Desperate repair to fridge. 2 years later still works great!

[BobsYourUncle]

A couple years ago I posted a thread about my fridge conking out when I was FT in Alberta in crazy cold weather. Minus 30 something C and I was living in the thing.

Anyhow my fridge bailed on me. I couldn't get it to work so I bought a bar fridge and parked it on the sofa until I could replace the refer with a new one.

As spring rolled around and I was still using the bar fridge I decided to pull the fridge out and see what I could do. It was dead anyhow so what did I have to lose? Nothing.

Did a bit of reading online and read a few things about people turning the fridge upside down and back a few times and reviving it.
Hmmm......

So I took the fridge out into the parking lot and took it for a walk. I rolled it end over end about 15 times or so, then let it rest upside down for about half an hour, then turned it back over and put it back in, hooked it back up and turned it on.

Lo and behold! It came to life! And it started working again.

I posted about this not quite 2 years ago I think it was. I tried to find my original thread but guess I'm brain dead tonight and can't find it.

Anyhow, reason I'm posting this is because I'm sitting here at my table looking at my temperature readout screen device and the fridge is indeed, still running like a champ. It keeps everything perfectly cold as it should and has not skipped a beat since I did my makeshift repair.

As I type this, Fridge compartment is 1.8C (35.2F) and the freezer is -18.7C (-1.6F) Freezer has been colder the past few days but I had it open a few times this evening.

So, just thought I would report this to those who may be having refer issues and considering a new cooling unit or fridge replacement like I was looking at.

Not suggesting this is a cure all for everyone's broken refer but hey, if the thing is toast anyways, why not give this a try? Worked for me and still going strong nearly 2 years later.

Now if you have the ammonia smell, forget it, your fridge is done.

[pianotuna]

Hi all,

I bypass the ARP protection device. The boiler temperature got to over 223 C (443 f). The ARP doesn't measure higher than that. By morning the freezer is at -18 c (-0.4 f) and the fridge is at about 4.5 c (40 f).

I'm going to install a bypass switch for the ARP, so that if this happens again I can eliminate it from the circuit.

I did use a sander (with no sand paper) to vibrate the fridge coils for over an hour. I did also use a hammer and a piece of wood to bang on the coils. But the fridge still went into over heat protection mode. Hence the desperation mode of bypassing the ARP.

Anyone have any idea of what happened or why I had to bypass to get the fridge to work?

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Do you have a picture?

How long did you vibrate?

My fridge is exhibiting the classic symptom of freezer working and fridge not working.

Ivylog wrote:
If you can get a vibrating sander (no sand paper) to the bottom coil and some have had luck tapping the coils with a wooden dowel and a small hammer... no need to move the refer.

[pianotuna]

Hi doug,

I cut and pasted it from the Full Time forum on winter camping. So it may well be that it is not standard equipment. i.e. not from my personal research or knowledge.

The Dometic quote is from an email that they sent to me.

I use the light bulb method on a thermocube myself. I laid in a supply of 60 watt bulbs as they are getting to be "hard to find".

dougrainer wrote:
Where did you get that Norcold installs as Standard? I work on them all the time and have NEVER seen that kit on any Norcold. That kit does the same thing that RV'ers have done for years in sub 32 degree weather----using a 40 or 60 watt light bulb to gently heat the back coil area. Doug

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Milk crate box jammed against back door with a blanket draped over it = cold weather freezer. Cold weather i.e. <0F

Milk crate placed further away from back door = cold weather refrigerator.

Adjust temperature of contents by throttling coverage by blanket plus nudging box with foot.

No gas no electricity no mama no papa no chow-chow.

[dougrainer]

Where did you get that Norcold installs as Standard? I work on them all the time and have NEVER seen that kit on any Norcold. That kit does the same thing that RV'ers have done for years in sub 32 degree weather----using a 40 or 60 watt light bulb to gently heat the back coil area. Doug

[pianotuna]

Hi Doug,

Dometic says to not operate the fridge below -6 C (21 f).

Norcold said that below 32 degrees (F), the refrigerator would not operate correctly, and that at temps of ~ zero (F), damage “could” occur.
However, they now make (and install on all new Norcold refrigerators), a "Cold Weather Kit" (Norcold part number 634913) that will allow the refrigerator to safely operate down to zero degrees.

Here is a (not great) picture of the Cold Weather Kit.
Simply a Fuse, stick on heater (~20 Watts at 12 volts DC) element and a thermal switch so the unit won't run when it is warm

dougrainer wrote:


OK , explain this one. Winterizing a Fridge????? Doug

[dougrainer]

pianotuna wrote:
You had a clog and were lucky enough to dislodge it.

What may have caused the clog was overheating from not winterizing the fridge.

OK , explain this one. Winterizing a Fridge????? WHERE would a clog go if you could dislodge it? It would then travel and get stuck somewhere. IF you get a clog(blockage), as I stated, it is as hard as a weld and is attached to the inner tubing just like a weld. In the old days, maybe still for rebuilders, they cut out the upper tubes where the blocks are and weld new tubing in place to rebuild the units. They do this because the blockage CANNOT be removed. Doug

[BobsYourUncle]

smkettner wrote:
Did you actually retry the fridge at normal temperature before taking it for a stroll?

Yes, I tried it multiple times over the course of several days. Not even a hint if cold even though I ran it all day.

[time2roll]

Did you actually retry the fridge at normal temperature before taking it for a stroll?

[BobsYourUncle]

Yes Don, I have to agree with your analysis of the situation.

[pianotuna]

You had a clog and were lucky enough to dislodge it.

What may have caused the clog was overheating from not winterizing the fridge.

[BobsYourUncle]

n7bsn wrote:

Byrogie wrote:
Bob'syouruncle has the best adventures. I remember something about melted butter in the furnace vents......

That was, entertaining....

Haha!!!
You guys will never let me forget about that one will you? Yeah that was rather amusing. Didn't laugh much when it happened though.

Even now if I have to run the furnace a long time to bring it from cold to room temperature I get this weird urge for popcorn!
Yup I can still smell it once in a while.

[BobsYourUncle]

korbe wrote:
Since some are saying the cart-wheels didn't fix anything, I was wondering that when spring rolled around , and before you took the frig for a walk, did you by chance turn it on first and see what happened?

Yes I indeed did try everything I could think of when spring came. I also ran the thing several times for a full day but not even a hint of cold was there.
I checked the flame and it was good, cleaned the burner area and so on. Nothing worked.

What can I say? Took it out and did some cartwheels and it's been working like a champ ever since.

[n7bsn]

Byrogie wrote:
Bob'syouruncle has the best adventures. I remember something about melted butter in the furnace vents......

That was, entertaining....