doesn't go above 74. I have my air on all the time. So far it's all good. I'm still alive and I've used my dressings and other things with no ill effects.

 

[dyscjocki]

Thats good to hear. I know my parents and Gparents did the same. I am very cautious because I am a Servsafe instructor and know how bad things can get. Anything like Italian dressing I would becareful with because of the garlic in it. Most things with oil and vinegar you would think are okay but things with fresh garlic in it is bad.

 

[mozart]

Well, I didn't throw the butter away and didn't get sick. As my father's GF said, butter was never refrigerated in the old days and I had an aunt that never refridge'd her butter. And while my house is in NC, it doesn't go above 74. I have my air on all the time. So far it's all good. I'm still alive and I've used my dressings and other things with no ill effects.

This might help.

Refrigerated Foods: When to Save and When To Throw Out - Disaster Resources - University of Illinois Extension

According to this, butter is safe.

The low water activity of butter, particularly salted butter, inhibits pathogenic organisms. Butter will eventually become rancid or spoiled at room temperature, but a stick rarely lasts more than a day or so in my house

 

[dyscjocki]

Same here. Butter goes so fast that pathogens wouldnt have time to know it was there much less have a chance to spread.

 

[Jeekinz]

Calisto, check Craigslist. You may find a working fridge in the "free" section or a cheap one for sale in the "household" section. When I moved, I threw out a perfectly working 5 year old fridge because no one I knew needed one.

I use Craigshelper for faster searching. Don't be afraid to haggle the price. Good luck.