Amish cooling unit installed

[georgelesley]

After reading a lot here and elsewhere I finally decided to get it done to our Norcold 1200 refer since we are in Shipshewanna anyway. I found out that some such units are nothing more that refurbished OEM units. Helium seems to be the safer gas to push the ammonia vs hydrogen, but requires a redesigned cooling unit coil. Most do not do this.

Thanks to recommendations I found here, I had J.C. Refrigeration do ours. Since we have our 95 yr old MIL traveling with us, safety was my primary concern especially in view of Norcold's history of fires and overheating.

J.C. Is a wealth of information and I saw the units being manufactured from new in his shop. He patiently answered all my questions. We opted for the helium unit, after J.C. Explained the need for extra fans being put behind the outside top fin assembly we had that done, also had a halon self activated fire extinguisher installed in the outside compartment, and the smart rv three fan system installed inside the main compartment for more even cold air distribution.

Besides sleeping better from a safety position, here are the results: the freezer is about 2-3 degrees above zero. It was in low 20's previously. The main refer compartment is mid 30's top shelf, about 39-40 bottom shelf. This is on a #4 setting. (We have 1-9). I suspect when it all settles down from all the food that just got put in, we will have freezer compartment temps at or below zero and main compartment low to mid 30's. I will likely go back to a #3 setting to prevent main compartment temps falling below 32. When I touch the cooling coils and boiler they are much cooler than they used to be.

We could not be happier, and highly recommend J.C. For such work. Anyone wants more detailed info or contact info, prices, etc, PM me.

[Scottiemom]

I hope you have good luck with your helium unit. Mine died after 1 year and had to be replaced. It was explained to me that when it gets hot outside, the helium can't keep up. I hope your experience is better.

[way2roll]

I am sure the OP would appreciate the comment but this post is 7 years old. 

[Scottiemom]

I noticed that after I posted. I sure do miss the old forum.

[wa8yxm]

Ju$t out of cour$ity I have one more Que$tion. I $u$pect you can gue$$ what it i$..

Sounds like an all around good job.. I have cause to visit that part of the country and may consider the same when the time comes.

[road_glide]

July 30th, 2018 update:
Still doing great, set at 5 on the control. Freezer at 5 degrees and refrig at 35 on propane or elect....on 6 I can get to 0 degrees and 30 in refrig.
We had an issue with losing propane over the last weekend dry camping at night twice once at 1030pm and again at 200am...(no flame)
Again on the way home Sunday...(no flame)

Did my due diligence research. I have a Norcold service manual and parts manual downloaded for 1200 LRIM.

Research said either the sensor electrode or the computer board. So for $15 on eBay delivered I ordered the part and installed it. And so far over the last several days, I believe that was the problem. The unit is a 2003 so I figured after replacing the cooling unit last summer, this part could be bad.
After removing the old part, the service says clean burner and orifice, did that. Next check electrode, the metal part is suppose to be tight. It would move and finally fell apart in my hand. The wires inside the ceramic seemed burnt.
One thing I want to pass along to other Norcold 1200 owners is:
To test LP...turn your unit to "AU", it will select AC (shore power) and then outside at the compartment, unplug the AC cord and watch the LP fire. The sparker should stop clicking immediately when the burner ignites. Also if the burner stops after lighting, this also signifies a sparker or board problem.
Stupid me. Previous I would turn the Norcold on LP and then like a fool run out, down the steps and outside to view the LP ignition..LOL
So just unplug the AC at the unit outside and you can view the ignition....
Again...we could not go with Residential because of dimensions in the slide out...
Very happy with the Amish unit from RV Cooling Warehouse....

[georgelesley]

road glide wrote:
Just finished our Norcold myself. Bought the package from David Force with new CU, 2 new fans, elec heaters and temp switch. Took my time, one day out and one day back in.
Our Safari cabinet would not take a residential and we do sometimes dry camp.
Haven't checked temps yet, but yesterday bought ice cream to put in freezer and some beers and water for frig. New unit has been running on AC now for 2 days. Ice cream rock hard (close) and water and beers hurt your neck to touch even here in California where we just finished around 107 over the weekend. Our coach is in the barn but temps were still horrible...can't wait to see the performance in the normal summer temps..

Ccongrats on the install. Having finished the trip we were on, I can say we love ours we had to back off the temp a bit it was starting to freeze things in the refer compartment.

[road_glide]

Just finished our Norcold myself. Bought the package from David Force with new CU, 2 new fans, elec heaters and temp switch. Took my time, one day out and one day back in.
Our Safari cabinet would not take a residential and we do sometimes dry camp.
Haven't checked temps yet, but yesterday bought ice cream to put in freezer and some beers and water for frig. New unit has been running on AC now for 2 days. Ice cream rock hard (close) and water and beers hurt your neck to touch even here in California where we just finished around 107 over the weekend. Our coach is in the barn but temps were still horrible...can't wait to see the performance in the normal summer temps..

9-8 UPDATE: Bought a refrigerator thermometer at H-Depot....$5
Freezer is running 0 degrees as low as -5 degrees...Frig compartment at 32 degrees....:B

[ol_Bombero-JC]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Glad it worked out for you but imagining what it cost, I think I would ave installed a compressor fridge and been done with it.

I'm a "ditto" on the compressor fridge.
The boondocking wouldn't enter into the equation as a reason *not* to go that way.

Residential fridges are availability everywhere (if they fail) and visiting TN would be fine & enjoyable - w/o the "retrofit" job.

It's a - "To each his own" - thing!
Xlnt that it worked out (for you)...:C

~

[SidecarFlip]

bobsallyh wrote:
Cloud offer them a CHEAP farm, rip out the commercial power, put a phone booth behind a tree for the community to use. Then take responsibility for their buggies while on the public road while they are paying no road taxes. You will end up with a couple of families' moving on down.

Don't forget the one holer......:p

[bobsallyh]

Cloud offer them a CHEAP farm, rip out the commercial power, put a phone booth behind a tree for the community to use. Then take responsibility for their buggies while on the public road while they are paying no road taxes. You will end up with a couple of families' moving on down.

[georgelesley]

Hey, we live in East TN and here we are! Anyone can do it and some do it themselves, but proper installation is critical so I would suggest coming here. It is worth the trip. There is so much to see and do here. We extended our trip a week and are already planning a "do over"

[Cloud_Dancer]

IMO it's just too bad for a lot of us that the Amish culture makes it difficult for J.C. to expand with a second location somewhere in central Texas. Selfish, I know, but a WIN-WIN....

[SidecarFlip]

georgelesley wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:
Glad it worked out for you but imagining what it cost, I think I would ave installed a compressor fridge and been done with it.

We boondock too often for a residential type. The works on propane benefit is important to us.

I boondock ALL the time. A Danfoss or Waeco compressor fridge consumes very little power, typically less than 3 amps running full tilt. West Marine sell them btw. Dometic has a full line of RV compressor fridges.

Having said that, I to use a 3 way ammonia fridge, but I have a compressor cool box as well.My big issue with any ammonia fridge is they have to be pretty level to work. Not so with a compressor unit.

[georgelesley]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Glad it worked out for you but imagining what it cost, I think I would ave installed a compressor fridge and been done with it.

We boondock too often for a residential type. The works on propane benefit is important to us.