Refrigerator not cooling

Executive wrote:
The general rule of thumb is if you're comfortable walking in the rig, you're level enough. My Norcold manual says 3 degrees side to side and 6 degrees front to rear. Remember, on absorption fridges the freezer cools first, then the box. I'd put a thermometer in the freezer and see what it's doing.

Above is the simple answer. Since you're getting ready for a trip, you might want to verify the fridge is operating at all. To do so, you'll need to provide the brand and model number of your fridge. If Norcold, has the recall been done? Is the red light on? Do you see any codes on the eyebrow? Provide more information..there's lots of smart people on this forum.....Dennis

It's been level for 24 hours and turned on
The green light is on
It's a model # N611
It's not cooling at all.
The interior light comes on when you open the door.
The Gas lights when I switch it over to gas
Has 110 volts at the plug
the bottom pipe where it goes into the burner is "warm" (could be called "hot")
The flue is "good and hot" so it's heating
When I switch to gas the yellow gas light comes on and does not flash

BUT it will not cool down inside at all.

Anything I could try?
I have a multimeter here.

donn0128 wrote:
How long are you leaving it run before checking it? Absorbation refers require 12-24 hour cool down period before you add food. That can be sped up a bit by adding ice, but Im not ever in that big of a hurry.

The rear-side of the freezer should be ice cold and a surface temperature near 0F within two hours easy. Ice won't do anything to a unit that's warm 12-24 hours from start-up. He's got issues elsewhere.

TNGW1500SE wrote:
8 hours and nothing in it even feels cool. Guess I'm going to go and give it a shot. Fingers crossed.

It's not working. Trouble shoot a non-working refrigerator, step by step. Start with power, propane supply line, etc....

Gas absorption refrigerators will work "un level," but not over several hours past their freeze-up point.

One other item...check to ensure you have sufficient 12VDC power. Without that, the fridge won't operate on propane or 120VAC.....Dennis

Mine stays at around 34 degrees with the setting at 6. But at one time I did not think it was cooling enough, so I slid the thermistor on the edge of the fins up about half an inch. It has been working great since then.

TURN FRIDGE OFF..............STOP OPERATING IT UN-LEVEL......YOU ARE KILLING IT!!!


Absorption fridges rely on proper gravity flow for the heat/vapor/liquid process used to cool the fridge. Off level operation disrupts this needed/required gravity flow, causes over heating of coolant which results in crystals being foamed that then plate out of inside of tubes. This damage is accumulative and permanent. If can happen with just 20 minutes of off level operation.

Level RV whenever stationary before turning fridge ON (OK while in transit due to rig movement

If your freezer is working and the fridge is around 50 degrees sometimes a small fan in the fridge will help it circulate and bring down temperature hope this helps.

2003 Airstream Land Yacht

The general rule of thumb is if you're comfortable walking in the rig, you're level enough. My Norcold manual says 3 degrees side to side and 6 degrees front to rear. Remember, on absorption fridges the freezer cools first, then the box. I'd put a thermometer in the freezer and see what it's doing.

Above is the simple answer. Since you're getting ready for a trip, you might want to verify the fridge is operating at all. To do so, you'll need to provide the brand and model number of your fridge. If Norcold, has the recall been done? Is the red light on? Do you see any codes on the eyebrow? Provide more information..there's lots of smart people on this forum.....Dennis

I once parked in an unlevel parking lot (12 yr-old fridge) and left the fridge running all night. Decidedly less cool the next day. Took a day of driving around (ammonia sloshing?) for it to recover. Never did that again.

If it's not cool at all, there's likely an issue.

I would take a small fridge from walmart with me in a lower bay. Also I would look at a residential when you come back. But that is another whole thread. It should be cool in 8 hours maybe not cold but cool, yes.