Killer chiller

FRIDGES do not explode . . . or do they? In the Seventies, when I worked in the industry, we used refrigerant gases that were non-flammable and I never heard of a domestic fridge catching fire. But in the Eighties, it became apparent that these CFC gases were doing serious damage to the ozone layer.

The gases that had been in use since the Thirties were banned. But there was not a non-flammable replacement. It appears there still is not.

Out of curiosity, I took a look at my fridge/freezer to see what refrigerant it was using. It’s a gas called cyclopentane and I was shocked to learn it is inflammable and heavier than air. If it were to leak, it would stay at ground level, not disperse and, in a hot kitchen, could ignite.

We have been told there is a problem with the plastic backs on fridges catching fire, but that makes no sense because almost all the electrics are in a hermetically sealed metal container.

I suspect the plastic is there to protect the pipework from damage. Are thousands of fridges in danger of catching fire if they are damaged?

JohN WALker, Abbey Wood, London.