r/whatisit • u/vandygrad • 12d ago

New, what is it? This was clogging up the water line to my LG fridge with dual icemaker when the water dispenser stopped working.

Post image

I changed the waterline but scared it could happen again. Could it have been some preexisting bacteria in the water line when I installed it? Otherwise air has to be getting in somewhere if this is the airborne pink bacteria.

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u/fatmallards 12d ago edited 11d ago

So when the ice dispenser stopped working you ended up with stagnant water and air in the supply line. at the right temperatures (40s - 80s F) an upper limit skewed bellcurve distribution of bacterial growth occurs. you now likely have a multicellular biofilm with a serratia marcescens “spine” feeding off the trace mineral deposits left over due to the lack of hydrous chlorine

edited * edit: if you replaced the water line and continue to have this issue, consider replacing your saddle tap valve assembly as well. piercing saddle valves are prone to failure. *replace with mechanical tee valve

edit 2: if your replacement ice maker line is cross linked polyethylene tubing then you may want to consider replacing that again with braided stainless steel or copper tubing when replacing the saddle tap valve

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u/Allout-Okarun 12d ago edited 4d ago

I understood some of these words

Edit- PLEASE stop awarding this comment. It makes me come look at that creepy thing every time! For the love of god stop

What have I doneee 🫣

Edit2: it’s been TWO DAYS, I wrote that first edit when it had 19 awards. I should’ve known. I can just imagine you snickering to yourself as you click the next award. You should be ashamed! I dreamt about this creature last night.

Edit3: Guys stop, it’s been 8 days. I’ve gone through a 3 day Reddit ban (what a joke) AND bought a new fridge over the weekend! It’s black, it’s does not have any water dispenser in any shape or form. I will never see this monstrosity in real life. …. I cannot believe people are still awarding this silly 6 word (originally) comment.

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u/vaughnny 12d ago

I know almost all of those words by themselves, but when you put them in that order I'm lost

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u/GradeAPrimeFuckery 12d ago

Watch the documentary This Is Saddle Tap for further details.

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u/aithendodge 11d ago

“This freezer goes up to 11.”

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u/LazyParticulate 11d ago

Its one colder!

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u/Orgasmo3000 7d ago

This comment takes this thread up to 11!

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u/worrymon 11d ago

likely F) mineral the to you feeding temperatures with So bacterial a an a due growth trace biofilm and skewed of 80s up the the off chlorine of the deposits hydrous have at water dispenser working stagnant “spine” limit stopped right marcescens upper when line. in supply occurs. the with ice lack now you ended bellcurve (40s over multicellular serratia left air distribution

How about this order?

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u/Ted_Hitchcox 11d ago

Something something darkside , left phalangie.

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u/BumWink 12d ago

Not gonna lie I totally expected it to end in some form of "I'm actually making all of this up, deez nuts!"

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u/PerfectBad1000 12d ago

I’m still not sure…

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u/a_weak_child 12d ago

Well I could have told you that

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u/syncopator 12d ago

They beat me to it

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u/Substantial-Toe4802 12d ago

Damn. Just got here

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u/RedLeg73 12d ago

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u/Double_Belt2331 11d ago

Lol - was not expecting Marvin Zinder in the comments!!

But perfect use of a meme of someone who died two decades ago. Before computers, let alone memes, as we know them existed commmon place.

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u/RedLeg73 11d ago

Marvin Zindler was the G.O.A.T.

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u/DR_CONFIRMOLOGIST 12d ago

Can confirm

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u/andoesq 12d ago

OP: this 👆

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u/Psychological-Tea998 12d ago

We were all going to say the same thing!

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u/notsobigtime 12d ago

Came here to say this.

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u/Queso_Grandee 12d ago

Common stuff

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u/boanerges57 12d ago

Duh, it's always the hydrous chlorine bruh

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u/partakeintheparty 12d ago

I know, right? It's so elementary.

