I had the recall for the heat sensor done in 2011 to my Norcold 1200LRIM . Since then I have had cooling issues in hot climates as many have. Not at the time being that familiar with my fridge, I did not know I could hear the fans run from inside the coach. I have read posts here and on other blogs that people have had their fans wired backwards when they received their coach. I was since I cannot see the wires coming from the fans, I looked at the wiring diagrams to see if I could figure it our. Are the fans wired along with the flapper heater wires into the board. The flapper heater works fine. I am trying to decide whether to install additional fans up at the condenser but wanted to see if I can figure out if the muffin fans will work before I do this. Can anyone tell me whether these 2 are wired together and if they are what color wire should be the ground? I am not going to just swap the flapper heater wires to see if that will make the fans run.

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Flapper heater and fans use same 12V DC (+) and 12V DC (-)........Positive should be White or RedNegative should be BlackT-stat for fans should close (ON) at 130*F and open (OFF) at 115*F (condenser fin temp)

Super!! Thanks for the response! Guess I have a fan/thermostat problem then since the wiring looks good, so it's yank the fridge to replace the equipment or add new fans ... the later would be cheaper and take less time (wait time and hourly rate), and probably more efficient .... Thanks again for confirming for me .... I've been using small AC fans when docked and shaded the fridge with a mesh tarp, but the road was a problem unless I wanted to use the inverter but I didn't have the shade .... that made temps rise to upper 40's .... hoping some switched DC fans will do the trick ....

mperkins52 wrote:Super!! Thanks for the response! Guess I have a fan/thermostat problem then since the wiring looks good, so it's yank the fridge to replace the equipment or add new fans ... the later would be cheaper and take less time (wait time and hourly rate), and probably more efficient .... Thanks again for confirming for me .... I've been using small AC fans when docked and shaded the fridge with a mesh tarp, but the road was a problem unless I wanted to use the inverter but I didn't have the shade .... that made temps rise to upper 40's .... hoping some switched DC fans will do the trick ....Disconnect OEM fans from t-stat.......install an ON/OFF switch in + line to fans. Turn them ON and let them run.

IF on a recall install they remove the rear black module board to install the recall kit wires, IF they reverse the White and Black fan/flapper wires, the rear fans will NOT work. If the outside temp is over 70 degrees and the refer has been running at least 12 hours, just reverse those 2 wires (They have a large white an small white wire together, and a large black and small black together). If the fans come on in a few seconds they reversed those wires, so leave them in the new position. This is a common complaint/problem when someone removes the black module board cover. They do not know which wires go where and since nothing bad happens when they misconnect, they figure they connect correctly. Staring at the back of the module board, the White wires will be to the left and the Black wires to the right of the white. There is no other way to diag the fans without pulling the refer, unless the refer is in a slide room with a upper access door. Doug

Norcold 1200 Muffin Fans | Good Sam Community

16 Replies

mperkins52
Explorer
Aug 11, 2014
I jumped over the thermostat that is supposed to control these fans .... good power to one side of the thermostat when fridge is on, so jumping it should cause the 2 fans to run continuously ...... nothing .... just mounted new fans in the exhaust duct on the roof ..... seems like it will be adequate
landyacht318
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
My old compressor Norcold had a Jamicon 80mm 24v fan blowing upwards through condenser/compressor but it would only turn on if temps exceeded 115F.

So possibly, your absorption fridge is doing the same thing regarding the fans.

