RF197 Samsung Refrigerator

[NAMVET77]

I have a 04 Camelot that I installed the RF197 Samsung Refer about 7 years ago.  Best upgrade I have made.  The refer has worked flawlessly until last week.  My defrost sensor went bad a week ago.  I removed the back panel on the inside of the refer that covers the evap coils.  Sure enough there was ice everywhere.  Melted the ice and bought the rear panel that comes with a new  defrost sensor and installed it.  Bought the rear panel from a local appliance distributor.  Prior to removing the back panel there was a odor (smelled like a dead fish) in the refer.  That was a couple days before I replaced the back panel.  A friend said the back panel has Styrofoam on the back side of the panel to act as insulation.  He said the Styrofoam will absorb odors from the refer.  We haven't had any fish in the refer for several weeks and it wasn't bad while in the refer.  Everything was removed from the refer, checked for freshness and odor, wiped down with disinfectant, and put back in the refer.  The odor still remains.  Any suggestions? Thanks for any help.

Don

[cbr046]

Baking soda?

- bob

[NAMVET77]

I've got 3 boxes of baking soda in there now. I was told to check the catch box where the defrosted water goes and clean it.

[Dale n Deb]

When someone unplugged our MH while we were gone for 10 days, I didn't think I'd find anything to get the smell out. My daughter suggested white vinegar. We kept some in the freezer and some in the fridge. We would switch them each day, putting the frozen one in the fridge and vice versa.  It took a week but the odor disappeared. Vinegar worked wonders for us.

[NAMVET77]

Thanks Dale. I'll try that.

[Ivylog]

Charcoal 

[Dr4Film]

Great article on how to deodorize a very stinky fridge.

https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-get-rid-of-smell-odor-refrigerator