Fridge shutting off

dougrainer wrote:

jtdlmc wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions. He had taken it out thinking it would be easier to figure out but couldn't get it out the trailer door. Reinstalled it and now it doesn't seem to be working at all. There was lots of rust and debris falling out of it when he took it out so maybe it is just pooched?

No, you need to CLEAN the burner and flue. When you moved it around the debris dispersed itself but it is still there. Doug

Ok we will clean this and hope for the best. Thanks

jtdlmc wrote:
Thanks for all the suggestions. He had taken it out thinking it would be easier to figure out but couldn't get it out the trailer door. Reinstalled it and now it doesn't seem to be working at all. There was lots of rust and debris falling out of it when he took it out so maybe it is just pooched?

No, you need to CLEAN the burner and flue. When you moved it around the debris dispersed itself but it is still there. Doug

Thanks for all the suggestions. He had taken it out thinking it would be easier to figure out but couldn't get it out the trailer door. Reinstalled it and now it doesn't seem to be working at all. There was lots of rust and debris falling out of it when he took it out so maybe it is just pooched?

jtdlmc wrote:

23hotrodr wrote:
If this occurs when you are plugged into shore power and does not occur when you are not plugged into shore power, the problem could be that you have a bad converter. A converter that is putting out what is called "ripple current" can cause the controls on Norcold refrigerators to do what you are experiencing. If the refrigerator works when you are not plugged into shore power and are running on battery power only, I would very strongly suspect that the converter is the culprit. Good luck-- Mick

The trailer itself is plugged into shore power in the garage right now, going to try plugging the fridge into shore power directly and see if that is the case. Thanks

The ripple current problem I told you about has to do with the 12 volt dc power that operates the controls of your fridge. The 120 volt ac plug to the fridge only operates the electric heating element and will not help you determine if 12 volt dc ripple current from your converter is your problem.

ALL RV refers the freezer gets COLD before anything else, that is normal on your refer.
Check light is a code ONLY for LP failure to light or stay lit. There is NO indicator when the refer fails on 120 volts, it just will not cool
There is NO pilot, it is a regular flame
Need Model number, but I will bet it is impossible to read after all these years.
When was the last time you cleaned the burner and the Chimney for the burner flame? IF NEVER, then that is where you have to start as the burner area and burner probably has debris and rust.
If it fails on both 120 and LP and you verify you have NO RV 12 volt supply problems, then your main circuit board is probably bad. Doug

dougrainer wrote:
1. The freezer is NOT controlled by anything. It gets cold regardless of Tstat setting. The tstat controls the lower section.
2. You state you sometimes have to wait a few hours before it will relight on LP. What does the refer do when you try to relight in that 2 hours? Do you get a check light or any code?
3. When you state it shuts OFF, do the controls shut down and no indicater lights are on? Or the controls stay ON but the refer does not cool?
4. Not sure, about your year model control board, but Norcolds have a built in defrost timer that shuts the refer OFF every 48 to 54 hours for about 2 hours to allow the evap coils to defrost the ice build up on the fins. To STOP this defrost cycle, all you do is once a day, turn the refer OFF for 5 seconds and turn it back on and the 48 to 54 hour timer starts all over. I would try this and see if the problem goes away. Doug

1. When the fridge is initially turned on the bottom of the freezer gets cold before anything else. If set higher than 3 that is all that gets cold before it shuts off.
2. The check light comes on when running on propane. The pilot lights for a few seconds and then goes out.
3. On electric the "on" light stays on but the fridge quits cooling. On propane the "check" light comes on.
4. It shuts off and stays off until turned back on.

23hotrodr wrote:
If this occurs when you are plugged into shore power and does not occur when you are not plugged into shore power, the problem could be that you have a bad converter. A converter that is putting out what is called "ripple current" can cause the controls on Norcold refrigerators to do what you are experiencing. If the refrigerator works when you are not plugged into shore power and are running on battery power only, I would very strongly suspect that the converter is the culprit. Good luck-- Mick

The trailer itself is plugged into shore power in the garage right now, going to try plugging the fridge into shore power directly and see if that is the case. Thanks

1. The freezer is NOT controlled by anything. It gets cold regardless of Tstat setting. The tstat controls the lower section.
2. You state you sometimes have to wait a few hours before it will relight on LP. What does the refer do when you try to relight in that 2 hours? Do you get a check light or any code?
3. When you state it shuts OFF, do the controls shut down and no indicater lights are on? Or the controls stay ON but the refer does not cool?
4. Not sure, about your year model control board, but Norcolds have a built in defrost timer that shuts the refer OFF every 48 to 54 hours for about 2 hours to allow the evap coils to defrost the ice build up on the fins. To STOP this defrost cycle, all you do is once a day, turn the refer OFF for 5 seconds and turn it back on and the 48 to 54 hour timer starts all over. I would try this and see if the problem goes away. Doug

If this occurs when you are plugged into shore power and does not occur when you are not plugged into shore power, the problem could be that you have a bad converter. A converter that is putting out what is called "ripple current" can cause the controls on Norcold refrigerators to do what you are experiencing. If the refrigerator works when you are not plugged into shore power and are running on battery power only, I would very strongly suspect that the converter is the culprit. Good luck-- Mick

I would guess a bad control board. Call Donosaur boards in Lincoln City, OR and talk to them. Be sure to have the refers model and serial number.