Maybe I should have elaborated on cleaning the fridge and freezer. Open windows and doors in the room for at least 15 minutes to ensure adequate ventilation, then check the temperature inside the refrigerator. I applied straight bleach and tried to remove all the residue, so after 3 days we still can smell a hint of it but for now seems to be gone. Get shopping advice from experts, friends and the community! if its real bad you may not be able to clear this completely.however, there are some things you can do. Vanilla extract can be used to freshen the fresh food compartment, but not the freezer (because it will freeze). I pulled the fridge out removed the metal in the back and in the drip pan was this dried up horrible stuff. However, you may be able to see the back of the drain pan from the back of the refrigerator. The drip pan on your refrigerator is made into the base support the compressor mounts on. Strong Smell Inside Refrigerator by TME4TLS Jul 9, 2012 11:42AM PDT The unit is a RF268AB purchased at Lowes in March 2010, serial number 43FB4GBSB00360D You can access the pan by removing the grill under the refrigerator door and the compressor compartment cover on the rear of the cabinet. section. Good Luck, David. The drip pan on your refrigerator is a receptacle that catches condensation flowing from the defrost drain in your freezer to the outside of … You may need to clean the drip pan and the drain. GE also makes various appliance models for Sears / Kenmore. Use a turkey baster to force the water into … Spoiling food, spilled milk, open food. But we did determain that whatever the residue that is in the drip pan which happens to be below the condensor was what was causing the smell. Yes, every refrigerator has a drip pan. What is this horrible smell emanating from my refrigerator? Mix 16 ounces of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap and pour it into a spray bottle. The short answer is that it’s probably caused by spilled and rotten food or a build-up of grime. Desperate! When the charcoal loses its effectiveness, it can be heated on low heat in the oven for a couple of hours to rejuvenate it. You can clean the drip pan by wrapping a cloth around a yardstick (or something similar) and cleaning underneath the condenser coil and compressor. Look at the diagrams for your fridge inside the manual to find the drip pan. s.events = "event16"; Some weeks ago, we noticed a strong smell in the refrigerator section of the Samsung French Door we bought in Jan '10. The drip pan is very likely the source of your smell situation. A few drops of vegetable oil down the freezer floor drain tube, every couple of weeks, keeps the mosquito larvae dead. Now the wifey, in one of her brain f*rts, wants me to clean the fridge in the house like that. you would need to remove all the food and the shelves and then the panel … Menu Ask a Question Share a Post Account Search. Check the refrigerator’s manual to find where the drip pan is located. But, sometimes an odor can "permeate" into one of the plastic parts found inside the fridge, crisper pans, door liners, shelf supports. Yes, the drip pan is below your refrigerator, on some models you can remove them, others you can't. Thanks. and enter the model of the refrigerator, you can see the parts diagram and list for the refrigerator. If there is a strange smell coming from your GE refrigerator, it could be caused by many things. Once you access the drain opening, GE Appliances recommends injecting a solution consisting of 1 tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in 2 cups of hot tap water using a turkey baster. It dried for a couple of days before putting back together and then I ran it there for a couple of more days before putting it back in place. You can disconnect your fridge and turn it on its side (movers do this, after all), but when you do so you are supposed to stand it upright for like 24 hours before plugging it in again. Have a whirlpool refrigerator, only 5 years old. Your refrigerator does not contain any mechanical parts that will produce an odor or cause a bad taste in your food or ice cubes. The blueberry juice had gotten into places I would have never thought about. [French Door Refrigerator] What to do if there is bad odor and water smells and taste bad? Yes, the drip pan is below your refrigerator, on some models you can remove them, others you can't. The bad smell could be coming from the drip pan underneath the fridge. I had the same problems with my GE Profile refrigerator as many other people - the cheap plastic drip pan for the water dispenser and ice maker had corroded, peeled and turned green. According to yourspares.co.uk, the leading cause of a smelly fridge is the drip pan. 1987 and newer: The drip pan is fixed and not easily accessible; it cannot be removed. To remove the drip tray … Yes, every refrigerator has a drip pan. Thurman thanks for your response, I ended up getting a GE tech to come out, and after taking most of the fridge apart he couldn't find anything that was causing the problem. There is an insert in the dispenser drip tray. My LG Refrigerator has an odor inside.I know it is not the food or anything that has dripped down underneath the fridge. section. To clean the walls and shelves we recommend a solution of one tablespoon of baking soda to one quart of warm water. Activated charcoal is available in drug stores, or more commonly, in pet stores. For over a month there has been a terrible smell coming from the refrigerator AND the freezer!!! The long answer is that bacteria and molds cause bad odors because microbes love areas with moisture, such as your fridge. Your refrigerator does not contain any mechanical parts that will produce an odor or cause a bad taste in your food or ice cubes. :thumbup: Guessing Ethel meant coal as in charcoal or carbon block. It is necessary to open windows and doors in the home if the cause of the odor is a suspected coolant leak. s.prop43 = "Responsive"; To make matters worse in my case, I found out that the water in the pan from the defrost cycle was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Sometimes placing a couple of Clorox tablets in the drain pan will correct this problem. Drain Pan. When the drain clears, you'll hear water dripping into the drain pan and you can replace the panel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. When the refrigerator is new, there is a plastic odor because most components inside are made of plastic. Come join the discussion about tools, projects, builds, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! okay , unfortunately the odor is in the insulation and the evaporator coils and various other places. This is a difficult and tedious job. is a medium-end Whirlpool w/top freezer, about 