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hedgehopper's avatar
hedgehopper
Explorer
Sep 10, 2021

Norcold Fridge Defrost Cycle

Does the Norcold Fridge Defrost Cycle start 48 hours from the beginning or from the end of the previous cycle?
  • dougrainer wrote:
    Dometic has no such defrost Cycle. NORCOLD DOES. Doug
    Thanks for the correction. I thought we had a Dometic but I just checked and it's a Norcold. Note that I have changed the original post from "Dometic" to "Norcold."

    So which is it: 48 hours from the start of or from the end of the previous cycle?
  • From my experience it's not exactly 48 hours, more like 49-50 from the end to the next start on our norcold 2118.
    I have a temp monitor in our freezer. On 9/5 temp started rising at about midnight (maybe a little earlier, and falling around 3AM. On 9/7 the temp started rising around 4AM and falling again around 8AM. 9/9 it started rising at 9 AM or so.
  • The Defrost cycle is 48 to 54 hours AFTER it is turned ON. If left on 24/7, it will defrost every 48 to 54 hours. ANYTIME the refer is turned OFF, the 48/54 cycle restarts from the time it was turned ON.
    The Defrost is NOT the same as a residential refer with Heat elements and a defrost timer and a place for the water to go. ALL the refer does is turn OFF for about 2 hours to allow the Evap fins to defrost the ice on the fins. The freezer will probably not do anything as a 2 hour shut down will not cause it to get that much warmer. The ICE on the fins degrades the ability to cool the lower section. Ice is an Insulator. Doug

    PS the water from the evap find will go thru the standard drain pan and out the drain hose to the rear of the refer and be evaporated hopefully by the HEAT from the cooling flue.

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