How to Detect Coolant Leaks in a Fridge

Slide the refrigerator away from the wall and pull its electrical plug from the wall outlet.

Remove the screws holding the refrigerator's rear access panel in place, using the correct screwdriver to turn the screws counterclockwise. The rear access panel covers the refrigerator's compressor.

Turn on a refrigerant leak detector. The leak detector's alarm will rapidly beep. As the leak detector's diode heats up, the pace of the detector's alarm will slow. Once the diode has reached operating temperature, the alarm's beat will reach a slow, evenly spaced pulse.

Hold the end of the leak detector's wand one-quarter inch away from one of the refrigerator's coolant lines. Work the tip of the wand along each coolant line, starting at the compressor and work toward the condenser coil. Pause the wand near each mounting bracket. If the pace of the leak detector's alarm increases, the detector's diode has located the coolant leak.

Check the refrigerator's condensing coil for a coolant leak with the leak detector, using the same method used to check the coolant lines. The condensing coil either mounts to the rear of the refrigerator or rests on a panel underneath the refrigerator. Pause the leak detector's wand near the place where the condenser's coolant line enters the refrigerator's housing. If the leak detector's alarm speeds up, the diode detected a coolant leak.

Open the refrigerator's freezer door and slide the refrigerator's evaporator cover out of the freezer compartment, using the correct screwdriver to remove the cover's mounting screws. The evaporator cover hides the evaporator fan, evaporator coil, defrost bulb and often the defrost mechanism. If the evaporator coil is covered in ice, let the ice melt before continuing.

Leak check each part of the evaporator coil with the leak detector, using the same method used to leak check the condensing coil. Pay special attention to any areas where the defrost bulb touches the evaporator coil. The defrost bulb looks like a long plastic- or glass-covered tube that runs between the coil's fins. If the pace of the leak detector's alarm increases, the leak detector has found a coolant leak.