If a refrigerator is an electric plug-in fridge, it cannot release carbon monoxide. However, some refrigerators run by burning gas such as propane, which can release carbon monoxide. RV refrigerators have this possibility, as do certain home fridges commonly found in off-grid homes.
Signs of a carbon monoxide leak in your house or home
Sooty or brownish-yellow stains around the leaking appliance. Stale, stuffy, or smelly air, like the smell of something burning or overheating. Soot, smoke, fumes, or back-draft in the house from a chimney, fireplace, or other fuel burning equipment.
Fridges contain toxic gas - don't worry, it's only a small amount that helps it to work - and occasionally this can start to leak if there is a fault with the appliance. So what do you need to do to make sure your fridge stays safe?
How can carbon monoxide build up in a home? The most common causes of carbon monoxide building up are incorrectly installed or poorly maintained or ventilated appliances – like stoves and hot water heaters. Poorly ventilated fireplaces and other gas- or wood-burning appliances can also pose danger.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning? The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you.
The greatest sources of CO to outdoor air are cars, trucks and other vehicles or machinery that burn fossil fuels. A variety of items in your home such as unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, leaking chimneys and furnaces, and gas stoves also release CO and can affect air quality indoors.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that keeping your fridge in the bedroom is unsafe. The main concern people have is the radiation exposure from the fridge. But in reality, the radiation is so minimum that it can be considered negligible to be toxic.
The vast majority of simple refrigerator units will only emit a small amount of radiation, and it is fairly localized, meaning the farther you are away the less radiation you will be exposed to. Unless the unit is on the opposite side of a wall that you are sleeping against, I would not worry about this very much.
Some fridges and freezers contain fluorinated greenhouse gas (or 'F gas'). The type of F gas usually found in fridges and freezers is hydrofluorocarbon ( HFC ) gas. You should check the instruction manual that came with your fridge or freezer to find out if it contains one of the following: HFC 134a.
As a colorless, odorless gas, CO can build up inside your home completely unnoticed. While you might think opening a window can prevent a problem, it is not enough to keep you from danger if carbon monoxide is present.
400 ppm: After 1 to 2 hours of contact, a headache and nausea may occur; more life-threatening symptoms can occur after three hours. 800 ppm: After 45 minutes, symptoms include headache, nausea and dizziness. You might collapse or become unconscious after 1 to 2 hours of exposure.
The short answer is no, air conditioners are unable to produce carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide can only be emitted from fuel-burning devices. AC units run on electricity, so there's no possible way for them to produce carbon monoxide. This doesn't mean your home is completely safe from carbon monoxide leaks.
Refrigerant poisoning is a serious condition that can lead to difficulty breathing, headaches, nausea and vomiting, skin and eye irritation, and coughing.
Freon is mostly odorless, but if you smell a chemical odor in or around your fridge you should investigate the possibility that your refrigerator is leaking Freon. Your fridge should not produce any smells during normal operation. Be aware that Freon is a colorless gas, so you won't be able to see it.
Rear Clearance – Allow between one to two inches of space at the rear of the refrigerator for proper airflow. Top Clearance – Ensure there is a minimum of one-half inch to one inch of clearance on top of the unit.
Measure the Ventilation Space
The refrigerator will need minimum clearances of 2-inches from the back wall, 1-inch from the upper cabinet and 1/8-inch on either side of the fridge. Subtract the minimum clearance from initial space measurements to find the maximum dimensions of the refrigerator models you can consider.
Refrigerators need to breathe. If they are entirely boxed in, then there's not much room for ventilation. When you measure the space for the refrigerator, and compare it to the size of the refrigerator, leave at least 1 inch of extra room for the back and the top of the refrigerator.
You won't cause irreparable damage to your refrigerator by leaving the fridge door open. However, the food inside the fridge could spoil. Plus, if you've it open for a long period of time, it may cause your electricity bills to increase.
They would likely run out of air to breathe well before they dehydrated; considering variables such as whether the refrigerator is running or not, and whether they are capable of putting themselves into a zen state to conserve the oxygen, I would say about a day and a half.
Refrigerators and air conditioners emit Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which causes damage to the ozone layer of the atmosphere.
The easiest way to see if there is carbon monoxide inside your home is with a carbon monoxide detector (which also includes an alarm). In fact, many building codes require a carbon monoxide gas detector.
Most people with a mild exposure to carbon monoxide experience headaches, fatigue, and nausea. Unfortunately, the symptoms are easily overlooked because they are often flu-like. Medium exposure can cause you to experience a throbbing headache, drowsiness, disorientation, and an accelerated heart rate.
There are no indoor air standards for CO2; however, high indoor air levels of carbon dioxide could be an indicator the HVAC system is not working properly. The amount of carbon dioxide in a building is usually related to how much fresh air is being brought into that building.