What does it mean....

[VeraBlue]

when a refrigerator makes a hissing noise?? I have a spare, run over refrigerator that I keep in the basement. It doesn't have a separate freezer door, just one of those flap doors inside the refrigerator. As a result, it produces lots of ice and is a pain in the ass to defrost. Usually, I defrost it when the entire freezer becomes consitricted like a clogged artery, and all that's left for space is a 5 inch tunnel.:tongue: Unfortunately, tools are occasionally employed to hurry it along. I was banging a lethal looking screw driver into the mass between the actual compartment and the roof when I hit paydirt, dislodging a huge chunk...and resulted in the compartment dropping an inch, and then a creepy hissing noise. That noise lasted about a minute. The motor did not agitate after that. The light comes on, naturally, it stills gets energy...but the motor won't come on.
Have I destroyed it beyond repair? It's completely defrosted now (hell, the basement is about a hundred degrees) and I cannot tell what actually is broken in there. It was about 400 bucks 10 years ago. Something similar now actually only costs about the same price. Actually, a new one, same size, has a seperate door for the freezer compartment. Is it worth it to bring in a repair man, or just get a new one?

[homecook]

That's scary!! lol I would hate to think you hit something with the screwdriver and the freon is leaking out..........that wouldn't be good. But then again......what do I know.

[Miniman]

I think you have bust one of the refrigeration lines - and the pressure has dropped so compressor can't work. Scrap it in my opinion

[Adillo303]

+2 to what Ray and Barb said. I fear that the hissing was the freon going away. Hisses are mostly only normal in cats and rattlesnakes.

[joec]

Sounds like you drove the screw driver into a freon line which my wife did to once. I wound up buying a new refrigerator due to it.

[buzzard767]

R U sure it isn't merely the "low beer supply" warning?

[chowhound]

R U sure it isn't merely the "low beer supply" warning?

Good point, Buzz.
I know I tend to have hissy fits when my beer supply is low :mrgreen:

[Lefty]

Oh no, you just made a hole in the ozone.

I hope its not that bad, but like they said, it doesn't sound good.

[buckytom]

try to find the source of the hissing sound as closely as possible, vb..

if your eyebrows get frosty, then you need a new fridge. :huh:

[High Cheese]

The surround for those small freezers inside the fridge is actually the cooling source for the whole fridge. You pierced the aluminum housing releasing the refridgerant. Been there, done that. I bought a new one from Sears for $110.

The only way to defrost one of those small fridges is to unplug it, open the door and let it melt.

[Miniman]

We have used a haair dryer sucessfully in the past.

[lilbopeep]

get the new one if you have the money. why take a chance. it has a seperate freezer door and a new one may be frostless. no more screw driver maneuvers!!

[Ronjohn]

It's dead, Jim. Err... Vera.

http://blog.whatfettle.com/images/dead-jim.jpg

I have 3 and a mini fridge. Need one? :brows:

[joec]

We have used a hair dryer sucessfully in the past.

That is the way we do our small office refrigerator though my box freezer and home refrigerator are self defrosting.

[JoeV]

I looked on Sears' website and something like you own runs $319 for 9.5 cu.ft. model. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04662912000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Refrigerators&sName=Top+Freezers

For $384 you move up to 14.8 cu. ft. model. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_04664522000P?vName=Appliances&cName=Refrigerators&sName=Top+Freezers

For $399 at Home Depot you can get 15.6 cu. ft. with free shipping. http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&N=5yc1vZargeZ61bb9&R=100337391

What I'm saying here is that your fridge is toast, and for the same money you can get a lot more that will be more energy efficient. Of course this assumes you really need another fridge. Optionally, if you would like a newer model upstairs, get a new one and move the existing one down. that's what we did a couple of years ago when we bought a bottom drawer freezer model with french doors...Shweeeeeet!

[joec]

I have a 9 cu ft box freezer that I love and I'm planning on going to a French door, drawer freezer model myself when I remodel the kitchen later this year. My freezer will hold a side of beef rough butchered as well as a side of pork easily and I often have more.

[FryBoy]

That old refrigerator is probably costing you a small fortune to run. Junk it. A new efficient model will pay for itself in energy savings in a few years.

[VeraBlue]

Pretty sure a new refrigerator is coming on Friday...what a lovely way to spend a day off! Who doesn't love the arrival of a new appliance. Don't know what kind is coming..Lou handled it.

I thought about putting the larger one from upstairs down into the basement, but no reason to move that one just yet. It's still fairly new, just a couple of years.

I do like to get a new appliance, car, bathroom...well, actually, just about anything when it's time to really clean the old one.

[Cooksie]

I do like to get a new appliance, car, bathroom...well, actually, just about anything when it's time to really clean the old one.

Lol--There ya go! I hate to clean the refrigerator with a passion.

[bigjim]

Bought my garage beer box at the Sears scratch and dent store, large enough for a lot of beer, self defrosting, a small freezer for overflow (separate door), and all under $300. The door had been changed from right to left opening incorrectly. Quick adjust, good as new. If you have one near, check it out. A hissing sound is probably something bad leaking.

