Why Does My Refrigerator Smell Like Freon?

Determining the Culprit

• Freon is a chemical that's denser than air and will accumulate around the base of your refrigerator first before dispersing into the rest of your home. If you detect a chemical odor from your refrigerator, kneel down next to the appliance and see if the odor becomes stronger or remains the same. An increasing chemical odor probably means Freon is the substance leaking from your refrigerator. If the odor remains at the same intensity or weakens, the offending odor may be coming from inside your refrigerator or the result of a malfunction in the refrigerator's internal components.

Frozen Evaporator Coil

• A frozen evaporator coil can cause unspent moisture to leak from your refrigerator. These water drops may carry a cut grass odor from boiling Freon in the coil. Regular defrosting of your refrigerator's evaporator coil is necessary to prevent the coil from completely freezing over with too much ice and inhibiting its operation. Freon can cause frost to form on the coil within minutes, making defrosting the coil a smart means of checking your refrigerator's Freon level. If you leave the cover off the evaporator coil and no frost forms, there's insufficient Freon in the unit.

Punctured Evaporator Coil

• If you tried removing ice from your refrigerator's evaporator coil with a knife or other sharp object, you may have punctured the coil. A damaged evaporator coil will leak Freon gas, resulting in the grasslike smell emanating from the unit. A personal inspection of the coil is all that is necessary to confirm the puncture. You'll have to purchase a new evaporator coil for the appliance, which can cost up to a few hundred dollars depending on the specific type of coil your refrigerator needs.

Leaking Tubing and Seals

• Over time, refrigerant tubing and seals may weaken and develop cracks or leaks. Active Freon in your refrigerator can leak through these openings and cause the chemical's scent to accumulate around the appliance. A refrigerator repair professional has to use a piercing valve to determine the pressure of refrigerant in the unit to gauge the extent of any leak in the system. A large enough leak will impact your refrigerator's ability to keep food products cold or frozen, which will contribute to the odor coming from the appliance in a whole different way.