Cold patch on fridge

[rachaelh]

Hi,
I'm hoping to pick some brains please!

We've just moved into a flat with a fridge freezer, which works, but on the outside it has a cold patch about the size of the palm of my hand, with condensation on the middle of it, this overlaps an exterior scratch through the white to the metal. It's on the left hand side of the fridge.

I don't mind this visually but I want to be sure it is safe. Could it be some kind of gas leak causing this which might be dangerous, or is it likely to be safe? (I've had headaches since we moved in which I hope is completely unconnected!)

Thanks,
Rachael

[The Viking]

Rachel,

You are perfectly safe and there won't be a refrigerant leak.
(And even if your fridge/freezer was leaking you would be safe as there isn't much refrigerant in it)

What is most likely to have happened is that it got a knock and the insulation in the wall of it got crushed therefore the cold from inside get transferred straight to the outside of it's wall.

[install monkey]

cheapest way of repair is chisel it off ,dry it and a can of expanding foam, then cut the foam flush when its dried

[The Viking]

Rachel,

Another thing,
If you have had headaches since you moved in to your flat there might be other issues.
Please, if for no other reasons than for your own piece of mind, get your self some sort of carbon monoxide detection device. Either the simple patches like SleepSafe for ~£1.50 or an alarm like the Kidde ones from about £15.00. Either will do their job in keeping you safe and they are available from your local pharmacy or DIY shop as well as on line.

[rachaelh]

Thank you both for your replies. I will sleep easy now! And maybe get a detector although my head has got better! Thank you!