[PieSusan]

Congrats on the new fridge, VeraBlue!

[JoeV]

Hopefully they will be hauling the old one away for you as well on Friday. There are special requirements for scrapping a fridge or freezer that insures all gases have been properly removed and recycled, and that takes a special license to perform the functions and certify the results. You cannot just put it on the curb to be hauled away, in spite of the fact that you already took care of the freon evacuation. Failure to comply could result in heavy fines and jail time if you are an ordinary citizen, and a slap on the wrist if you are government bureaucrat.

[lesley]

I think you have bust one of the refrigeration lines - and the pressure has dropped so compressor can't work. Scrap it in my opinion
I agree with Miniman...hissing noises usually mean something is leaking, I use a hairdryer too or steamer :neutral:

[Lefty]

Though this advice is a little late, I use a rubber mallet to take care of ice build up on my freezer. I give the ice a couple of whacks and if comes off very nicely.

[Sherman]

when a refrigerator makes a hissing noise?? I have a spare, run over refrigerator that I keep in the basement. It doesn't have a separate freezer door, just one of those flap doors inside the refrigerator. As a result, it produces lots of ice and is a pain in the ass to defrost. Usually, I defrost it when the entire freezer becomes consitricted like a clogged artery, and all that's left for space is a 5 inch tunnel.:tongue: Unfortunately, tools are occasionally employed to hurry it along. I was banging a lethal looking screw driver into the mass between the actual compartment and the roof when I hit paydirt, dislodging a huge chunk...and resulted in the compartment dropping an inch, and then a creepy hissing noise. That noise lasted about a minute. The motor did not agitate after that. The light comes on, naturally, it stills gets energy...but the motor won't come on.
Have I destroyed it beyond repair? It's completely defrosted now (hell, the basement is about a hundred degrees) and I cannot tell what actually is broken in there. It was about 400 bucks 10 years ago. Something similar now actually only costs about the same price. Actually, a new one, same size, has a seperate door for the freezer compartment. Is it worth it to bring in a repair man, or just get a new one?



Yep, as everyone else says, it's busted. So sorry.

That happened to ME as well once with a cube-type one. It was fixed though, but today, I think that one would cost as much as a new one to fix. Look into getting a new one, which you might do.

I remember back in the late '70s getting my very first frost-free Kenmore fridge from Sears. I was in total heaven!! No more messy defrosting to deal with, ever! Three years ago, I replaced an old frige that was here before I moved here with a new Whirlpool frost free. The old one was breaking down and the food in the fresh food section was freezing up, ruining the produce.

Manual defrost units are now only availible in the compast portable size. Frost-free took over and no one buys manual defrost in the large size any more.

[Wart]

For future reference, in the future if you hear what you think may be a freon leak hold your breath and run like hell.

Freon itself isn't bad, sort of.

Just about anything thats in solution with Freon evaporates with Freon. Makes it a great cleaner/degreaser.

When Freon enters the lungs the Freon tends to pass through the lungs and into the bloodstream, those substances that are in solution in freon, think refrigerant lubricant (oil(s)), tend to stay on the lung 'wall'.

Resultant can be as bad as death by suffocation.

There is the thing about R-12 using mineral based oils and the newer freons using ester based lubricants ... each have their health issues.

Just remember, all information is trivia until its needed.

[Sherman]

For future reference, in the future if you hear what you think may be a freon leak hold your breath and run like hell.

Freon itself isn't bad, sort of.

Just about anything thats in solution with Freon evaporates with Freon. Makes it a great cleaner/degreaser.

When Freon enters the lungs the Freon tends to pass through the lungs and into the bloodstream, those substances that are in solution in freon, think refrigerant lubricant (oil(s)), tend to stay on the lung 'wall'.

Resultant can be as bad as death by suffocation.

There is the thing about R-12 using mineral based oils and the newer freons using ester based lubricants ... each have their health issues.

Just remember, all information is trivia until its needed.



Yeah, the newer one, I think, is R-134A. The old one has been discontinued and is most likely no longer in production.

There was a walk-in freezer malfunction at one of the Stop & Shop supermarkets, I think. There was a freon leak and the store was forced to immediately evacuate the store of all its employees and shoppers! The system let go.

No one was harmed, but the store had to close until the freezer's sealed system was repaired and working properly. Close call! :ohmy:

[smoke king]

Hey whoa! Maybe we're all getting ahead of ourselves on this "freon line" thing. Are there any of these in the basement of 1313 Mockingbird? I believe "hissing sounds" can be traced to these guys as well.......

http://www.pitt.edu/%7Emcs2/herp/snake.pics/E_bairdi2.jpg

[Sherman]

Dag!! Isn't that one of the ones that I saw in the movie Snakes on a Plane?

[homecook]

Hey whoa! Maybe we're all getting ahead of ourselves on this "freon line" thing. Are there any of these in the basement of 1313 Mockingbird? I believe "hissing sounds" can be traced to these guys as well.......

http://www.pitt.edu/%7Emcs2/herp/snake.pics/E_bairdi2.jpg

:yum::yum::yum::yum: :whistling: