Norcold 8310 Not Working

mchero wrote:
I just replaced a cooling unit on a side by side Norcold. Had the recall but the cooling unit has "gassed out".
Just installed a NEW Amish unit last Saturday. Runs GREAT! Not hard at all!
Just lifting out & back in the cavity was a pain!

Keep us posted.

That's great news! I know everything else is functioning properly (propane and electric make heat) so I'm thinking the cooling unit should do it.

I'll let you know how I make out.

I just replaced a cooling unit on a side by side Norcold. Had the recall but the cooling unit has "gassed out".
Just installed a NEW Amish unit last Saturday. Runs GREAT! Not hard at all!
Just lifting out & back in the cavity was a pain!

Keep us posted.

This is what I found when I "dissected" some older Servels, Norcolds, and Dometics.

The insulation in the walls had partially disintegrated (road vibration?)

Thermal leakage was a joke.

Do the new units use closed-cell-foam for insulation, or are manufacturers still buying rolls of inch-thick "Pink Panther" garbage?

So I went with the $218 Nordic cooling unit. It's a bit of a gamble. It will be here by the end of the week. I may tackle the repair over the weekend.

And by foam in a can, you mean like Great Stuff? What do you mean by "closed cell"?

Thanks!

If you find much deteriorated foam, I have dug it out and replaced it with the foam-in-a-can stuff- closed cell.

Chris Bryant wrote:
A very common thing that happened to that era Norcold is that the foam insulation breaks down. The door will swell a bit, and the sides and top will show obvious moisture problems. I have worked on one that was recently rebuilt, yet not working. It was brought to me to troubleshoot. The problem was the box had near zero insulation left.

I'll inspect it when I remove it. Door looks good, but there is a suspicious bubble in the back of the unit. It looks odd, but the shelf is actually constructed in a manner such that it goes around the bubble. It wasn't a previous-owner modification.

I did the dollar-bill test of the door seals and it's good despite the hinge-edge seals having been crushed and deformed over time.

EDIT: Looking at the "bubble" again, it can't be factory. Not sure what happened, but it clearly melted. The shelf was cut to accommodate the bulge. I'll take a closer look at it when I remove it. Otherwise, I don't see any swelling or other issues.

I found a cooling unit for $245 shipped from a "picker" company. They snagged two of them from a failed retail store. They're rebuilt units from Nordic and for my 8310.

A very common thing that happened to that era Norcold is that the foam insulation breaks down. The door will swell a bit, and the sides and top will show obvious moisture problems. I have worked on one that was recently rebuilt, yet not working. It was brought to me to troubleshoot. The problem was the box had near zero insulation left.

Thanks for the info - the answer to the thermostat question is what I needed. The recall has been performed - I checked the circuit board part number.

This is a project rig that I picked up for $200 (Allegro M30). I've got around $2500 into the restoration (mostly in the new engine and 6 new tires) and it's finally road-ready. Everything works wonderfully except for the fridge. I'd like to fix it inexpensively - I don't plan to have this thing for more than a few years.

I can replace the cooling unit, thermostat and circuit board for half the cost of a replacement fridge if I had to. The Norcold replacement fridge is $1,200. The cooling unit is $425, circuit board is $90 and the thermostat is $75. The heating element works as does the propane. Chimney is in good shape, door seals are so-so. I'd like to get a new fridge, but it doesn't make sense to spend that much on this rig - so long as I can repair it safely. I had been looking around for a used one, but chances are it would have the same problem.

On a working cooling unit you can not hear the fluid/vapor/fluid cycle going on.

If you hear 'gurgling' it because cooling unit has blockage.

30 yr. old fridge.....new cooling unit and it's still a 30 yr. old fridge (controls, burner, door seals etc.)

Replace the whole fridge.

I would not replace a cooling unit in a 30 year old refer.
Thermostat is in the refer compartment. When it gets to the set temperature it will shut down either the flame or turn off the electric element.
There was many recalls on Norcolds. Did they ever get done?
You could replace cooling unit and that may not be problem. Older refers have their cooling liquid solidify and will not start again. I had an old unit that I took out and rolled on the ground. It worked for a while then completely died.
I would get a new direct replacement unit. It will be much more efficient. To me it doesn't matter whether it is a Norcold or Dometic replacement.