Norcold issue - Freezer Good, Frig Bad

[Super_Dave]

The freezer is freezing thawed food solid but even on 9 the frig is closer to room temperature. Any help would be appreciated. (no food in frig)

[wnjj]

dougrainer wrote:
To the OP, need more info but I will assume you have the 1200 since you have 9 tstat settings. FIRST thing is to verify the rear cooling fans are running. THAT is the most common cause of low performance in the bottom and the freezer works. Doug

He has a camper model almost exactly like mine. It's an N621. There are no fans and it's not mounted in a slide.

[dougrainer]

"It's possible to dislodge a slug of solidified coolant by removing the fridge and inverting it. I've heard of also rapping the piping with a soft faced mallet but I've never tried that."

NO it is NOT possible. The blockage "slug" is welded to the inside tubing and Inverting or hitting with a hammer cannot dislodge it. Besides, IF you could dislodge it, it HAS to go somewhere and it will then get stuck somewhere else. Doug

[dougrainer]

3 tons wrote:
jplante4 wrote:

Check that the drain from the drip pan is stopped up. This allows warm air to run into the fridge part.

' Stopped up'..... what does this mean??

1. IF stopped up NO air can go up and water cannot drain off
2. Norcolds have a CHECK valve on the end of the drain tube, so air cannot migrate back up. Also, Air migration will only happen in transit if the drain tube is open to the air. Doug

[3_tons]

jplante4 wrote:

Check that the drain from the drip pan is stopped up. This allows warm air to run into the fridge part.

' Stopped up'..... what does this mean??

[SidecarFlip]

In actuality, there are only a few things that can go wrong with an ammonia fridge that will cause it not to cool properly

The control board may be corrupt
The airflow across the backside is inadequate for proper heat transfer
The cooling unit has sprung a leak (very noticeable you can smell it and see the yellow tracks on the piping).
The cooling unit has a slug of solidified coolant in the piping (we don't know if the OP ran the fridge out of level for an extended time or any of the history of it, only that it's not operating properly....
The burner may need cleaning or the heating elements may be roasted.

All stuff that is easy to diagnose and correct except a compromised cooling unit, that requires a new one.

It's possible to dislodge a slug of solidified coolant by removing the fridge and inverting it. I've heard of also rapping the piping with a soft faced mallet but I've never tried that.

[SidecarFlip]

3 tons wrote:

dougrainer wrote:
The OP needs help. Not a bunch of Yahoos arguing over which type refer is best in their opinion and the needs for their type refer. It gets annoying when someone posts help and we have to wade thru a bunch of BS. You don't like Norcold? Fine, just SHUT UP. You have made your point on EVERY Norcold thread for the past dozen years.
To the OP, need more info but I will assume you have the 1200 since you have 9 tstat settings. FIRST thing is to verify the rear cooling fans are running. THAT is the most common cause of low performance in the bottom and the freezer works. Doug

How about 5 PAGES on "How many amps does a Fantastic Fan draw" !!

It's all good reading....lol

[3_tons]

dougrainer wrote:
The OP needs help. Not a bunch of Yahoos arguing over which type refer is best in their opinion and the needs for their type refer. It gets annoying when someone posts help and we have to wade thru a bunch of BS. You don't like Norcold? Fine, just SHUT UP. You have made your point on EVERY Norcold thread for the past dozen years.
To the OP, need more info but I will assume you have the 1200 since you have 9 tstat settings. FIRST thing is to verify the rear cooling fans are running. THAT is the most common cause of low performance in the bottom and the freezer works. Doug

How about 5 PAGES on "How many amps does a Fantastic Fan draw" !!

[SidecarFlip]

Was the sun on the fridge side of the unit? That makes a difference.

[SidecarFlip]

MrWizard wrote:
residential might not be the best option for the OP TC, in his sig pix

its a matter of battery storage space

LP is very cost efficent

but we full time in a 1995 DP have had a residential compressor fridge for 7 years, and it works great, and we mainly dry camp/boondock

compressor fridge on electric, uses less power than RV fridge on electric

Pretty hard to shoehorn a residential fridge in a TC (the doors aren't that wide) Maybe in a Host Mammoth, maybe...