Muffin fans are polarity sensitive. They won't just spin backwards if polarity is reversed.
mperkins52
Explorer
Aug 03, 2014
I jumped the thermostat and the OEM fans still do not work .... don't guess there is a separate fuse just for them, is there?
mperkins52
Explorer
Jul 28, 2014
Thanks so very much for the advice.... dropping a switched wire option sounds like an intelligent thing to do .... think I'll do the same .... installed 3 switched fans but the fridge still stays around 39-42 on #5 on these 90-95 degree days, with me only rarely opening it ... sure would like to have those muffin fans working too ... the new fans will hold a fiber blue shop towel on the outside access panel, even with the bug screen on the access panel .... when it cools to 75-80 degree days, it will stay in the lower 30's on #5 .... guess my unit is just wearing down ....
dougrainer
Nomad
Jul 27, 2014
mperkins52 wrote:
One more quick note .... maybe I just don't understand the thermostat .... it looks as though there is a black wire and white wire going into the thermostat on the condenser fins, when looking from the top vent hole on top of the RV .... since the muffin fans don't work, I thought I might just jump the thermostat to see if they would work .... I thought the thermostat would act like a switch just closing the power connection .... could the power wire be 2 different colors just to confuse me?

Yes, you can jump those 2 wires and the fans will operate. Don't be fooled by the 2 different colors. It makes no difference. Doug

This is the ONLY item on a Norcold that requires pulling for diag and replacement. That is why I install the 2 wire jumper after I repair a Fan or cooling unit. To aid in future diagnostics. Doug
mperkins52
Explorer
Jul 27, 2014
One more quick note .... maybe I just don't understand the thermostat .... it looks as though there is a black wire and white wire going into the thermostat on the condenser fins, when looking from the top vent hole on top of the RV .... since the muffin fans don't work, I thought I might just jump the thermostat to see if they would work .... I thought the thermostat would act like a switch just closing the power connection .... could the power wire be 2 different colors just to confuse me?
mperkins52
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
Thanks so much for all the help and advice .... it's a shame these refers were not engineered with an easier diagnostic process than pull the whole appliance to determine the malfunction, since Norcold knows these refers all go into tight spots .... I'm looking at a minimum 2 week wait for someone to even look at mine (then pay parts and labor), to get it back to the same mediocre performance, when I could probably install 2 to 4 fans myself, adding easy access and a switching capability, all for less than the labor to pull the refer ... I took my Phaeton back to the factory last year and left it for 4 weeks to get some things repaired that others had repaired incorrectly .... not looking forward to leaving it in a parking lot for another 2 or 3 weeks for something this easily repaired ..... Thanks again for all the help and recommendations ....
dougrainer
Nomad
Jul 11, 2014
mperkins52 wrote:
Hi Doug ..... if I understood you correctly, the white wires should be on the left (FLPR_HEAT) and the black wires on the right (FLPR_GND) ... if that is the case then mine is wired correctly .... there must be a problem with the thermostat ..... replacing that may be the next step .... I removed the top today and access to the thermostat appears to be pretty easy. If I do that I may as well add so extra fans to help cool the condenser fins .... any other suggestions are most welcome ....

I ALWAYS pull the refer when this type problem happens. I also replace the 2 fans and the fan tstat. The odds are the fans are ready to fail. I also always run a 2 wire harness from EACH side of the fan tstat wires down the backside and leave open. That way, in the future, it is easy to check the operation of the fan tstat and IF defective, you just jump those 2 wires and that activates the fans. Extra fans are NOT needed on a roof top vent system on a 1200 series. Does not hurt, but not really needed. Doug
mperkins52
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
Hi Doug ..... if I understood you correctly, the white wires should be on the left (FLPR_HEAT) and the black wires on the right (FLPR_GND) ... if that is the case then mine is wired correctly .... there must be a problem with the thermostat ..... replacing that may be the next step .... I removed the top today and access to the thermostat appears to be pretty easy. If I do that I may as well add so extra fans to help cool the condenser fins .... any other suggestions are most welcome ....
mperkins52
Explorer
Jul 10, 2014
Hi Old Bisquit .... are you talking about pulling the fridge and doing the rewire? or can I reach from the roof to get the T-stat removed and connect the wires? then just add a switch to the small piggy backed wires from the flapper wires and adding a switch for them?

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Norcold 1200 Muffin Fans

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