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The company knows what is in there. The company doesn't know what exactly they smelled since that smell is a product of chemical reaction between refrigerant, o

The company knows what is in there. The company doesn't know what exactly they smelled since that smell is a product of chemical reaction between refrigerant, oil, plastic and electronics. The refrigerant itself, as it's mentioned in the article, doesn't smell.

joecool1029 2y ago
Depending on the refrigerant used it might smell and be substantially more dangerous if it combusts. R1234yf turns into carbonyl fluoride when ignited, which is close to phosgene the WW1 poison gas.
- gruez 2y ago
  >more dangerous if it combusts. R1234yf turns into carbonyl fluoride when ignited, which is close to phosgene the WW1 poison gas. Sounds scary, but is there any reason to believe this actually would occur? For instance, wikipedia lists "a propellant for the delivery of pharmaceuticals (e.g. bronchodilators), wine cork removers, gas dusters ("canned air")" as other uses for it. If it's really as dangerous at it's made out to be, shouldn't we be hearing more about this causing issues from other uses?
  - stahtops 2y ago
    Maybe Samsung should FA the unit and tell us?
  - joecool1029 2y ago
    > Sounds scary, but is there any reason to believe this actually would occur? A shitty Samsung fridge with a stalling compressor causing heat to build up? Frayed wires? Lots of possibilities. I researched this for the first time after I had a compressed air get ignited by a spark while I was cleaning an appliance. It is absolutely a noxious smell and I had to evacuate the room.
- zihotki 2y ago
  As far as I know, that may be false for other than EU markets, R1234yf is used in airconditioners, not fridges. And it requires about 900C to combust. If it reached such temperatures in my house then carbonyl fluoride would be the last concern I would worry about.
  - joecool1029 2y ago
    I don't know about standing fridges yet, but I have seen at least a chest freezer in the US using R1234yf.
  - tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago
    I would assume that arcing could easily reach such temperatures locally without necessarily causing a fire (just like a laser cutter will turn basically anything not laser safe into deadly poison gas without igniting a self-sustaining fire).

joecool1029 2y ago

Depending on the refrigerant used it might smell and be substantially more dangerous if it combusts. R1234yf turns into carbonyl fluoride when ignited, which is close to phosgene the WW1 poison gas.

gruez 2y ago
>more dangerous if it combusts. R1234yf turns into carbonyl fluoride when ignited, which is close to phosgene the WW1 poison gas. Sounds scary, but is there any reason to believe this actually would occur? For instance, wikipedia lists "a propellant for the delivery of pharmaceuticals (e.g. bronchodilators), wine cork removers, gas dusters ("canned air")" as other uses for it. If it's really as dangerous at it's made out to be, shouldn't we be hearing more about this causing issues from other uses?
- stahtops 2y ago
  Maybe Samsung should FA the unit and tell us?
- joecool1029 2y ago
  > Sounds scary, but is there any reason to believe this actually would occur? A shitty Samsung fridge with a stalling compressor causing heat to build up? Frayed wires? Lots of possibilities. I researched this for the first time after I had a compressed air get ignited by a spark while I was cleaning an appliance. It is absolutely a noxious smell and I had to evacuate the room.
zihotki 2y ago
As far as I know, that may be false for other than EU markets, R1234yf is used in airconditioners, not fridges. And it requires about 900C to combust. If it reached such temperatures in my house then carbonyl fluoride would be the last concern I would worry about.
- joecool1029 2y ago
  I don't know about standing fridges yet, but I have seen at least a chest freezer in the US using R1234yf.
- tgsovlerkhgsel 2y ago
  I would assume that arcing could easily reach such temperatures locally without necessarily causing a fire (just like a laser cutter will turn basically anything not laser safe into deadly poison gas without igniting a self-sustaining fire).