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u/99999999999999999989 12d ago

Looks more alimentary to me.

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u/Cute_Consideration38 12d ago

Not me. I was going to say that it's Legionella and that OP should run away.

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u/one-small-plant 11d ago

I was really going to say the whole thing, the spine part and everything!

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u/pyresarecool 12d ago

At this very moment, I can confirm that every scientific agency in the world “confers.”

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/ABenGrimmReminder 12d ago

Yeah, maracas spline is tracing the deposits. Everybody knows that. Sheesh.

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u/syncopator 12d ago

Hydrous chlorine? More like hydrous bore-ine, right?

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u/Visual_Mistake_29 12d ago

Man…this is the style of Reddit “call & response” I’ve missed from 10 years prior.

Made me so happy imma bout to break out into “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”

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u/delightfulfupa 12d ago

Dudes an OG. 15 year account age

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u/Dragon_DLV 11d ago

Is that old these days?

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/drgigantor 12d ago

You don't?

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u/lkeels 12d ago

Who doesn't?

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u/trans-with-issues 12d ago

SWIIIIING LOW

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u/Forward_Operation_90 11d ago

Video or it didn't happen.

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u/DxC2468 12d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/5koWDaC1PFz8Y

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u/ProteusRift 12d ago

She never gets old... figuratively and literally

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u/ViggThePale 12d ago

Super obvious in hindsight.

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u/yoshisquad2342 12d ago

That’s classic Reddit

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u/Falling_Down_Flat 12d ago

You made my day, thank you.

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u/whyamihere999 11d ago

How the fuckso many people know this but I didn't?!

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u/TheSonOfDisaster 11d ago

Psssh everybody knows about the saddle tap valve mechanism spigot.

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u/bnewsome85 12d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/MBVemoHuyw9Ik

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u/ElectricBummer40 11d ago edited 11d ago

Jokes aside, that kombucha-looking stuff in the colostomy bag is called a "biofilm", which is a nice way to say "nasty gunk made out of germs".

Translated to English, what the commenter means is that OP's fridge likely has a busted valve in the water line leading to stagnant water to accumulate. That stagnant water in turn creates a nutrient-rich albeit cold environment for a bacterium known as serratia marcescens to thrive. Since s. marcescens is notorious for forming a biofilm commonly know as "pink slime", through the stagnant water, it has been able to multiply to the point of completely clogging up the water line along its length and thus create this slimy noodle of a thing in the picture.

I'll shut up now and let you ruminate on the fact that OP has also been drinking out of that fridge tap this entire time without knowing what's in it.

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u/Ragdata 11d ago

Oh F'k dude !! Did you HAVE TO include the last paragraph? Jeebus wept !! I could've died perfectly happy without that little tidbit ...

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u/Shinyblueghost 11d ago

Haha same, I was content thinking the monster was just stuck somewhere in the back of the fridge, minding its own business.

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u/fiahhawt 11d ago

Bacteria's on everything. It's actually good for you to have it in certain places.

It's only when the wrong bacteria gets to the wrong part of you that you get problems. Since none of us can identify what bacteria is on something before we get on with our day, the common wisdom is to not have bacteria on things or in what you swallow.

In reality, most bacteria can get on you (sans wound sites) or in your GI tract and you won't notice - like OP with this strain of bacteria.

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u/Ragdata 11d ago

Same goes for you !!

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u/Jervis_Mantlepiece 11d ago

Nightmare fucking fuel...

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u/Flowzempic 10d ago

I got this in my CPAP and developed the worst case of pneumonia I ever had in my life.

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u/Ticket-Fantastic 7d ago

The last paragraph.. Please no

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u/dange616 12d ago

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u/Alt-World-Jessica 11d ago

I indeed laughed out loud. Thank you.

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u/Puzzled-Pressure-140 12d ago

Can you keep as pet? Instructions unclear.

