Stinky Refrigerator

russotto · 04-05-2002, 04:06 PM

The system has berated me for not starting new threads (or maybe it's just warning everyone). Well, be careful what you ask for...

Last October I moved into a townhouse, to obtain the joys of home ownership... you know, property taxes, water problems, the whole deal. In any case, with the townhouse came one nice sized 2 year old Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator-freezer with built in water dispenser and icemaker. But it was FOUL. The original owner apparently never cleaned it. I disassembled just everything in the interior, removed the drain pan, cleaned everything with various cleaners including the orange stuff and Tilex mildew killer, and let it sit open and empty for a few days. Then I put it together again, except the icemaker parts which I left disassembled in the garage for a few months.

This treatment destroyed most of the stench, though there are some remnants of it. Unfortunately, there is apparently some contamination inside the water lines. I reconnected the ice maker and ran some water through the water dispenser. The ice and water were fine for a while, but if the water sits for some length of time, it becomes foul again until I run it for a while.

Anyone have suggestions for clearing out the water lines? I think if I can get a bleach solution in there it'll kill whatever remains, but I haven't figured out how to do that. Removing all the internal plumbing to just wash it in bleach seems like an excessively difficult job; I'd rather do it in place.

(the alt.home.repair people were no help... two suggestions to buy a new fridge. Yeah, right, like I'm going to do that after all the time I put into cleaning it already).

perth · 04-05-2002, 04:53 PM

this might help

it might also be worth installing a filter on the icemaker supply line. best buy should have some good ones.

also, the link above suggests cleaning with dishsoap, but bleach is probably better.

~james

Griff · 04-05-2002, 07:03 PM

What if you go back to the supply line and cludge, cobble, jury, or jerry rig together something like a filter bulb except no filter just use it to hold bleach. It would be like an oil reservoir on an air line with the water taking the bleach along over time. Or you could shock the well and do your whole building. Of course if you are on town water, you'll need a bullet proof vest, a tractor trailer load of chlorine and a map of your towns water system...

russotto · 04-08-2002, 01:35 PM

An empty filter housing was what I was looking for. The Despot doesn't seem to have any, though, except in the Economy Size Whole House variety. small tubing need not apply, and I don't want to fiddle with all the adapters. Probably I could cobble something together with a length of capped (on both ends) PVC, a drill, a new supply line, and some sealant.

I'm on town water so shocking the well won't work. (I couldn't afford enough chlorine, and climbing the C-T water tower to dump it in would be a lot of work.)

I could shock the water softener and then skip the backwash, but that would fill the pipes with brine as well as chlorine, probably not a good idea.

BTW, perth, thanks for the link. I cleared the supply line and got a bunch of copper bits out, but the problem remains in the internal plumbing.

04-05-2002, 04:06 PM	#1
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	Stinky Refrigerator The system has berated me for not starting new threads (or maybe it's just warning everyone). Well, be careful what you ask for... Last October I moved into a townhouse, to obtain the joys of home ownership... you know, property taxes, water problems, the whole deal. In any case, with the townhouse came one nice sized 2 year old Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator-freezer with built in water dispenser and icemaker. But it was FOUL. The original owner apparently never cleaned it. I disassembled just everything in the interior, removed the drain pan, cleaned everything with various cleaners including the orange stuff and Tilex mildew killer, and let it sit open and empty for a few days. Then I put it together again, except the icemaker parts which I left disassembled in the garage for a few months. This treatment destroyed most of the stench, though there are some remnants of it. Unfortunately, there is apparently some contamination inside the water lines. I reconnected the ice maker and ran some water through the water dispenser. The ice and water were fine for a while, but if the water sits for some length of time, it becomes foul again until I run it for a while. Anyone have suggestions for clearing out the water lines? I think if I can get a bleach solution in there it'll kill whatever remains, but I haven't figured out how to do that. Removing all the internal plumbing to just wash it in bleach seems like an excessively difficult job; I'd rather do it in place. (the alt.home.repair people were no help... two suggestions to buy a new fridge. Yeah, right, like I'm going to do that after all the time I put into cleaning it already).

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04-05-2002, 04:53 PM	#2
perth Strong Silent Type Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 1,949	this might help it might also be worth installing a filter on the icemaker supply line. best buy should have some good ones. also, the link above suggests cleaning with dishsoap, but bleach is probably better. ~james

04-05-2002, 07:03 PM	#3
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	What if you go back to the supply line and cludge, cobble, jury, or jerry rig together something like a filter bulb except no filter just use it to hold bleach. It would be like an oil reservoir on an air line with the water taking the bleach along over time. Or you could shock the well and do your whole building. Of course if you are on town water, you'll need a bullet proof vest, a tractor trailer load of chlorine and a map of your towns water system...

04-08-2002, 01:35 PM	#4
russotto Professor Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 1,788	An empty filter housing was what I was looking for. The Despot doesn't seem to have any, though, except in the Economy Size Whole House variety. small tubing need not apply, and I don't want to fiddle with all the adapters. Probably I could cobble something together with a length of capped (on both ends) PVC, a drill, a new supply line, and some sealant. I'm on town water so shocking the well won't work. (I couldn't afford enough chlorine, and climbing the C-T water tower to dump it in would be a lot of work.) I could shock the water softener and then skip the backwash, but that would fill the pipes with brine as well as chlorine, probably not a good idea. BTW, perth, thanks for the link. I cleared the supply line and got a bunch of copper bits out, but the problem remains in the internal plumbing.

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