Certainly a compressor fridge uses less power than an ammonia unit on electric, way less, but on gas, the average ammonia fridge pulls about 2/10ths of an amp. Even with fans, the draw is below 2 amps or just about at the threshold amperage of a Danfoss unit, which is why, my next TC (if there is another) will have a Danfoss compressor fridge. Very efficient but very expensive.

A residential fridge compressor is similar in operation to a roof air conditioner, that is, the compressor runs full tilt until the pre set temperature is reached and then shuts down, waiting for the thermostat to call for cooling again and then it goes full tilt and the cycle repeats itself.

With a Danfoss compressor, the compressor throttles itself down (and draws minimal amperage) once the fridge is cold, why they are so desireable for RV use where power is always a consideration.

The Danfoss and the Dometic Waeco compressors are an offshoot of marine applications.

I believe that Dometic is starting to use the low amp draw Waeco compressors in their RV roof units as well.

[3_tons]

I had the same sluggish problem recently with my norcold when ambient was around 105deg F, though I didn't check refer temps with thermometer..... Got home and did some testing on LPG and on 120v (same results) .... It was 84deg F in my garage and after 24 hrs on setting number 9 the freezer was at -1 deg F, while the refer was at about 31 deg F...... This meant about a 53 deg refer temp differential from the ambient garage temp.... So hypothetically at the previous 105deg F ambient, there might have been about a 50deg drop (at BEST due to the higher 105,ambient and efficiency loss...), meaning that it was probably around 55deg F inside refer temp and 25deg F in the freezer...

I wonder if others experience this too.

3 tons

[RLS7201]

MrWizard wrote:
residential might not be the best option for the OP TC, in his sig pix

its a matter of battery storage space

LP is very cost efficent

but we full time in a 1995 DP have had a residential compressor fridge for 7 years, and it works great, and we mainly dry camp/boondock

compressor fridge on electric, uses less power than RV fridge on electric

But you do run your Champion generator a lot. Those around you are too polite to mention it.

Richard

[MrWizard]

residential might not be the best option for the OP TC, in his sig pix

its a matter of battery storage space

LP is very cost efficent

but we full time in a 1995 DP have had a residential compressor fridge for 7 years, and it works great, and we mainly dry camp/boondock

compressor fridge on electric, uses less power than RV fridge on electric

[SidecarFlip]

jplante4 wrote:
Check that the drain from the drip pan is stopped up. This allows warm air to run into the fridge part.

That is true and it don't take much, especially if the drain hose is through the outside lower vent cover and facing forward. That allows the the hose end to act like a small air scoop and warm air enters the fridge.

My old Norcold had the hose terminating in a drip pan attached to the lower boiler assembly which I never liked so I routed it down through the lower cavity and outside. That drip pan was nothing but a dirt collector.

My new Dometic exits through the lower vent and has a perforated plug in the end.

[jplante4]

Check that the drain from the drip pan is stopped up. This allows warm air to run into the fridge part.

[SidecarFlip]

Ivylog wrote:
OP, try increasing the air flow behind the refer.

Sidecar, do you have a residential refrigerator in a RV? My mistake was spending way too much money on my NoCold...should have go residential sooner and we boondock often. With the residential I actually run my generator less than before...BUT I added a 100 amp charger with the battery system for the refer.

PS: Went from 12 to 21 cuft and the 21 weighs less than the 12. At 40,000+ lbs another two batteries will not be noticed.

No, I don't. I have a Dometic that I did some modifications to. Every ammonia fridge can be made to run much more efficiently with as much airflow as possible across the evaporator and additional insulation between the fridge body and the external cabinet. My last unit had a NorCold and it ran just fine too.

Never had an issue with either really. Always make sure they are level within 1/2 bubble and try to keep the fridge side out of direct sunlight.

A lot of people get frustrated with an ammonia fridge because they don't cool down as fast as a compressor fridge or residential fridge does and they are more sensitive to opening the doors a lot. I run a remote sensing thermostat in mine so I don't have to open the door to check the temps. Mine maintains around 35 in the fridge and 5-10 in the freezer, all the time.

I am going to buy a Dometic cool box for the back seat however. Probably a 40 quart. Saving my pennies up for that.