Flame detector gauge not working on Norcold N300 fridge

[vlopddap]

Just tried my Norcold N302 fridge on gas for the first time yesterday night. This is the first time ever I use a gas fridge BTW. If it's matter the TT is 3 yo and fridge only worked on gas like 2 times by the former owner since he only use it on 120V.

After a few try I finally succeed on lightning it. Maybe it's normal since it's the first time it run on gas for many months/years. Only issue so far is the flame detector gauge that act strangely. At first when I finally succeed to light burner, gauge move slowly to the green section. At this time I gone outside to check by the burner hole and there's a nice flame inside burner. After a few minutes I decided to open the fridge (to check if I left some food inside, no particular reason...) and when I closed the door, the flame detector sensor return to the zero position (completely left on the white section) so I returned outside quickly and the burner was still working normally.

So what's the deal with the flame detector gauge, is it something sensitive to any small vibration near of it? Or it's like the old gauge that remain stuck and only work if you knock on the glass?

I finally turn off gas and switch back to 120V since I was tired messing around the RV for the day!

Any comments on the flame detector gauge? How does it work? Is it reliable?

[bigjoey38]

Well I got the pilot light going this morning and after an hour went to check the freezer and felt it was getting cold. Fridge was about 86 degrees and got down to like 65 in 4 hours..... Now if I can figure out how to fix the flame meter I be a happy camper.!

[bigjoey38]

Hello

I am having the same problem... Gauge not working.. I purchased the use camper about 3 weeks ago so now learning. Water heater, furnace works on LP.. Working with fridge... Took 2 days to get the pilot light lit... Now working fine only problem meter not working.

Since I am off Friday going to get it going at 8:00 AM and will check late at night to see if its cooling or do I need to wait 24 hours.?

I know it getting hot in the back ( outside).

Joe

[vlopddap]

One very strange story :

I tried my fridge on gas yesterday afternoon and mysteriously my flame detector gauge worked fine?!

Maybe the needle was just stuck inside the gauge...

[vlopddap]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Correct, if thermocouple goes bad the safety valve will close

Same thing would happen if flame went out......thermocouple won't sense flame and safety valve would close

Thanks. Since I leave the fridge running for several hours on gas and everything goes fines, thermocouple are good and burner too. I'm gonna check the gauge itself for loose wires later, maybe I miss something when I first checked. I was dark outside and I didn't use a flashlight, I'm gonna check that tomorrow again.

Thx again!! 🙂

[Old-Biscuit]

Correct, if thermocouple goes bad the safety valve will close

Same thing would happen if flame went out......thermocouple won't sense flame and safety valve would close

[dougrainer]

On the Thermocoupler should be 2 wires together. The blue goes to the Flame indicator. The red goes to the main selector switch Make sure BOTH wires are connected to the Thermocoupler. Doug

[vlopddap]

Okay because I have a 24 hours dry-camping the next weekend before reaching the campground with electrical hookups and I'll need to keep the fridge running on gas for that 24 hours. If it's unsafe I'll not use it at all, otherwise I'll keep it running.

So for my understanding a defective thermocouple will shut off the safety valve completely (don't remain opened) and not the opposite (defective thermocouple keep valve opened when no flame)?

Thanks for the infos!! Very appreciated!!

[Old-Biscuit]

Chris Bryant wrote:
It's fine to use. The gauge is simply a miilivolt meter, and we know the thermocouple is putting out the millivolts, because it keeps the safety valve open.
The only downside is no indication that the flame is, in fact, burning.

X2

[Chris_Bryant]

It's fine to use. The gauge is simply a miilivolt meter, and we know the thermocouple is putting out the millivolts, because it keeps the safety valve open.
The only downside is no indication that the flame is, in fact, burning.

[vlopddap]

Question is :

Is it dangerous to operate the fridge on gas is flame sensor gauge is not working? Flame is good, stay lit, it cooling very well (-10'C on 5th)...

Thx!

[vlopddap]

Thanks Old-Biscuit for those precisions.

I do some more test yesterday and I leave the fridge running on LP for 2 hours at maximum settings (5) and the fridge almost froze up (ice on heat-sink and -15'C on thermometer). So I would say it work perfectly. But still no movement on the meter, needle is still in the far white zone...

I check carefully my burner and there's not******on it and flame is a nice beautiful blue with no waver.

This morning I remove the heat deflector sheet on the top grille of the fridge (outside) leaving me an unobstructed view on the fridge control panel wiring. The meter seem to be correctly connected, but the wires a thin like a hair!! Blue wire on the meter goes on the gas safety valve (I assume it's the safety valve) and the red wire seem to connect on the temperature controller but I had some difficulties to see were exactly... I'll check later with a flashlight maybe.

I called my Sportsmen dealer earlier today and the guy at the service department was completely confused about my gauge/meter problem... it's like if I'm talking to him in Chinese language!! Very comforting!!

[Old-Biscuit]

Download the manual for your model of fridge here......LINK

Good info......pg. 7 Maintenance\pg. 16 diagrams

Easy to follow and preform


The 'meter' is wired to the thermocouple 'interrupter' which transmits the electrical signal to the meter based on heat of thermocouple
The wires on meter and or interrupter could be loose or dirty
The interrupter could be failing.

Thermocouple is good otherwise main flame would not stay lit.

[vlopddap]

Thank you for taking time to help me.

I see a great flame trough the burner deflector hole from outside. I just give a second try yesterday afternoon and I got similar result from the flame detection gauge. When I first light up the gas the gauge move from the "zero" position to middle of the gauge (just between white & green zones), but it doesn't move inside far green. And after knocking on the countertop the gauge move from the white/green zone to the middle of the white zone (not to the zero position). I checked outside and flame are still good (IMO).

How do I clean the burner exactly and how do I clean the thermocouple sensor? I guess the thermocouple sensor is what are connected to the red wire going inside the burner? Cause it's apparently the only wire that goes around the burner area...

I think the connection to the meter itself must be good since it sense some heat and make some move (not dead gauge), but maybe the other end of the sensor is dirty...?

[Old-Biscuit]

Norcold N300 Series fridge

Propane source valved in service
Turn thermostat to highest setting (5)
Turn selector switch to propane
Push/hold in the safety valve button while pushing the igniter button rapidly
When a flame is present and the flame meter moves into the 'green' area release the gas safety valve (do not hold safety valve in for more than 30 seconds if flame doesn't light.....start over)
Turn thermostat to desired setting

The flame meter is electrical......it senses thermocouple. AS thermocouple heats it moves meter from 'white' until thermocouple is hot and then meter reads 'green'
Check the wiring to/from meter connections

And check the flame condition when on position 5 (highest setting)
It should be strong/steady shape with dark blue inner & light blue outer flame

If NOT...clean burner area/clean thermocouple/clean burner gas orifice