Fire Hazard Appliance Recalls UPDATED NORCOLD INFO 11-20-2010

Hi,

Use the savings to buy solar and an inverter. Residential is the way to wander.

00 BUCK wrote:
Hope everyone finds this useful. The Norcold solution wasn't a fix, it was a removal of liability. No matter how many times you have the sensor replaced the fridge will not stop overheating and if you bypass the sensor and your rig catches on fire, it's your fault, not Norcolds.



I expect there will be a class action suit on this sooner than latter

norcold never claimed it was a fix.what it does is shut the fridge off in the rare case it overheats from a low cooling fluid situation
it was never designed nor intended as a repair due to overheating.

MrDoneIt65 wrote:
The Amish coils still heat with propane. They mount on the refrigerator the same way the old coils mounted. Also, make sure the black and white wire in the control box that go to the cooling fans are properly connected. Even though the fans are 12v DC if the wires are hooked up wrong then the fans won't work. Mine were hooked up backwards and when I got the new Amish coils there was a wiring schematic with it. I have no idea how they got hooked up backwards and how long they had been that way. The recall is a joke but don't throw the refrigerator away and pay $4k for a new one. The Amish coils cost me $1075.00.

I used a motorcycle jack, wrapped tape around the wheels to protect the floor, set it in front of the fridge after taking off the doors, and removing the interior shelves, and mounting screws. Then I went outside and disconnected the gas lines and unplugged the fridge. I had an ice maker that never worked so I also had to unhook the water lines. Then I shoved the fridge out of the opening until I could go insided and pull it out.

I rolled it into the center of the kitchen and raised it up until it touched the ceiling which made it stable. I took the four screws out of the old coils, threw them out in the yard, cleaned the caulking off as instructed, put the new caulking in as instructed, mounted the new coils in place, put the screws back in, sealed it with the tape provided and then before I put it back in the opening I cleaned out all the dust and replaced the fiberglass insulation with aluminum coated styrofoam board cut to fit. Lot neater. Then I slid it in, hooked up the gas lines, plugged it in, and turned it on. It now cools on #5 instead of #9. I took the worthless Ice Maker out. Trays work.

Hope everyone finds this useful. The Norcold solution wasn't a fix, it was a removal of liability. No matter how many times you have the sensor replaced the fridge will not stop overheating and if you bypass the sensor and your rig catches on fire, it's your fault, not Norcolds.

Thanks for the info. If mine ever goes out, I will probably do exactly what you done. It would be hard for me to replace it with a refrigerator that only works with AC power.

Hope everyone finds this useful. The Norcold solution wasn't a fix, it was a removal of liability. No matter how many times you have the sensor replaced the fridge will not stop overheating and if you bypass the sensor and your rig catches on fire, it's your fault, not Norcolds.



I expect there will be a class action suit on this sooner than latter

The Amish coils still heat with propane. They mount on the refrigerator the same way the old coils mounted. Also, make sure the black and white wire in the control box that go to the cooling fans are properly connected. Even though the fans are 12v DC if the wires are hooked up wrong then the fans won't work. Mine were hooked up backwards and when I got the new Amish coils there was a wiring schematic with it. I have no idea how they got hooked up backwards and how long they had been that way. The recall is a joke but don't throw the refrigerator away and pay $4k for a new one. The Amish coils cost me $1075.00.

I used a motorcycle jack, wrapped tape around the wheels to protect the floor, set it in front of the fridge after taking off the doors, and removing the interior shelves, and mounting screws. Then I went outside and disconnected the gas lines and unplugged the fridge. I had an ice maker that never worked so I also had to unhook the water lines. Then I shoved the fridge out of the opening until I could go insided and pull it out.

I rolled it into the center of the kitchen and raised it up until it touched the ceiling which made it stable. I took the four screws out of the old coils, threw them out in the yard, cleaned the caulking off as instructed, put the new caulking in as instructed, mounted the new coils in place, put the screws back in, sealed it with the tape provided and then before I put it back in the opening I cleaned out all the dust and replaced the fiberglass insulation with aluminum coated styrofoam board cut to fit. Lot neater. Then I slid it in, hooked up the gas lines, plugged it in, and turned it on. It now cools on #5 instead of #9. I took the worthless Ice Maker out. Trays work.

Hope everyone finds this useful. The Norcold solution wasn't a fix, it was a removal of liability. No matter how many times you have the sensor replaced the fridge will not stop overheating and if you bypass the sensor and your rig catches on fire, it's your fault, not Norcolds.

Mine was not on the first recall. Got the second one and it said to shut the refrigerator down until the recall was done. Since we full-time, that was not an option since the refrigerator was working perfectly. Two days later, the refrigerator quit working before the recall was done. The cooling unit went bad and they told me our coach could have burned to the ground. NORCOLD HAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH BAD COOLING UNITS. Some last less than a year, some last 10 years or longer, and the rest are somewhere in between. Mine lasted nearly 6 years and cost me $2200 to get fixed. With the Amish units, you don't have to worry about the recall wires and sensors, and they will never go bad again. That is the way I will go if this unit goes bad. Norcold will eventually go out of business if they don't start making these things more reliable and less costly to repair. Many new coaches are being built with residential refrigerators and that is a trend I believe will grow due to the crappy reliability of the Norcold units.

Just got the recall in the mail today here is how it reads.
In Oct, 2010 norcold initiated a recall for models, 1200,1201,1210 and 1211 refrigerators typically found in motorhomes from 1997-2011.
The recall states to shut down unplug the refrigerator immediately they are a fire hazzard. It goes on to state that the recall is for the above listed models with serial numbers falling between 315525-13088811 and it also includes the cooling unit serial numbers located outside on the back of the unit serial numbers falling between 700000-13085759. Their web site explains it www.Norcold.com/Recall
Phone 1-800-767-9101 hope this helps.

I have had my 1200LRIM now for nine years and so far it is working very well. But if it ever fails I will also go with the Amish upgrade. I like for my fridge to also run off propane.

Hell, my piece of******sensor went bad when the fridge was off. Went to turn it on and would not come on. Then saw the red light on the sensor and mt fridge was off! I want it fixed, not patched.

plumgrubby wrote:
I found the solution to the Norcold problem. I replaced the entire cooling unit with the new Amish Unit. What a MAJOR difference!! Cools very quickly.... no known problems, stays super cold and with absolutely no experience.... I did it myself. It's not all that difficult. It's much heavier and I had to have help sliding it back into the compartment but it made a world of difference.

yes sounds good EXCEPT my 2008 1210SS norcold cools quickly,stays cold even in hot weather so why would I change? If my unit ever fails I will do the amish coil also