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Old 06-08-2014, 10:04 AM   #57
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 94-Newmar View Post
Nothing could be further from the truth. Absorption refrigeration using ammonia has been around for decades and is still used as the preferred refrigeration source for many large commercial warehouses. Ammonia is 100% friendly to the environment, cools better than any CFC based refrigerant by being 25% more efficient than anything else including R404, it requires much smaller plumbing and mechanicals than CFC based refrigerants, and it's cost is pennies on the dollar compared to any other refrigerant.

More room - agreed.
More convenient - thats debatable, depending upon how you intend to power it 24x7 AND whether or not you boondock more than not.
Less power - no way is there even any comparison. Your resi refrigerator is costing you 100watts every hour running. If you're using an inverter to power it then it's costing you 10 amps DC every hour it's running. The absorption based units use less than 5 watts of power at 12VDC, plus propane costs. Replenishing the batteries on a constant 10amp draw basis for the resi fridge on an inverter will far exceed the costs of the absorption based units. Before someone jumps in and says SOLAR is the answer let me say that not everyone can afford to install a solar system costing upwards of $4000.00 and up.
Better looking -agreed.

I'm not a huge fan of these absorption based refrigerators. A lot more design needs to be incorporated to help prevent the problems they have. However, most units I see that have failed have never even been serviced, had the boiler area inspected (rust/corrosion), flue tubes/baffle cleaned OR even had the roof vent off to check for any ongoing issues. A bit of diligence and common sense needs to be applied to maintenance AND operation. As another poster mentioned above, I've too seen my fair share of converters, inverters and transfer switches that have almost caught a coach on fire (in some cases I wondered how they didn't catch on fire), owners trying to change their own batteries and hooking up 4 12v batteries as 48volts or hooking them up backwards and watching them smoke, or furnaces, which are under the refrigerator in many cases which haven't even been serviced to remove lint, dustballs, paper towels that may have been sucked in. Not many people realize that MOST RV LP based furnaces have no intake filters so they ingest about anything that will fit.

There are a variety of things that go wrong on our RVs.. the refrigerator is just another appliance in the same list, yet unfortunately, is blamed all too often.
Good points and have to agree. Some issues with power calculations have been made.

Surprising the number of people who equate change to improvement. Change is exactly what it is - change. Sometimes there is improvement but not always. Reminds me of the advertisements where they tout the new improved packaging or the government creating a new program for "our benefit".
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Old 06-08-2014, 10:49 AM   #58
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Another Norcold story

Quote:
Originally Posted by 94-Newmar View Post
The majority of the hype over these things lies solely with the 1200 series norcolds. Period.

Were they problematic? Yes.

Should the same logic be applied to ALL absorption refrigeration? Certainly not.


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Hear-hear!
I have a Dometic. Would make hard icecream if I could have it. Not worried.
I had a Norcold 800 series. Not part of the recall/problem.
Luck is a wonderful thing.


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Old 06-08-2014, 04:51 PM   #59
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Love my Norcold fridge. Works great, quiet, cools great, makes a lot of ice. Love the ability to run on a/c or propane.

To each his own!

Cheers!
To each his own is correct. Many times I think people forget that here?

With that said, here's a little up-date on my fridge.

Two years ago I went to service my 1200 Norcold because you need to service them. As I did four years ago, I pulled it out half way to get a good look at it. I was having to set it a little lower than before so I wanted to make sure everything was good.

I wish I would have taken a picture of the yellowish stain on the flue area up top. It had started a very small hole that was also rusting out too. To be honest with you all, I said a prayer of thanks!

I am very glad that I took the time to service it. But many don't, so to each his own.

My remedy was to install the Amish cooling unit. I do admit that I like the choice of electric or propane and boy it works great. Nice unit, very sturdy and heavier if that means anything. And the service from David Force was great.


And with that said, I am almost complete with my change to the Samsung.

Why do this you ask?

You have the Amish unit that works great.
Well I asked myself the same question and here's why.

1. Well the DW likes the extra room and I admit I do too. Won't have to use the outside unit anymore. I am also a firm believer in happy wife happy life? Plus she also saw one installed and that pushed it over the edge!

