Idiot clears ice from fridge – am I about to die?

I was in a rush so instead of leaving overnight I poked out the ice in my fridge with a screwsdriver, stupidly puncturing a hole in the cooler tray. It started hissing and was obviously releasing some sort of gas. The kitchen is quite airy and I had a window open and I tried not to in hale but I probably didn’t get out the way that fast either. I feel sort of dizzy now, is there any point going to A&E or would the symptoms be severe if it was serious? Also, I’m assuming the fridge is toast?

Cheers,

FM

111.

And, yes, your fridge is ducked.  (If it had ice in it other than the freezer or icebox compartment, it was probably ducked to start with.)

Had a mate do similar using an ice axe 🙄 this was years ago and he’s still in rude health. You’ll be reet, probably.

Yep, the fridge is dead.

111 and whilst waiting, order a new fridge

Do you have any good bikes to leave?

I’d kick back to watch cliffhanger

I did that in 1995 (I think, possibly 1994).

I’m absolutely fine except my memory for dates is shot.

The fridge was dead.

111 and whilst waiting, order a new fridge

And eat everything that’ll go off before the new one arrives.

Was this the food or beer fridge? Either way you’re going to be full or pissed by the time 111 answers.

Should probably sit outside and eat your ice cream.

For everyone saying their mates are OK after inhaling a dose, the refrigerants have changed a couple of times in the last few years so may be more toxic now.

I’d ring 111, and you might need to have an idea when the freezer was purchased.

The refrigerant gas should be a sticker on the back somewhere.

This is how the zombie apocalypse will begin.

I don’t think there’s any immediate danger of death.

Posible future of diabetes though as you scoff everything before it goes off…is there a long forgotten box of choc-ices in there?

order a new fridge

Steady, nothing is going to go off in the time he has left…

For the next fridge, a large ball ended hammer is perfect for gently removing ice.  Works like an ice breaker- crushing and pushing, not splitting and cutting.

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-refrigerant-poisoning

Get some fresh air. Watch out for headaches. Ventilate the room. Can I have one of your bikes?

A mate deiced the fridge at Starbucks with a pointy kitchen knife. Hisssssss when the fridge.

New fridge, no body died, and perhaps more surprisingly, none got fired

If you’re still alive then get a hairdryer for when you need to defrost you new freezer. Takes minutes.

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

Presumably you got the sausages out of the freezer box and into your arch enemy’s lawn first?

I had “a mate” that attempted to replace a thermostat on a 40 litre Waeco fridge on the kitchen table and sprayed refrigerant all over himself and the house. He’s still alive.

Friends had a big old chest freezer, and as a bit of a joke one of them got in and we shut the lid.

All that day learned a valuable lesson in atmospheric pressure. Basically couldn’t get the lid back open and there was about 7 of us gripping the edge.

After 30 seconds of panic, we drove a big screwdriver through the body of it in several places to let air in and equalize pressure.

So when you throw it out, rip the door off so no kid can get inside, which would be a death sentence.

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

Polio would like a word

Not sure why people were suggesting ringing 111, what purpose does that serve ?

“Hi im ringing because an internet forum sad I might get ill, but I’m not currently ill what should I do ?”  🤔

Wait until your properly seriously ill then ring 999

I’ve done the same trying to de-ice a fridge ice box, didn’t feel dizzy afterwards though but you definitely need to replace it.

All that day learned a valuable lesson in atmospheric pressure. Basically couldn’t get the lid back open and there was about 7 of us gripping the edge.

I don’t follow this, how is someone being in it any different to it just having food inside? Only difference presumably is they’re breathing but can’t see how that creates a vacuum.

Not sure why people were suggesting ringing 111, what purpose does that serve ?

“Hi im ringing because an internet forum sad I might get ill, but I’m not currently ill what should I do ?”  🤔

Wait until your properly seriously ill then ring 999

Or “Hi. I’ve accidentally inhaled fridge refrigerant and feel dizzy. Sensible online medical websites suggest I need to seek medical advice. I thought it was sensible I called 111, rather than waiting to be seriously ill and use up already stretched emergency resources, when this is not an emergency”….

What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

That would make a great plot for a movie franchise. Surprised no-one’s mined it, I’m off to check copyright.

Re 111. Perfect for them, you can tell them what the gas is on the label, they can check the poisons database and give advice if you need attention or wait and see. My sister just had to do this with my nephew (who is young but old enough to know better) – found a pack of multivitamin gummies, found they tasted nice, ate a box. He’s had a monthly dose in a sitting….

…is there a long forgotten box of choc-ices in there?

Eh? The only thing that gets long forgotten in our fridge is frozen veg and that pack of pork chops I chucked in there a year ago because they were going out of date. Choc ices and ice pops disappear as quick as I buy them.

Just chill out.

111 and whilst waiting, order a new fridge

111 and whilst waiting, order, have delivered a new fridge and still have time to take the packaging to the recycling centre…

and sprayed refrigerant all over himself and the house. He’s still alive.

And will be for a long time.

It will be fine. No need for A&E.

My dad used to be a fridge engineer (domestic mainly) The older Freon gasses were toxic only if burnt as they could create fosgene.

As for fridge being toast. It might not be. I spent most summers with my dad fixing fridges where this had happened (always in summer!). Basically you can patch the hole (alu foil and epoxy like a tyre patch. Then the compressor will have a stem  on it where it was charged with gas at the factory. You braise on a short extension with a valve/fitting. Then pull a vaccum on system to get rid of any air/water in pipes and then fill back up with appropriate level and type of gas. Not a complex job and someone local might be able to do it.

Not sure why people were suggesting ringing 111, what purpose does that serve ?

What do you suppose the service is for?

I would ring 999 as an ambulance takes so long to arrive nowadays, it will just be arriving in time for when the wife finds out what you’ve done.

Steam cleaner works better and quicker than a hairdryer. I bought a kettle sized one from Lidl for about £17 for just this purpose as my freezer isn’t a frost few one.

Best thing to defrost with is a normal fan blowing room temperature air in.  Very effective and doesn’t risk overheating your pipes. Shifts much more air than a hairdryer and will fill the whole fridge.  Far quicker than simply waiting.

I sprayed R134a in my face whilst doing the car earlier. I don’t have any symptoms.

Our old freezer used to frost up a lot. Fortunately it was right by the back door (that may have been the cause) so I used to drag it outside, open the door and tilt it forward just a bit and blast it with the hose. 10 minutes later it was back in place, frost free, leaving us with the job of deciding what those manky bits of stuff in tubs and bags were, before putting half of the old contents back and deciding if we’re brave enough to make a fridge chow mein for tonight’s tea.

“ I sprayed R134a in my face whilst doing the car earlier. I don’t have any symptoms”

The data sheets suggest similar effects to  HFC227ea. Which sound quite nasty.

I once had the pleasure of standing next to a cylinder whilst it dumped 100kg or so of it. I was fine.

The key is the concentration and wether you continue to breathe it in.

If you don’t mind I’m going to use this story at a party we’re going to at the weekend. It’ll be a fantastic ice breaker