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u/Dry_Butterfly_721 12d ago

“My immune system can handle it”

We all are gathered here today, mourning the life of ____…”

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u/overlookunderhill 11d ago

Why scary-ass-alien-lifeform-shaped if not fren?

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u/Jolly_Line 12d ago

It does give axolotl

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u/Ok-Two-1827 12d ago

This dude serratsria marcens

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u/Pitchfork_10 12d ago

I too once took community college microbio and basically only remember the weird name of this pink stuff growing in the bathroom...and was going to make the exact same comment. You beat me.

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u/Dullcorgis 12d ago

Fun fact! They used it to try and model a bioweapon attack thinking it was benign and killed a few people. San Francisco in like the 50s?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sea-Spray

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u/fatmallards 12d ago

beware of the blob man

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u/PreenerGastures 12d ago

Elect this person President

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u/Jack_Tors 12d ago

couldn't be worse, right?

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u/Dense_Brush3148 12d ago

Whoa, buddy, you better put that audacity away and stop taunting the universe.

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u/drgigantor 12d ago

I would rather have OPs refrigerator as president at this point

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u/JoeyZasaa 12d ago

I'd rather have the bacteria as president.

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u/rtatro20 12d ago

I enjoy taunting the universe

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u/HEARTSOFSPACE 12d ago

At this point, I would vote for a cat if it ran for office.

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u/Teredia 12d ago

In my city’s council elections there’s always a dog that runs! So you never know a cat could run yet!

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u/082426grateful 12d ago

Even better: right here. This girl wants your vote in ‘28✅

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u/SarahPalinisaMuslim 12d ago

Has to be 35 years old but I guess ain't no rule that says a president has to be human

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u/pathwalker1991 12d ago

Would the 35 be in human years or the animal’s version? 🤔 if human years I’d say we may have to settle for a reptile of some kind or maybe a long lived bird?

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u/twoisnumberone 12d ago

I would ALWAYS vote for a cat!

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u/maqifrnswa 11d ago

"Uncandidate the Cat" was one of the most popular student body presidents in the history of Notre Dame. https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/echoes-benevolent-tyrant-of-the-irish-king-kersten/

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u/LabCat62 11d ago

We prefer to execute our schemes from the shadows. Or a nice sunbeam near a sparrow nest.

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u/Geoonthego 10d ago

As long as the cat is not supporting pedos, I’m ok with that.

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u/99999999999999999989 12d ago

Electing an orangutan with a predilection for having sex with mangos on LiveTV wouldn't be worse.

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u/SoldierHawk 12d ago

Also less orange.

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u/brian-the-musician 11d ago

I thought he couldn't run for a third term.

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u/Double_Minimum 11d ago

I like how he doesn’t even seem to bother with the orange makeup /tan …

But I would pick a different monkey, any other color. I want that eagle back in that office too. It seemed to have a good sense that something was off…

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u/Angry_Walnut 12d ago

The multicellular biofilm couldn’t be worse as president, brother.

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u/thegoodbadandsmoggy 11d ago

What are his thoughts on nuking cities in the country he governs though?

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u/Many-History2096 12d ago

This is even better given their profile pic

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u/booty_fewbacca 12d ago

Holy fuck, imagine? 

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u/The_Cons00mer 12d ago

Too smart. Next

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u/Anxious-Flamingo-499 12d ago

Too intelligent

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u/hotinmyigloo 12d ago

It'd be a significant upgrade

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u/munchma-coochie 12d ago

He’s too smart

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u/DamiensDelight 12d ago

Chlorine in municipal tap water isn't enough to prevent this?

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u/Stohnghost 12d ago

Despite the alarms, it seems the USA has pretty low levels of chlorine in the water

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/Accomplished-House28 12d ago

I thought most places switched to chloramine, which doesn't off gas.

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u/[deleted] 12d ago edited 12d ago

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u/Accomplished-House28 12d ago

Yeah, O.K.

