Just stabbed fridge to death

[pembrokestephen]

Help I've just killed the fridge freezer.

I thought I'd chisel a bit of ice out of the freezer section with a knife.



I chiselled a bit too hard and I've punctured something. A load of coolant gas came out under pressure. All the gas seems to have now escaped.

I've shut the door and turned it off. Is it savable? Can I turn it back on again or will the motor burn out with nothing to pump round?

Aaaagh.

Dead fridge.

FWIW, and you probably don't need some smug git telling you this after-the-fact, but just about every FAQ you'll ever read about defrosting fridges will say "DON'T USE A KNIFE OR SHARP OBJECT". It's just too easy to kill the fridge.

Personally, I tend to do it by switching off the unit, and putting a bowl of boiling water inside - the steam and radiant heat from the water will melt the ice enough for it to detach nicely, and you can pull it off with your fingers or a BLUNT scraper and chuck it in the sink.

 

[Termite Man]

There is a fridge and freezer going in recycle forum . Might be worth you looking at it !

 

[41132n]

If there is enough room , load a couple of bags of ice into it - the seal on the door should be good enough to insulate the inside to allow it to be used as a "fridge" for a long enough period. Limit the opening of the door as much as possible.

Worked for me

 

[Sunspots]

Attacking a freezer full of ice is very compelling isn't it? Its like picking a scab. You know you shouldn't do it but you just have to keep going for the piece that comes off all in one go. Its very satisfying...

Spot on!

 

[T & P]

lol at this thread. I did that very thing a couple of years ago. Well my case was even worse... I was using a drill to make holes in the ice to speed the thawing process

I got a jet of the gas square on the face and the house stank for hours after that.

 

[trashpony]

lol at this thread. I did that very thing a couple of years ago. Well my case was even worse... I was using a drill to make holes in the ice to speed the thawing process

I got a jet of the gas square on the face and the house stank for hours after that.

Lesson number 43: Why men shouldn't be allowed to use power tools unsupervised

 

[astral]

my housemate did this last year, then told our landlord that the crack had been there before he tried defrosting it and that the ice had infact been holding it all together. We still had to wait 2 months for a new freezer, but our Landlord is still unspeakably grateful that none of us sued him over the *ahem* dangerously "faulty" appliances.

 

[hatz]

My ex did this, it was so funny. He'd fallen off his bike and broken his wrist, and was feeling really useless. So while I was at work, he decided to do something "manly" and he tried to defrost the fridge. But he lost patience and used a screwdriver to chip at the ice with the obvious effect of killing to fridge.

I got home to find him sitting on a chair in the kitchen, in his pj's, one arm in plaster cast, beer in the other hand, with chunks of ice all over the floor.

What was even worse was that he didn't wait until they was not much in the fridge and everything went off.

Oh my god, and I forgot: he'd tried to fix it, so I wouldn't know. He got some blu tac and an elastoplast. And then was surprised when it didn't work.

 

[Sunspots]

Although I appear to be the only person to have destroyed two fridges in this manner (-or maybe I'm simply the only person shameless enough to admit to having done it twice... ), it's still very reassuring to read just how many other fridge killers there are out there.

 

[pogofish]

We really don't need any more fridge gas working skyward!

Block-up the hole & get in touch with your local council about fridge disposal - Most authorities now either have a safe disposal service or reccomend a contractor. Many charge you tho.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Oh my god, and I forgot: he'd tried to fix it, so I wouldn't know. He got some blu tac and an elastoplast. And then was surprised when it didn't work.

This wins so far

 

[hatz]

This wins so far

He used to use blu tac to fix everything. His "tool kit" consisted of a rock (to be used as a hammer), some blu tac, and a large collection of copper coins. You had to be so careful in our house.

 

[Wintermute]