Norcolc 1200 cooling fan

[Trackrig]

I have a Norcold 1200 installed in a 2005 Fleetwood Excursion 39S DP. We just flew into St Louis and got the MH out of storage. It was warm outside. Inside the MH and the refer according to the remote thermometer it was over 90F.

The refer is giving us problems. The refer will quit and the front control panel shows "NO CO". I've had to get inside the control box on the rear of the refer and reset it twice using a jumper between a ground point and the #2 pin on the top left of the main pin connection.

This restarted the refer, but then it quit again four hours later. In further internet research it was suggested to unplug the thermister, which we did and used the jumper on the #2 pin again. It started up and this time it has continued to operate longer than four hours. We'll go look for a new thermister tomorrow.

In further research it's suggested to check the OEM fan on the back of the refer above the coils. In looking the Norcold 1200 installation instructions, with pictures, it shows two fans when the refer is installed in a slide out to help push the heat out the top side vent. The pictures DO NOT show any fans installed when the refer is INSTALLED IN THE MAIN BODY OF THE MH and has the long vent hood directly above the refer on the roof.

So for those of you that have been into a 1200 installed in the main body of the MH (not in the slide) does it have a fan or fans on it that just doesn't show on my installation instructions?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Bill

[SCVJeff]

hostage wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:
Mine is now Helium but I see between 0 to -5 depending on the ice maker, and 33 in the fridge. This with one fan mounted on the fridge roof circulating left to right. It may not make things colder, but everything is at the SAME temp regardless of where I measure, exactly like a residential unit. Dometic got smart and started including these fans a few years ago

helium eh interesting and sounds like it cools better heck I cant hardly get my Residential fridge to 33 when its hot outside

Yeah, its surprising how well it works. Someone here commented it's no better than the OEM but I've gone out of my way to cause it to misbehave in high temps and it simply won't. Did a test from a week at the beach in the 70's, to home at 106 for 3 days and it never moved

[tropical36]

It usually takes some tweaking for getting a Norcold to run right and unlike an old Dometic we had, it still takes forever for it to get down to temp. so we just leave it on all the time and don't bother taking the drinks and such out of it.
Right now I have two after market fans in the back, along with an ARP box in the circuit and it does fine in the driveway on low, but know that once it's in use with the doors being opened and closed, it will call for more heat and start tripping the ARP now and then, sooooooo, I'm thinking that I need to move the sensor up the tube a bit, where it's hopefully not so hot.

[hostage]

SCVJeff wrote:
Mine is now Helium but I see between 0 to -5 depending on the ice maker, and 33 in the fridge. This with one fan mounted on the fridge roof circulating left to right. It may not make things colder, but everything is at the SAME temp regardless of where I measure, exactly like a residential unit. Dometic got smart and started including these fans a few years ago

helium eh interesting and sounds like it cools better heck I cant hardly get my Residential fridge to 33 when its hot outside

[SCVJeff]

Mine is now Helium but I see between 0 to -5 depending on the ice maker, and 33 in the fridge. This with one fan mounted on the fridge roof circulating left to right. It may not make things colder, but everything is at the SAME temp regardless of where I measure, exactly like a residential unit. Dometic got smart and started including these fans a few years ago

[hostage]

Trackrig wrote:
I'm using a remote digital thermometer unit. There's a sender in the freezer, refrigerator and outside at the front of the MH. It also provides the MH inside temps.

It's very similar to this unit. It also records the min and max temps for each sensor.

We don't use the ice maker so that I don't have to winterize it. We do use and keep bagged ice in the freeze. Ice cream is very soft in it.

In the refer we have a three fan unit that attaches to the ceiling of the refer in front of the fins blowing air through them circulating it around the refer.

Bill

they never freeze Ice cream very hard;; when set on five it should be around 38 in the fridge and 10 or less in freezer;;I quit using the ice maker as all it did cause us to have to defrost freezer 3 times as often (moisture from water)
I tried the interior fan thing never seemed to help;I put two fans that blow 24/7 at the back bottom of fridge pointing up and it seemed to really makes things work better;; all in all I was lucky I guess as my 1210 always worked fine for the 8 years I used it

[Trackrig]

I'm using a remote digital thermometer unit. There's a sender in the freezer, refrigerator and outside at the front of the MH. It also provides the MH inside temps.

It's very similar to this unit. It also records the min and max temps for each sensor.

We don't use the ice maker so that I don't have to winterize it. We do use and keep bagged ice in the freeze. Ice cream is very soft in it.

In the refer we have a three fan unit that attaches to the ceiling of the refer in front of the fins blowing air through them circulating it around the refer.

