Strong ammonia smell from freezer

[cncsparky]

Is my fridge dead?  The freezer smells bad and isn't cooling.  Been running for a day to cool off for our next trip.  Got a good whif of ammonia when I opened the freezer door. 

[ibdilbert01]

You got a leak, its bad.   You can switch the guts out for new though, its not cheap, but it is cheaper than a new fridge. 

[Rickf1985]

shut her down, it isn't going to cool. As was said it is dead. Nobody wants to hear or say that but................... i??

[DonD]

Get it out of there if you are staying in the rig, deadly fumes.

[cncsparky]

I don't smell anything in the coach, only when I open the freezer door.  No time to get a new one before trip.  Will have to load up the coolers like the old days . 

[HandyDan]

I did a similar thing last year just before pulling out.  I managed to fry the circuit board when I fired up the generator and forgot that I had left the fridge on.  I had to borrow my daughter's college dorm fridge (she has been out of college for 10 years) and went with that.  It wasn't as big as the motorhome fridge, but it was better than nothing. 

[Oz]

Before you do anything,  GET THAT REFRIGERATOR OUT OF YOUR RV and leave it outside in the open air! 

I'm not kidding and DonD is right.  That ammonia is so concentrated, it IS deadly.  If you're dumb enough to go camping with that thing in your rig and anything happens to cause the leak to open enough for it to just drip, you can die from it in a matter of minutes.

I had one that I had taken into the basement to burp.  When I turned it and the ammonia started to flow again, it reached a pin hole leak I didn't know was there.  A small pool developed, only about 3" in diameter and it looked like some kind of sci-fi nuclear waste.  A very bright, light green.  it was enough for the fumes to fill the entire basement.  I had only about 20 seconds of holding my breath, with my eyes closed, in order to move it a few feet and then up a couple stair steps at a time before having to run outside and recover for a few minutes before going back in and doing it again.  You can't even keep your eyes open the fumes are so strong and irritating.

Can you imagine if that stuff broke loose while driving?  It will literally knock you out in a matter of seconds if you breathe it.  In a couple minutes, you'll be dead.  Guaranteed. 

[cncsparky]

Thanks for the safety tip, would not have thought about it.  Will pull it tomorrow. 

[circleD]

To go along with Marks post, when we have an ammonia leak at work no matter the size we have to use Level A haz-mat suits. Those are the big bulky ones with the air packs inside of the suits with us. So just ventilate the Rv good and becareful. Oh yea!! Don't let it touch the skin or wet skin its bad, just saying 

[cosmic]

I didn't know it was that bad either.
Thanks good to know.
My 1975 is still running good but lots of rusty flakes on the tubes in the back of the refrigerator.  Only a matter of time with these before a pin hole comes.
First sniff of ammonia and i'll pull it.

[acenjason]

Now I am a little afraid of my fridge....... Not sure I like a forty year old container of toxic goo two feet from my bed

BTW nice rig COSMIC