Forum Discussion

horton333's avatar
horton333
Explorer
Aug 26, 2013

Is My Fridge Toasted?

The fridge was not working for a couple of days, tried all the normal stuff. A small amount of cold only on the freezer floor, nothing at all on the fins in the fridge part. I turned it off and we are now using ice boxes :(
Flame is fine and continuous, fault light is not on. Does not work on electrical or propane. Radiator chimney is clear and warm. Both chambers are warm to the touch. There is a gurgling sound, not loud but noticeable and I am sure I would have heard it before if it had been there.
Dropped by a local RV place to chat, they said it likely needs major surgery and bring in the trailer with $800 plus labour. Big :(
Anyone willing to offer a second opinion or things I can check while on the road (for another week)? Also anyone who has had major surgery, any opinions on just replacing the whole thing or fixing what is broke. It is a 2005 model.
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    Aug 26, 2013
    Please post Make and Model of the Fridge.

    Any fishy/ammonia odor?
    Yellow drippage in the outside access area (where you looked at the flame)?
    Has it been operated off level?
  • midnightsadie's avatar
    midnightsadie
    Explorer II
    Aug 26, 2013
    theres a shop in indiana that rebuilds friges . heard they do a great job about $500. bucks.
  • horton333's avatar
    horton333
    Explorer
    Aug 26, 2013
    Thanks:
    Well I have a three hour drive home when this trip is up next Sunday so there will be some 'driving it around'. Is there a specific way this could help?
    I would consider a rebuild if there was a serious guarantee, I assume there is a fair labour charge to install on top? Indiana is not close to me though.
  • pianotuna's avatar
    pianotuna
    Nomad III
    Aug 26, 2013
    Hi horton333,

    Try to find a "washboard road". Hope you can dislodge the blockage.

    If/when my fridge fails, I'll go with a compressor fridge of some kind. Possibly 12 volt.
  • rockhillmanor's avatar
    rockhillmanor
    Explorer
    Aug 26, 2013
    First make sure you have 12volt going to it. They need 12v for the thermostat. Same happened to me everything working to it but not staying cold. It will work but when it reaches temp and shuts off it can NOT come back on again with out 12v.

    In my case it was a bad converter. Actually the fridge and AC not working properly were what led us to the converter.

    Check your converter BEFORE giving some darn dealership money for a new one.
  • MEXICOWANDERER's avatar
    MEXICOWANDERER
    Explorer
    Aug 26, 2013
    One thing I ran into was PRODUCTION WELD SLAG percolating its way up, slowly but surely until the piece plugged an orifice. Had to shut down the refrigerator and wait overnight. Re-start and four months later had to do the same thing. Sal at Kool Fun warrantied the cooling unit but the new one did exactly the same thing. Gas, 120V it did not matter. This Norcold finished me off for interest in gas refrigerators.
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Aug 26, 2013
    That gurgling sound you hear is blockage/clogging that is inhibiting proper flow.
    The ammonia/hydrogen mixture gets heated (electric/gas) and turns into a vapor then flows by gravity back down thru cooling tubes/fins absorbing the heat (cooling freezer/fridge) and turns back into liquid.

    When operated off level that gravity flow is interrupted, over heating occurs, crystals form/stick to tube and cause blockage which causes more overheating and more crystals to form .....etc. The damage is accumulative.
    Eventually a tube will get overheated enough due to lack of flow and will crack.



    There is no cure......only band-aid fixes.

    Replacement cooling units are available.
    Check this place out....good rep, good pricing, great customer service and they have new and remanufactured cooling units...LINK
  • horton333's avatar
    horton333
    Explorer
    Aug 26, 2013
    Thanks for the link Old biscuit - so far everything is pointing towards major surgery and they sell an upgraded unit which is likely worth it in my case. They say 3 hours to change it out, so for me a weekend .... :)
    rockhillmanor - you say it was your 12 volt converter, so I assume no 12 volts at all in your case? My flame lights (on battery) and the fridge light comes on so 12 volts is definitely getting as far as the distribution block. I have not looked into the circuit board as the symptom is it is on continuously, which as I understand it is all the board controls, but the cold just never happens.

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