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Frequently Asked Questions About Domestic Refrigerator Repair:

Green stain on the floor behind the refrigerator

Whirlpool No-Frost Refrigerator-Freezer Model ET16AK I clean the condenser coils annually. When I do, I notice a green substance on the floor. It seems to be leaching off with the water
condensing on tubes (pipes) to the right of the compressor. This has been happening since the unit was new (14 years old now). The units cooling ability has not changed over the years and its run cycles do not appear to have changed. Any ideas what the Green Stuff is?

Sure, when some metals rust, the rust is not always brown in color. When copper, the metal used for refrigeration lines rusts, it's a green color. I've seen the green stain behind many refrigerators it's very common and it doesn't mean that anything is wrong with it. During normal operation the suction line returning from the freezer section often condenses moisture from the air because at certain parts of the refrigeration cycle it ends up being colder then the air surrounding it. Water droplets fall off the line taking some of the rust with them. Will a copper line ever rust through? Maybe in 100 years or so which is far longer than the design life of the refrigerator.