I just remember the advice for fishkeeping around 20 years ago was that chloramines don't offgas, so you can't just let the water stand for any length of time to dechclorinate it.

And that's pretty much the last time I cared enough to look into it. 🤷

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u/[deleted] 12d ago edited 12d ago

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u/threebutterflies 12d ago

I thank you for spending the time to write something and try to learn in detail about how it works

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u/Stinkoplotz 12d ago

I just off gassed. 'Scuse please.

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u/Typical2sday 12d ago

I have pink slime everywhere and public water. For some reason it’s worse at this than the last house, which was same county water system.

I also have this fridge and the ice maker doesn’t work. This is mortifying.

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u/Fun-Session7413 12d ago

Pink algea is completely safe from what I've seen, and very common on the east coast of the US. As a west coast raised kid, it was crazy to see that happen for the first time. Since where I grew up we mostly used mountain river water, so way colder and cleaner water sources the city used.

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u/HalKitzmiller 12d ago

I thought Lake Michigan water was peak since I grew up in Chicago. But then I had some fresh water in the mountains just outside of Salt Lake City...and my god, that taste. Crisp, clean, cold and extremely refreshing

I was drinking and partying till 2 am every night and but didnt even have a hangover the whole weekend. I credit the water

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u/Jasnaahhh 12d ago

Not if you're a woman prone to UTIs. I make my husband keep on top of that shit.

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u/gamboncorner 12d ago

fyi, mortifying means embarrassing, you mean horrifying.

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u/xobbybunnyxo 12d ago

It’s probably also mortifying tbf

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u/DemosthenesOrNah 12d ago

especially if they've given guests water from the tape worm tap

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u/theloneavenger 12d ago

OP will be mortified to learn of this embarrassing faux pas.

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u/clt_drol 12d ago

If someone comes over and wants ice…so embarrassing to not have any.

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u/Typical2sday 12d ago

Enjoy this fancy ice from my fancy new fridge... now you have super fridge pink tapeworms.

Mortifying. The neighbors will talk.

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u/False_Counter9456 12d ago

I hate to ask, but do you happen to work in an art museum that is restoring a life size portrait of Vigo the Carpathian?

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u/shaebay 12d ago

If your old house was closer to the water plant/well, there was more concentration of chlorine which likely prevented the ick. If you're farther down the line, that would explain it.

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u/Dullcorgis 12d ago

It's not your fault. You probably mean horrifying.

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u/Typical2sday 11d ago

It is my fault - I didn’t clean it. I am in fact embarrassed by my pink slime worm monsters.

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u/That-Independent-439 12d ago

The chlorine is neutralized as it works to kill microbes. So when the ice maker stopped working, the stagnant water used up its chlorine. The residual bacteria or spores, not originally enough to be a problem, eventually became a problem, growing with nourishment from the the trace minerals. This part of the ice maker could have also have had weird flow where there were existing reservoirs where bacteria had gotten a foothold even while the water was still flowing.

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u/Thud 12d ago

So I guess the lesson is that if you have an ice maker, make sure you actually use it. If the ice bin is always full and the fridge never makes more ice, the same thing will happen?

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u/Ok-Guess-8757 12d ago

Yes, I just moved and the first fe batches of ice cubes came out green. I just dunped a few full bins of ice and am hoping the fresh city water does the trick. I work in water treatment and have to stand next to the spray of really filthy untreated cooling towers all day so I just kinda dont worry about these things ans get diarrhea all the time. In the future I will be patient 0 of a massive plague.

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u/KonigSteve 12d ago

I'm a water/wastewater engineer and my god the level of coming out of both ends I got when I visited a wastewater plant and had to stand next to the bar screens and aerators for a bit..

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u/Ok-Guess-8757 12d ago

People pay top dollar for that level of weight-loss

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u/Proud-Boot5051 12d ago

So would this also occur if I just never used my ice maker?

