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Old 12-22-2015, 04:00 PM   #1
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Norcold black box reset

Thanks to the forums I probably save hundreds of dollars with shop fees. Norcold 1200 fridge went out this week. No display but I had power to unit. Set up apt. at repair shop because we have trip this week. Started reading post and found that the recall "black box install" can be reset. I read that if red light is on the board is switched off. Then they said to use a magnet to reset switch. $3.00 at harbor freight for a magnet and 1 minute and switch is reset and fridge working. Saved lots of time and money. Thanks everyone. The internet and forums are awesome for items like this. Pulled switch, checked it then reinstalled it. Found magnet and the light went off in about 5 seconds and power on the fridge. MIRICLE.
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Old 12-22-2015, 04:07 PM   #2
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YES that is a means of resetting the 'recall box'

Question one needs to answer is 'WHY DID IT TRIP?'

Recall is a safety device that trips on HIGH-HIGH Temp Sensor (roughly 700*F)

So did it trip due to a HIGH-HIGH Temp Event or for some other innocuous reason (yes there are issues with recalls being faulty, some trip due to owners spraying water in vent when washing rig, etc)

SO..........
Did you do any testing before resetting? Do you know why it tripped?
The 'recall box' is there for a reason. Resetting without knowing why could be asking and getting trouble

Just saying..............watch it for evidence of overheating/fire
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Old 12-22-2015, 04:25 PM   #3
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Pretty sure why, unit working great then prior to putting in shop to get an exhaust gasket replaced I stopped by blue beacon and got a wash job. After wash job when at shop I noticed fridge light was off and not running. Figured I could check on it later. STopped apparently after washing. REad that this is a common issue with the unit. I will watch it for several days prior to leaving on our trip for issues. Thanks Guys. Next time I will cover panel before washing coach.
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Old 12-22-2015, 04:26 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit View Post
YES that is a means of resetting the 'recall box'

Question one needs to answer is 'WHY DID IT TRIP?'

Recall is a safety device that trips on HIGH-HIGH Temp Sensor (roughly 700*F)

So did it trip due to a HIGH-HIGH Temp Event or for some other innocuous reason (yes there are issues with recalls being faulty, some trip due to owners spraying water in vent when washing rig, etc)

SO..........
Did you do any testing before resetting? Do you know why it tripped?
The 'recall box' is there for a reason. Resetting without knowing why could be asking and getting trouble

Just saying..............watch it for evidence of overheating/fire
I agree 100% I think this pic says it all about the procedure just described. It should never have been posted by whomever on doing something that is very foolish and dangerous. 
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Old 12-22-2015, 05:10 PM   #5
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Oh my. We are treading on litigation territory here. This Norcold recall had to do with Norcold absorption cooling units failing and causing fires that "BURNED" RV's. Messing with this "recall fix" is literally playing with your life. Even if you smell the fire behind the refrigerator should you have a fire for any reason, by the time you do smell it, it is probably well advanced and you still have to get by the refrigerator to get out if you don't want to climb out your emergency window. And the "fix" is not a guarantee. Fact, my Norcold 1210 had the '''fix', it didn't start one day, it was very hot to the touch inside the refrigerator after I checked it after three hours of running and the "box" didn't take the unit off line.

revrick3, you may have saved a few hundred dollars in shop fees but you are not out of the woods. You have probably decreased the safety margin the fix was supposed to give you by getting around the tripped temp limit regardless of why it tripped. Please reconsider.
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Old 12-22-2015, 05:14 PM   #6
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I agree 100% I think this pic says it all about the procedure just described. It should never have been posted by whomever on doing something that is very foolish and dangerous. Attachment 114701
Interesting. So you would rather compel everyone to make a trip to a dealer or some other service facility every time it trips after a wash job, or simply has a brain fart as they are sometimes do? That would amount to a great deal of wasted time and money being spent by owners. Unfortunately, a number of people would get screwed by either an unknowing technician or an unscrupulous technician selling un-needed repairs. There would be a lot of expensive repairs sold when all that's needed is a reset. I view this as nothing different than replacing a fuse or resetting a circuit breaker. Now, if it trips again for some unknown reason, then obviously further diagnosis is necessary. But I have to disagree with you on your comment that the reset procedure should never have been published. That's nothing more than censorship.
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Old 12-23-2015, 03:59 AM   #7
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It's a two edged sword...........

IF one has a reasonable idea of why it may have tripped (THEY got it wet) then a reset is a reasonable approach.

BUT if they have no clue what the recall box is for OR any idea of why it trip just that it has tripped and they 'read' somewhere about the 'reset' then it is probably NOT a good idea to dot he reset w/o some better investigation and understand in of what they are doing.
Had to next read that they had a fire and someone was injured or worst.