Bill

[dougrainer]

Trackrig wrote:

SCVJeff wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
Went by Sullivan's RV. The fan controller was not working and replaced. They also found a loose piece on insulation blocking some of the air flow and they cleaned the burner. This improved the refer temps, but still not to my liking. The next week I installed four fans in the top of the refer. They dramatically improved the air flow. This again improved things, but still not to my liking.

Bill

what is "to your liking" ?
If you can't get it to 33'ish on 5, the burner is clean and the correct pressure, and 4 additional fans (as link as the other two are working, you likely have a cooling unit in trouble

The freezer is 17F to 25F and the refer is 35F to 44F with the setting on 7 I believe. We've had it for five years and with the latest mods it's running slightly better that it was.

In late October, since we're headed south from where the MH is currently stored in Minnesota, I'm thinking of taking it by Ford's RV Refrigeration Training Center in Kentucky to have them take a look at it.

Bill

HOW are you measuring the temp? The freezer should get BELOW 10 degrees regardless of setting. 17 to 25 degrees means that if you have the optional Icemaker it will NOT make ice. If you have the icemaker and it MAKES ice, your temp measurements are not accurate at all. Doug

[Trackrig]

SCVJeff wrote:

Trackrig wrote:
Went by Sullivan's RV. The fan controller was not working and replaced. They also found a loose piece on insulation blocking some of the air flow and they cleaned the burner. This improved the refer temps, but still not to my liking. The next week I installed four fans in the top of the refer. They dramatically improved the air flow. This again improved things, but still not to my liking.

Bill

what is "to your liking" ?
If you can't get it to 33'ish on 5, the burner is clean and the correct pressure, and 4 additional fans (as link as the other two are working, you likely have a cooling unit in trouble

The freezer is 17F to 25F and the refer is 35F to 44F with the setting on 7 I believe. We've had it for five years and with the latest mods it's running slightly better that it was.

In late October, since we're headed south from where the MH is currently stored in Minnesota, I'm thinking of taking it by Ford's RV Refrigeration Training Center in Kentucky to have them take a look at it.

Bill

[hostage]

33 ish?? normal household fridges only run at 37-39 why would need it at 33??
mine(house unit in house) is currently at 38 and everythings real cold

[SCVJeff]

Trackrig wrote:
Went by Sullivan's RV. The fan controller was not working and replaced. They also found a loose piece on insulation blocking some of the air flow and they cleaned the burner. This improved the refer temps, but still not to my liking. The next week I installed four fans in the top of the refer. They dramatically improved the air flow. This again improved things, but still not to my liking.

Bill

what is "to your liking" ?
If you can't get it to 33'ish on 5, the burner is clean and the correct pressure, and 4 additional fans (as link as the other two are working, you likely have a cooling unit in trouble

[hostage]

One thing I found with my last 2008 1210 norcold was I ran two small fans at the lower rear of the fridge 24/7 and it was amazing how much better the fridge operated; I was lucky as I wanted a much larger fridge that I paid 1100$ for and sold my in perfect working order 1210 SS for $1100

[Trackrig]

Went by Sullivan's RV. The fan controller was not working and replaced. They also found a loose piece on insulation blocking some of the air flow and they cleaned the burner. This improved the refer temps, but still not to my liking. The next week I installed four fans in the top of the refer. They dramatically improved the air flow. This again improved things, but still not to my liking.

Bill

[SCVJeff]

In my case I replaced the unit with Helium and trashed everything Norcold. I have no obligation to have the Norcold failsafe box, and it's been replaced with an ARP as well

[tropical36]

vegasfoodguy wrote:

tropical36 wrote:

doxiemom11 wrote:
Ours is in the main body and we have never seen or heard any fans. Don't think we have them.

I don't hear them either, but supposedly have them. No codes to the contrary, either and worked as well as you could expect a NEVERCOLD to work.
Along the way, I've installed a 120vac fan in the back for when the fridge is loaded and we have other than inverter power. Most recently I installed an ARP contol box and one of the 12vdc fans that came with it, to replace the failed NORCOLD recall box.
The 12v fan always runs, however, but with a low current draw and not a problem when running on propane. Besides, the inverter supplies a lot more, like a small basement fridge, TV...etc... when staying at Wally World or the like.

The ARP is in addition to, NOT replace the Norcold box.

Terry

This is true as far as ARP is concerned and wants to go on record for, as this allows them to dodge any liability issues, but ......it does the same, as Norcold's recall item, only better, in so many respects and doesn't wait until the temp reaches 800F before shutting the fridge down. After all, Norcold wasn't about to spend a penny more than need be, for getting themselves out of trouble and especially when it's still going on. Thing is, they expect you to pay for some of the labor on the next go around and they won't just send you a replacement unit, since you're not qualified, as their reps are for putting the thing in there.....:R