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CJW8's avatar
CJW8
Explorer
Aug 09, 2018

Norcold 1210 quit but is working now?

The last two days of our last camping trip our Norcold 1210 started getting warmer and warmer and everything in the freezer thawed. We were on shore power most of the time and propane between campgrounds. When we got home I unloaded it and ran it empty for a few days on home shore power. I verified fans are running and checked the wattage with a killawatt. Electric heaters are drawing 420 watts (should be 450) but still no cooling inside box so I turned it off for a few days. I called a mobile RV tech and he is coming tomorrow or the next day and he told me to leave it off and turn it back on 24 hours before he comes. Well, low and behold after running for 24 hours it is down to 41 in refer, 31 (32 on actual thermistor readout) on second refer fin near the thermistor and 5 in the freezer on the back wall. What gives? Why would it stop cooling and after resting, start again? It is usually running 24/7 when at home as we keep the condiments always loaded in the doors.
  • CJW8's avatar
    CJW8
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2018
    Dougrainer, Do you thing a blockage whether crystals or a bubble was my likely cause? If so, isn't this the kiss of death for a absorption refer?
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    Aug 10, 2018
    Captain_Happy wrote:
    I've also heard that turning them upside down for a few day with un-stop the blockage. I really don't know if it's true or not.


    It will and it will not. It rearranges the chemicals in the cooling unit, but the blockage remains. The blockage is attached like a weld and is as hard as a weld. NOTHING will dislodge it. Once you Burp the unit(upside down) it will still function but will gradually block up again. Burping restores some cooling but it will not be 100% efficient. Worth doing if you do it yourself, but not if you have to pay someone to pull and flip it around. Doug
  • Captain_Happy's avatar
    Captain_Happy
    Explorer
    Aug 09, 2018
    I've also heard that turning them upside down for a few day with un-stop the blockage. I really don't know if it's true or not.
  • gwalter's avatar
    gwalter
    Explorer III
    Aug 09, 2018
    I had the same thing with my N 1210. I shut it down for two days and then when we got ready to hit the road I turned it on propane. When we got home after driving 60 miles it was cooling and has continued to run great ever since. It keeps the fridge at 35 and freezer at 5 in the last 2 month of continuous running. A refrigeration friend of mine said it probably had a bubble or block in the line and shutting it down allowed it to equalize. The line going into the cooling fins was hot and the one coming out was cool when I shut it down.
  • CJW8's avatar
    CJW8
    Explorer
    Aug 09, 2018
    ScottG,
    Thanks for the link. I'll go that route if it gives up completely. It sure would be nice to have hard ice cream for a change.
  • ScottG's avatar
    ScottG
    Nomad
    Aug 09, 2018
    Just for reference, JR Cooling makes a compressor conversion kit for your Norcold.
    I wish they made one for the 8 & 10 cu/ft models.
  • CJW8's avatar
    CJW8
    Explorer
    Aug 09, 2018
    It was facing east so was getting morning sun with partial shade from trees. But when I got home it is in covered storage. It ran for several days at home and the inside of the refer cabinet was 60 degrees same as the freezer.
  • guidry's avatar
    guidry
    Explorer
    Aug 09, 2018
    Yep, it got hotter outside and the fridge couldn't keep up. My Norcold in my TC did the same thing a month ago in SE Tx. Then last week in South Dakota it ran fine. The only difference was the outside temps were much higher in Texas than SD.
  • agwill's avatar
    agwill
    Explorer
    Aug 09, 2018
    I bet you parked with the sun on the refer side of trailer. Have you checked the outside temp the day you were camping?

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