2. I installed solar and it does me know good if I don't use it to its fullest.

3. Because I can.

Anyone needs a nice Norcold let me know? Works great!
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Old 06-08-2014, 04:59 PM   #60
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I like #3-
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Old 06-08-2014, 05:14 PM   #61
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Whoopee! I just bought a MH with the Norcold 1200. The recall has been done on it so maybe I'm OK for a few more trips. My first experiences have been great, freezer freezes and cooler cools. Hope it stays that way and that the smoke detector warns me of dangers when/if the thing lights up.
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Old 06-08-2014, 05:40 PM   #62
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take a good flashlight and inspect the back from the exterior. look for any residue or scorch marks. good luck
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Old 06-08-2014, 05:59 PM   #63
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I have the norcold 1200 in our motorhome and it's working fine now. I do keep close watch on it and the first time it looks like a problem I'll change it out to a residential. I'm curious as to how they will last after 7or8 years of bouncing down the highway. Also I had a fridge that the compressor overheated and almost cause a fire so things can happen either way.
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Old 06-08-2014, 06:38 PM   #64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr4Film View Post
I have posted a few times here on iRV2.com what I had determined to be the actual power usage of the Samsung RF197 fridge from a 3 month study using a Kill-O-Watt meter attached to the fridge.

Based on the study, the RF197 used on average between 1.81 - 1.83 KwH's per day.
Dr4Film ----- Richard
That would be an average of about 75wH. In a motorhome, a lot would depend on the time of year and the average ambient temperature when you did the study. Other factors would include how much you open your fridge, how much ice you use (and, of course the accuracy of your Kill-0-Watt meter). And, of course, it includes the defrost cycle, the ice maker and tray heater, and the door seal heaters. You would expect the refrigerator to consume a bit more energy in a motorhome, as opposed to sitting in someone's home kitchen, due to the greater variance in ambient temps.

I don't know if anyone has actually done a comparison study, but I'm guessing that the RF197 is probably one of the most energy efficient residential refrigerators of it's size that you could put in a motorhome (with the possible exception of the more expensive Fisher & Paykel with its internal inverter and variable speed compressor).
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:02 PM   #65
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My norcold works great, was not part of the recall, is four years old and we love it!
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:03 PM   #66
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I like #3-
My favorite was #1... "Happy wife, happy life". ...or as they say in the South, "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy".

BTW, hes4all, that was a great post!
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:26 PM   #67
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Has there been a recall on this product or a safety bulletin? What year, make, model are you discussing?
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:35 PM   #68
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Has there been a recall on this product or a safety bulletin? What year, make, model are you discussing?
Google Search is your "friend".

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Old 06-08-2014, 07:44 PM   #69
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My favorite was #1... "Happy wife, happy life". ...or as they say in the South, "When Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy".

BTW, hes4all, that was a great post!

Thank you Robin.

It was a tough call because of the new cooling unit and I do tons of boondocking so we will see.

It took three weeks to tell the DW about the leak the the old cooling unit had.
I wish I would have had the solar first then I would have just made the change without buying the cooling unit. OH WELL.

Someone will get a nice Norcold with the Amish cooling unit installed for a good price I hope.


GBARONI!

By the way, we are talking about the Norcold 1200 fridges. My coach is a 2006 and I have know idea of how many years we are talking about when it comes to the 1200 Norcold.

You can call Norcold and they can answer any questions that you might have. They did do a recall a few years ago were a black shut off box was installed. It worked off of heat and would turn the fridge off if it got to hot.

It wasn't the greatest fix in my opinion. I have a friend who box has turned the frigde off numerous times because he drives in the mountains and this causes the fridge heating element to get real hot.

There is a new system that is very good and if I still had the Norcold I would put it on for sure. Here is a link to them. ARPrv | RV Refrigerator | RV Fridge Control | Install by Cooling Unit | RV Fires

My friend put it on a few months ago and say it it great. You don't eleminate the box, this is a add on.

The ARP unit monitors the boiler temp and cuts off heat (AC, DC or gas) to the boiler if it detects an overheat.

Overheating can cause damage to boilers (off level operation, electronic malfunction, etc...).

By the way, my 2001 coach before this cosch had a Norcold that worked flawlessly.
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Old 06-08-2014, 07:47 PM   #70
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Has anyone heard of a fire in a Norcold that was not in the recall? If not what is the big deal?
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