Any Norcold experts?

[freewayrandy]

I have a brand new Grand Design fiver with the double door Norcold. I fired it up yesterday in prep for maiden trip tomorrow. Checked it this morn and temp in reefer was 62! Freezer 45. How long should it take for this thing to cool down? In my old Fuzion the Norcold was cooling nicely in 6 hours.

[Old-Biscuit]

Dometic and Norcold fridges get a bad rap because RV MFGs do NOT install them properly.
Both Fridge MFGs have 'Installation Instructions' but time after time the required clearances, airflow and dead air spaces are NOT followed and it's the **** fridges


The absorption process has been in commercial operation successfully since the 1920's

[ScottG]

Guess I'm lucky too. Our last TT was 14 y/o and the Dometic worked fine. Now we have a Norcold 10 cu/ft and I like the way it's designed and works even better because it doesn't need the heat strip running between compartments.

[goducks10]

Guess I'm lucky. Heading into our 6th season with our Norcold. Just turned it on after de-winterising yesterday. Runs fine.

[Aridon]

Planning wrote:

freewayrandy wrote:
I have a brand new Grand Design fiver with the double door Norcold.

You have my sympathies.

My level of expertise with the Norcold double door was the expertise of knowing I did not want it. I got rid of it immediately after our first season. I wanted a solution, not an anachronism.

I wanted it cold in an hour, I wanted non-stratified cold throughout the reefer portion, I wanted ice when I wanted it, I wanted cold beer and hard ice cream. I wanted a reefer that did not need an aftermarket this or that, and one that would not catch fire while we are asleep.

The Nocold possessed none of these attributes.

I went with a residential model, it sips electricity from the inverter, it has worked perfectly and I will not go back to absorption models.

This. Norcolds are **** compared to a residential. If you need to run it on propane because you're allergic to an inverter or need to boondock all the time they are your only option but otherwise they are ****.

[Planning]

freewayrandy wrote:
I have a brand new Grand Design fiver with the double door Norcold.

You have my sympathies.

My level of expertise with the Norcold double door was the expertise of knowing I did not want it. I got rid of it immediately after our first season. I wanted a solution, not an anachronism.

I wanted it cold in an hour, I wanted non-stratified cold throughout the reefer portion, I wanted ice when I wanted it, I wanted cold beer and hard ice cream. I wanted a reefer that did not need an aftermarket this or that, and one that would not catch fire while we are asleep.

The Nocold possessed none of these attributes.

I went with a residential model, it sips electricity from the inverter, it has worked perfectly and I will not go back to absorption models.

[freewayrandy]

I was comparing apples to oranges earlier. You could have put that fridge in my old rig INSIDE this one. I added a bunch of freezer packs to help. Sounds like all fans are running.

[Old-Biscuit]

It's an 18 cu ft fridge......it's going to take lot longer
Freezer section has to cool down FIRST ---below 10*F----before food compartment can even begin cooling down

Are the FANS running?
1 in freezer, 1 in food, 2 on backside up near condenser fins and the 1 mid-center???

Moving the thermistor isn't going to make it cool any faster.
Should put if back where it was in OEM position.
A fridge with adjustable temp settings are set up for thermostat/thermistor functioning as calibrated


In a fridge that uses Auto Thermostat Controls, moving a thermsitor can affect overall temps (food compartment) by 6*f--8*f
But NOT in one that has adjustable temp settings

[laknox]

freewayrandy wrote:
It's on propane set at 9, the coldest.I found a bunch of freezer packs and put them in. Now the waiting game. Thermistor was on the second fin, moved it to the 4th.

Sometimes you have to move them =vertically= on the fin.

Lyle

[freewayrandy]

It's on propane set at 9, the coldest.I found a bunch of freezer packs and put them in. Now the waiting game. Thermistor was on the second fin, moved it to the 4th.

[DownTheAvenue]

Make sure the unit is level.

[laknox]

1) Run it on propane; they tend to cool faster that way.
2) As kerrlakeRoo says, fill it with already chilled stuff. I have about 3 dozen freezer packs that I've acquired over the years, and fill my fridge with them when I first fire it up. Frozen milk jugs are good, too. I also use a small, battery-powered circulation fan that makes a noticeable difference. Also, you might have to move the thermistor on the cooling fins to get it to cool more.

Lyle

[kerrlakeRoo]

They can be slow, especially the bigger units. It can help if you fill the unit with some items that are already chilled.