fridge not cooling

[bigdog]

I have the 12cf fridge in my Tradewinds and when I got it ,if I remember correctly,the fridge was cold and made some ice. I had to change the house batteries and I hope that I got all wires back correctly.After changing them,I turned the power back on and everything seemed to work but the fridge. All the lights come on like everything's working,but not the check light and I put it on propane and the inside temp went up to over 90. I then pulled the outside grill and checked the fuses in the control panel and they were ok.Soooo,I don't know what else to do..I do have three wires on the batteries that I don't know where they go to,or come from,but the two red ones I put back on the hot leads and there was a black one that I put on the neg side..Mebbee that should be on the hot side also.
One thing that I forgot to do was to check the 12V connections for current and will do that when I go up in a minute..

[Fred and Bonnie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog All the lights come on like everything's working,but not the check light and I put it on propane and the inside temp went up to over 90.

Explain the "Check Light" we have the same frig and don't have a check light. Do you mean the "On" light? When you went to LP did the burner light?

This is a Norcold?

Just thoughts.

Fred

[TXiceman]

Do you have a 12 VDC circuit tester or a Volt-Ohm meter? Check that you have 12VDC at the power strip in the back of the frig. Also be sure that the positive is where the positive is supposed to be and the negative is correct.

The check light is only supposed to come on if it tries to light and for some reason does not. Are you getting the interior light for the frig to come on?

Ken

[bigdog]

I have a Norcold and just double checked it.Yes, there is a check light and on my fridge in the Cougar,it came on when there was something not quite right. You'd recycle it and it almost always went out.Yes,I have power to the 12V block,in and out.
There was a slight wooshing sound like a fan or a burner when the fridge was on in either auto or gas position that I could hear outside with the grill off and it seemed to be coming from the left side as you look at it.. When I put it on gas,it didn't get any louder,but the fridge was warmer in a few minutes and ,yes,the light comes on with the door open. And no,I don't know if it stayed on when the door was closed 'cuz it's kinda hard to see it if the door is closed.

[TXiceman]

Now I have to sit a bit and scratch my head...When on propane do yo see a flame in the burner area? You will probably have to pull off some sheet metal housings.

If the flame starts and goes out, probably a bad thermocouple of bad control board.

To see if the unit even works, turn off the frig, disconnect the 120VAC plug in the outside compartment. Disconnect the wires from the electric heater and carefully plug them into an an extension cord and them plug it into 120 plug. Be careful to make sure the make-shift connection is properly insulated and secures. Let the frig run for 12 hours and see if it is cooling. All you are doing here is to bypass all of the controls and to put the unit on full cool.

If it cools at this point, it is most likely a control board. replace it with a Dinosaur Board and not an OEM board.

Ken

[Mike Canter]

If on propane and the flame starts but goes out then you will get a "CHECK" light on his model. Bigdog did you answer the question on the interior light on the frig working or not? If the interior light comes on then you have 12 volts. Is your frig a 115 volt and a propane. (I believe it is) then have you tried it just on propane and then just on 115 volts? After it has been on a while on either power source then open the grill in the back and touch the coils to see if they are hot in each mode.

[bigdog]

Put it on propane again last night for a couple of hours and it went from 55 degrees to 90 degrees,so shut it off for the night and now,if I don't drown in our rain and snow mixed,I'm going to turn it to A/C only while I'm doing some things in it..

[bigdog]

Ahhaa,now we're getting somewhere...Went up this AM earlier and turned the fridge on 110 and shut down.. Just went up and it's really cold....In fact I think it's cold enuff in the freezer to make ice..
Now,I spose that I should go and turn it on gas or just unplug the MH from my shorepower and see what happens..

If I knew how to edit,I'd have done so....But....

[Mike Canter]

Do ypu have any kind of manual on the Frig? What recomend is taking off the sheet metal around the burner and watch what happens when you turn it on with propane. If it lights and the flame goes out then the thermocouple maybe bad. They are easy to change and don't cost much. Usual when that happens you will get a CHECK light indicating that it has tried three times to light and can't do it.

[bigdog]

Lo and behold... The gas kept it as cold as the A/C and I unhooked from shore power for awhile kept working,ran it with the generator for a bit and it's still working.. It must have been P.O.d at me for some reason and wasn't gonna work.. Or mebbee, it was the fact that I put 53.4 gallons of propane in it two days ago.
So now what's gonna go wrong next...

[Fred and Bonnie]

WOW, 53gal on a 50gal (WC) tank, you were well below empty! I believe you were taken if it truly held 53 gal. The National RV brochure indicates you have a tank that should hold around 19 gal of LP. The link will explain the how LP tanks are marked and how the capacity is computed.

http://www.propane101.com/propanecylinderfilling.htm

[bigdog]

The tag in the MH says the propane tank is a 55 gallon tank and that the fuel tank is 110 gallons. I could actually tell the difference in the amount of power from when I brought it home and it was almost empty and the other day after I put the 53.4 gallons of propane and another 80 gallons of diesel.Really put a tad bit of a crimp in the old wallet too.

[Fred and Bonnie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigdog The tag in the MH says the propane tank is a 55 gallon tank and that the fuel tank is 110 gallons. I could actually tell the difference in the amount of power from when I brought it home and it was almost empty and the other day after I put the 53.4 gallons of propane and another 80 gallons of diesel.Really put a tad bit of a crimp in the old wallet too.

Yes, the LP tank is 55gal, however the usable capacity is 80%. If it truly was filled with 53.4 gal, it is WAY overserviced and will not operate correctly. I would suggest you look at the tank gauge, if it reads over 3/4 you will have a problem.