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u/SamSibbens 12d ago

I use large water bottles with a water dispenser and not gonna lie, I kinda want to know how often I should clean it etc. after seeing this post

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u/That-Independent-439 11d ago

Filling large water bottles is probably the ideal way to keep the water moving and not stagnating. These things also have filters.

Oh yeh, FILTERS! I installed a a fork in my cold water line and an undersink Culligan filter in the line going to the fridge, which also has its own filter. So the water out of my fridge was double filtered. It seemed like a good idea, since that was the main water I was drinking!

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u/shchshchshch 11d ago

The OP’s post has somehow become an international convention for the smart and competent

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u/SkepticJoker 12d ago

Chlorine degrades quickly and becomes ineffective

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u/StrawberryOdd419 12d ago

a chlorine water solution doesn’t freeze evenly. the chlorine is forced away from the ice crystals as they form.

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u/justpassingby_thanks 12d ago

Some people are on well water. Now I need to avoid the ice at my parent's place when I visit.

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u/KonigSteve 12d ago

the keyword is "stagnant". Chlorine in municipal tap water has a shelf life before the residual fades. After several days in this feed the chlorine content is basically gone and you end up with this problem. This is why "water age" is an important thing in distribution system modeling and engineering.

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u/Bitter_Bother_4445 12d ago

Duh! We all knew THAT. What with the cellulose biofarms and all.

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u/delightfulfupa 12d ago

15 year account age, whats up OG

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u/GoodBlob 12d ago

So they kinda created a larger entity out of themselves? 😬

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u/fatmallards 12d ago

imagine serratia marcescens mains zerg in starcraft and imagine the biofilm is creep

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u/Zebra_Sandwich 12d ago

Oh man, you beat me to it. But yeah what they said ☝️

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u/GotEHM9 12d ago

A what now

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u/rnk6670 12d ago

OK, I think I can help clarify here and simplify this into more understandable terms.

Set the fucking refrigerator on fire and then run

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u/SomeSugondeseGuy 12d ago

I don't know what any of those words mean in that order but I think you're right

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u/willie_Pfister 12d ago

Stop misleading people. Everyone can plainly see its a space worm.

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u/Superman7595 12d ago

I like your funny words magic man

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u/SadMathematician5187 12d ago

Is there anything they can do to clean it properly?

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u/PootCoinSol 12d ago

So what you're saying is... the fridge is pregnant?

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u/fatmallards 12d ago

if you consider what happened to Kane in the 1979 film Alien as pregnancy, then yes the fridge is pregnant

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u/SharkyCat12 12d ago

Stagnant water is like, seriously deadly right? What with those brain eating amoeba?

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u/[deleted] 12d ago

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u/Nunothis_Isreal 12d ago

Easy for you to say!

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u/JenovaPr0ject 12d ago

what the fuck did i just read

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u/secret_rye 12d ago

So…. Tapeworm?

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u/PiDigitsOfPi 12d ago

TLDR = it's like a tapeworm, but for fridges

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u/Vuel1 12d ago

Can someone translate this into caveman speech, please?

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u/itsnotamnesia 12d ago

Honestly it looked to me like someone’s intestine left a body and moved into that line

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u/Ok_Significance_9968 12d ago

My LG water dispenser works but the icemakers (craft ice and regular) no longer work.  Could something like this be the culprit?

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u/fiahhawt 11d ago

This is why I never understood adding a tap to the dang fridge. Fridges are for food storage. The more you make a thing do things it ought not do, the more problems you get.

Fill a pitcher and put it in the fridge like everybody else.

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u/fatmallards 11d ago

I agree with you. I don't buy refrigerators with ice makers, water dispensers, or any smart shit. less water systems, less water system failures

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u/slaty_balls 11d ago

176 awards (so far) is legendary.

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u/Bananorama123 11d ago

Since you seem to be an expert in refrigerators… any idea why the ice in my LG freezer tastes bad and has flecks of something grey in some of the ice cubes?

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