off topic: ice maker ice smells like onions

R

rwn2000

Joined
Jan 6, 2003
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Ok, I know this is way out in left field but I have tried everything. I have a problem with the ice in my refrigerator ice maker. It smells like onions, noticeably. I am on well water and have a particulate filter next to the pressure tank. I added an inline filter on the feed line going into the ice maker. The water has been tested and does not contain any bacteria. I can clean the ice bin, restart the ice maker and within 5 days you can smell the onion smell on the ice.

any ideas?

randy
 
Does the refrigerator have a water dispenser also???
A charcoal filter typically eliminates most minerals and odor. How old is the filter?
You may have to add some chorine to get rid of the smell.
You'll have to drain the supply line from the filter to the fridge, fill it up with Clorox and see if that helps. Of course, it takes a few batches to clear the Clorox.
 
Does the water ,before the refigerator ,smell of onions ? That is , does the water have sulfur in it ? Or do you store onions or other sulfur containing things in it ? Water ,onions or any other thing containing sulfur may be the source. The sulfur smell in foods are mercaptains , skunks included !!
 
I agree with mete. I would check your source water and see if it has any smell or sulfur content.
Then I would see if something in the refrigerator is causing the water freezing in the ice maker to absorb odors with sulfur.
I would also replace all filters with new ones, and add a charcoal filter to the water line going to the ice maker.

Mercaptins are what is added to gasoline to give it a repellant smell. Is there a gas station or gas storage up the aquifer from your well? Gasoline and other chemicals getting into the ground water can travel far to pass on the smell. The water will test good, but smell bad. Other sources of this smell and chemicals can be natural gas drilling and wells.

I worked in the area around Camp Lejeune back in the 70's. The water smelled horrible. It was tested oven and over again, and it always tested safe. Only recently have they determined that the chemicals in the ground from military things and spills was the cause. I tend to think that 90% of all the people claiming their maladies 30-40 years later are from that water are not real, but there surely are some who were affected.
 
the water straight out of the tap doesn't smell. I can leave a jug on the counter for 5 days and another jug in the fridge for 5 days and it doesn't smell, either. There is really nothing in the freezer that smells like onions either. I thought that the filter I added at the fridge was a charcoal filter but after looking at it, I don't see that written anywhere on it. Cloroxing the lines is a good idea, I will definitely try that with a new filter.

Stacy, the only gas station close to me is less than 5 years old, so that is not likely. I am familiar with the water issues at Camp Lejeune. It makes the news here pretty often. I don't know if the military recently discovered they were the cause or just recently admitted they were the cause. :) And I agree with you that at least 50% of the ones claiming the water affected them are just after the $$$$.

thanks

randy
 
what if you make ice in the freezer with the same water? Does it smell after five days?

Is the bin drain line clogged?
 
Ron has an excellent suggestion. Fill a clean ice tray with tap water and make some ice. If that doesn't smell and the icemaker ice does, then the problem is in the icemaker or the lines to it. It may well be the lines to the freezer. If they are translucent plastic lines, they may have algae growing in them. Algae often gives off sulfur byproducts. If there is algae growing in the lines or filter, I would suggest using Clorox water to wash and clean everything and either replace of thoroughly rinse out the plastic lines.
 
Give the ice maker and the entire fridge and freezer a good cleaning, if the icemaker has a water filter clean and change the cartridge too.
 
The typicalone piece vacuum molded liner for a frig or freezeris made from a plastic the absorbs chemicals .That in turn will contaminate things put into the machine . But the question is still - where did the sulfur come from ??
 
The simplest answer would be to make sure you store all food in sealed containers. If you put a 1/2 onion in the door and forget about it, everything in the fridge will have an onion smell, If you have an onion go bad in the crisper it will make everything in the fridge start to smell like onions, the only way to get rid of that smell is to wipe the entire inside of the fridge down with bleach water

Buy a fridge deodorizer ;0)
 
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