Community Forums

CJ7ole · 03-03-2017, 09:01 PM

Picked up our RV from storage, set it on our site and a day later we are getting a nasty rotting smell from around the refrigerator. Coincidentally the fridge (a Norcold) didn't seem to work, on either propane or AC until after the smell started. Found a few bits that looked like small mouse droppings in the sink, but the nearby paper towels were not chewed as usual when they are looking for nesting material. I did find a few Palmetto bugs, both dead and alive.

I checked where ever I could for a dead mouse, pulled all the lower drawers, checked the cabinets, even the fridge outside access door. I am afraid it is between the fridge and the wall. Not comfortable pulling the fridge, so I called for the local mobile RV repair, it is now Friday and they can't get here before Tuesday. Not a good start to our 2 month stay in FL.

Arch Hoagland · 03-03-2017, 09:12 PM

Have you checked your batteries? Saw a similar post years ago and it turned out to be the house batteries.

Mr_D · 03-03-2017, 09:26 PM

Are you smelling ammonia or seeing any yellow powder around the coils in the back of the FRIDGE?
If so you have a bad cooling unit and it needs replacing. Better yet would be a home refer!

Old-Biscuit · 03-03-2017, 09:51 PM

If your RV MFG. had installed that Norcold Fridge per 'Norcold Installation Instructions' there would be NO clearances between fridge and sidewalls.

Top/bottom/sides should have ZERO clearances.....right out of Norcold (and Dometic) Install Manuals.

Hope you find source of stink.
Dead mouse can last for days and days.......but will go away

YC1 · 03-04-2017, 04:21 AM

Does it smell like Rotten Eggs? If so, do check your batteries as suggested.

Dead "resident engineers" have a powerful rotten smell. I am a bit concerned about your refer since you said it did not work at first. Resident Engineers have a habit of using electronic boards as a urinal and then die from the shock. I have removed plenty of them over the years and it is not fun.

-Gramps- · 03-04-2017, 08:25 AM

House batteries may need water.

CJ7ole · 03-05-2017, 06:40 AM

Smell is from knee to head level at the left edge of the fridge, also near the microwave next to the fridge, same side. Not at the floor, not near the battery compartment, not in the bath or bedroom nor the front of the rig. Definitely not the batteries. Where are the circuit boards on the Norcold 2 door fridge? We had a rotten juicy dead mouse in the cabinet of the microwave at work once, that is the smell. Tech scheduled for Tuesday. Had friends over this weekend, wouldn't even let them inside.

Hit_the_Rhod · 03-05-2017, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ7ole

Had friends over this weekend, wouldn't even let them inside.

Funny, WE have friends like that too!

Poohbear7278 · 03-05-2017, 07:51 AM

Put some oil of wintergreen on some cotton balls and put around where you smell it, it won't completely get rid of but will make it more bearable

Daveinet · 03-05-2017, 12:23 PM

PROPANE - YOU HAVE A PROPANE LEAK. Dead critters are tiny and do not produce much oder for very long. Propane is often mistaken for dead animal smell. Combine the smell with the fact that your fridge failed to light, it makes perfect sense. Sometimes even after the propane has dissipated, the smell will still linger. Most likely a critter prevented your fridge from lighting, which means you would have small propane "spill", which will stink up the place. I would be inspecting where the flame lights, and see if there is a root cause as to why it didn't light. Once the source has been resolved, a flame will burn off the residue smell. Obviously make sure the source has been resolved and the propane has dissipated before relighting.

YC1 · 03-05-2017, 02:16 PM

I can assure you that the smell of one dead mouse can empty an office. I have removed many from radio base stations. It is not just offensive to my nose. It can turn stomachs.

Simple to test. Turn on a burner without lighting. Only for a few seconds of course.

cruzbill · 03-05-2017, 02:26 PM

I'm with Mr D, Check your outside refrigerator access panel and look inside at the refrigerator coils-carefully. Any yellow anywhere means you are leaking sodium chromate and more importantly hydrogen gas. Do not turn on the refrigerator if you see any yellow corrosion.

CJ7ole · 03-05-2017, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daveinet

PROPANE - YOU HAVE A PROPANE LEAK. Dead critters are tiny and do not produce much oder for very long. Propane is often mistaken for dead animal smell. Combine the smell with the fact that your fridge failed to light, it makes perfect sense. Sometimes even after the propane has dissipated, the smell will still linger. Most likely a critter prevented your fridge from lighting, which means you would have small propane "spill", which will stink up the place. I would be inspecting where the flame lights, and see if there is a root cause as to why it didn't light. Once the source has been resolved, a flame will burn off the residue smell. Obviously make sure the source has been resolved and the propane has dissipated before relighting.

I do believe Daveinet gets the sticky star. Thank you so much. As soon as I went to turn off the propane, I saw that the tank gauge read 1/4 less than when I turned it on a few days ago. Within minutes of turning off the propane, the smell went away. Interesting because the smell was not near the floor, where propane will settle, nor was it at the access door for the fridge, where I would expect a leak to smell. Propane detector never went off. In my mind I was thinking propane has the stinky rotten eggs natural gas smell, not so, it has it's own distinctive rotten mouse smell. Now to track down the leak.

Update, and this is real embarrassing, one of the gas range knobs was turned on slightly. I even lifted up the range deck to look for a dead critter and didn't hear a hiss or notice the knob. Well, now wasn't that a learning experience...