The Internet is great 'tool' but as with any tool one one really needs to understand that tool and it's limitations------and one's own!
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Old 12-23-2015, 04:38 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JLDHELMS View Post
Oh my. We are treading on litigation territory here. This Norcold recall had to do with Norcold absorption cooling units failing and causing fires that "BURNED" RV's. Messing with this "recall fix" is literally playing with your life. Even if you smell the fire behind the refrigerator should you have a fire for any reason, by the time you do smell it, it is probably well advanced and you still have to get by the refrigerator to get out if you don't want to climb out your emergency window. And the "fix" is not a guarantee. Fact, my Norcold 1210 had the '''fix', it didn't start one day, it was very hot to the touch inside the refrigerator after I checked it after three hours of running and the "box" didn't take the unit off line.

revrick3, you may have saved a few hundred dollars in shop fees but you are not out of the woods. You have probably decreased the safety margin the fix was supposed to give you by getting around the tripped temp limit regardless of why it tripped. Please reconsider.
The black box's are not designed to be reset. It's a means someone has come up with to reset it. Norcold would never approve of it to be back on line be doing it. It is a safety measure to prevent a fire. If it trips, it should be replaced and your Norcold should be checked for a proper operation. The new black box is a cost free replacement from Norcold and insures that all is fine after being checked for a problem. For someone to compare at resetting it with a magnet like a fuse replacement is a very dangerous thing to do. You saved no money because it is free, and you may have put yourself and others at risk of a fire by resetting it.
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Old 12-23-2015, 04:43 AM   #9
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The black box's are not designed to be reset. It's a means someone has come up with to reset it. Norcold would never approve of it to be back on line be doing it. It is a safety measure to prevent a fire. If it trips, it should be replaced and your Norcold should be checked for a proper operation. The new black box is a cost free replacement from Norcold and insures that all is fine after being checked for a problem. For someone to compare at resetting it with a magnet like a fuse replacement is a very dangerous thing to do. You saved no money because it is free, and you may have put yourself and others at risk of a fire by resetting it.

Actually....

The magnet reset is courtesy of Norcold Tech Dept. originally intended for Service Techs. BUT it is on the Internet

Example of Internet Info (and from an RV fridge Safety Device Company)
http://www.arprv.com/troubleshoot-norcold-recall.html
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Old 12-23-2015, 04:55 AM   #10
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WoW some of you guys get vicious I am no fool. I take my life and my family more serious than any of you can understand. I also do my due dillegence of study and planning. As I said earlier. The unit worked fine. Have had it running continuous since purchase couple of months ago. No issues or heat buildup at all. Unit working then got wash job and moments after wash job unit off and red light on. Sort of seems obvious what happened here. Especially since I read no less than 100 posts about water from wash jobs tripping the switch. I checked unit top to bottom. Checked all fuses even took cover of main board to check both these fuses. All was good. Read dozens of posts from different people and sites not just this one of this fix. I tool switch apart myself and saw no damage and burned circuits. Magnet tripped it as directed. It is now running IN MY YARD with no one in it. Doing this to monitor it. No problem yesterday or this morning. Unit cold, no excess heat anywhere. I assure you I don't take chances with electrical sources or fire sources. Some of the info I read came from techs who actually work on these units and they use the same reset when they are pretty sure why it tripped. Come on guys I might be fairly new to class a but I am a very well seasoned, old, guy who has quite a bit of mechanical knowledge as well as safety knowledge. You see I am responsible in my profession for hundreds of people in a hospital. I am well aware of safety issues, fire and disaster preparadness.
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Old 12-23-2015, 05:02 AM   #11
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Thanks Old Biscuit for your info. Saw that site myself and it was one of the reasons I felt okay using it especially knowing when it tripped after the wash job.
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Old 12-23-2015, 05:36 AM   #12
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revrick3....you did due diligence and you used the site as it was intended, to find information about issues that we all face from time to time. I have had the same condition occur 3 times and they were all water related. On the first occasion I had just finished washing the unit and had to call a repairman due to fridge failure. When I explained what I was doing prior to the firdge failure, he explained what happened and reset the black box. Since then I have had 2 more failures and in both cases it was due to mother nature with high winds and heavy rainfall. It has been approx. 3 years since the last failure and there has been no issues since. [B][U]Under these circumstances[B][U], I feel confident that there was no safety issue being violated. I have also applied some good old duct tape to about 4 inches of the vent below the Norcold Safety apparatus to stop water spraying onto the safety device.
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Old 12-23-2015, 06:01 AM   #13
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my Norcold Panel would "Blink", every now & again. It would happen for no apparent reason-and- would not reset, demanding "Qualified Service".

I discovered that by pulling the 3amp fuse in the panel-then reinserting , allowed the frig to work again.

Good Luck, if you think you can find someone that knows enough to repair your frig ! Easy to find someone to give you a bill , but not a fix. That thought being reinforced by the Magnet trick being printed in their repair manual.

Keep your Magnet handy!
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Old 12-23-2015, 08:12 AM   #14
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Quote:
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Actually....

The magnet reset is courtesy of Norcold Tech Dept. originally intended for Service Techs. BUT it is on the Internet

Example of Internet Info (and from an RV fridge Safety Device Company)
Troubleshoot Norcold Recall | Reset Recall | Fridge Off | Norcold Not Working
As stated in their policy[arprv] they do not recommend resetting the black box. It is a procedure intended for service techs. Only after it has been checked and found trouble free. Not a procedure for the general public. Not everything on the internet should be taken as a means of what to do. Norcold replaced three boxes on mine at no cost. No shop fees. The last was due to washing and it did get wet I guess, never saw any water. I installed a new cooling unit and now have no black box. Plus ice cold cooling even on the hottest days. Resetting procedure is not in my manual. As long as you feel confident then problem solved and good luck.
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