6-7 years old. IF this is the case, a thorough freezer and pan cleaning is in order. JavaScript is disabled. Refrigerator Locating Your Drip Pan. These pans need to be emptied from time to time and cleaned, or else they smell awful and may even overflow. The pan will be located under your fridge, and, depending on the model, you'll either access it from the front (behind a kick plate), or you'll have to pull out the fridge to access it from the back. I had this happen with the fridge in my shop, which is an older model. var s_code=s.t();if(s_code)document.write(s_code); We do extensive taste and odor testing on all of our refrigerators and freezers. This can crack or damage the refrigerator liner. Locate the drip pan underneath the fridge. I even laid it on it's side to wash out all the underside. How do I eliminate the odor if the pan … When the refrigerator is new, there is a plastic odor because most components inside are made of plastic. Some are in the front bottom, some are in the back bottom of your refrigerator. Can't beat the price! For over a month there has been a terrible smell coming from the refrigerator AND the freezer!!! It is not a removable pan like most refrigerators have. Odors can be difficult to get rid of because the refrigerator is an enclosed area. When the refrigerator is new, there is a plastic odor … Odors In Refrigerator or Freezer. //s.eVar15 = ""; Disconnect power to the unit and pull the refrigerator out far enough to lower the back cover. Frig. We recommend you check all foods to make sure they are covered and airtight. I have cleaned the complete inside of my LG french door refrigerator with a mixture of baking soda and water and a solution of vinegar and water. s.prop5 = s.prop4; Odors can be difficult to get rid of because the refrigerator is an enclosed area. The manual may also list if you can remove the drip pan or if you need to clean it while it’s still in your fridge. s.hier1 = s.prop5; With my old refrigerator to clean the odor I would put baking powder all over the pan and the odor would be gone. From the front of the refrigerator, I can’t visually see anything in the tray underneath. To clean the walls and shelves we recommend a solution of one tablespoon of baking soda to one quart of warm water. I took a garden hose and washed it down good, sprayed it with "Greased Lightning" cleaner and hand washed everything I could. The pan is not removable. With my old refrigerator to clean the odor I would put baking powder all over the pan and the odor would be gone. The pan you see (I believe) is to catch the water when the freezer unit goes through the defrost cycle. s.prop3 = s.channel + "|Support Search"; To keep food at its perfect temperature, chilled or frozen, GE Appliances offers a range of refrigerators to fit your space. Seconding the dead rodent being heated by something (fridge or your winter heat in general). The drip pan on your refrigerator is made into the base support the compressor mounts on. It is not a chemical or rotting food smell. No idea what it could have been from. See all items in Refrigerator Drip Pan. Desperate! You can disconnect your fridge and turn it on its side (movers do this, after all), but when you do so you are supposed to stand it … we put a small piece of coil inside our refrigerator it eliminates bad odor. My refrigerator has a bad odor coming from the bottom drip pan. If you smell this type of bitter odor coming from the fridge, open the windows and doors to air out the area. Remove the panels from the refrigerator and clean them well. I'll provide more info in a few days. // Image call Thankfully it fired right up and has been running ever since. IF this is one of those set-ups where the pan is on top of the compressor so the compressor heats the pan to facilitate evaporation you can understand that any fluids from the freezer will evaporate and leave behind the proteins and such which will rot and stink. Helping You to Do It Yourself! This odor will dissipate with time. I could be that there is "gunk" built up there that is causing the odor. s.prop4 = s.prop3; The pan will be located under your fridge, and, depending on the model, you'll either access it from the front (behind a kick plate), or … By Whirlpool. As the unit was in my shop I took it to the garage door of the shop, took off all the interior panels that I could get off to expose the insides. Did the same with the freezer - where the smell, oddly enough, seems STRONGER! Maybe something you put in that was not frozen yet and could have leaked some blood or fruit juice? IF this is one of those set-ups where the pan is on top of the compressor so the compressor heats the pan to facilitate evaporation you can understand that any fluids from the freezer will evaporate and leave behind the proteins and such which will rot and stink. Solution: First, you need to find out if your fridge has a drip pan. However, the tray goes all the way under the refrigerator … Often a really good cleaning out with an ammonia cleaner can help or with a baking soda water mixture. Hmmm, let's see now, there are nine (9) steps leading down from the back deck, six (6) steps on the front porch- -maybe I'll just wash it in the kitchen. Replace the baking soda according to the instructions on the box. Water is carried down a drain tube to the drip pan, where it evaporates. My problem was blueberries my wife had put in there in zip lock bags and one had leaked. Spray the coils and allow the soapy water to drip … Hi I'm a newbie here, but I have a bad or smelly problem. It is not a chemical or rotting food smell. Another possibility that can cause an odor is the compressor grommets. My GE Top Freezer refrigerator purchased 11-9-10 Model No. This odor will dissipate with time. Odors in the refrigerator can come from many different sources. Also, cleaning products with a lemon scent are not recommended because the lemon odor may be permanently absorbed in the plastic parts of the refrigerator and may affect the food. Some are in the front bottom, some are in the back bottom of your refrigerator. The pan is not removable. The drip pan catches water from the defrost cycle. Others require panels to be removed. The smell could have saturated the internal parts, thus thats why it smells more when its running. most of the moldy and musty smell will be on the evaporator coils in the freezer section behind your food. Please help before I call the 200/hr repair guy. Other methods for removing odors and tastes include: Place a box of baking soda in the fresh food compartment and the freezer compartment to absorb odors. :yes: VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Did the same with the freezer - where the smell… Fill a pan with hot water from your kitchen faucet.