Community Forums

MSHappyCampers · 12-26-2016, 12:26 PM

When we bought the MH in 2012 I replaced the original Norcold cooling unit with one of the Dutch Aire Amish-built units from David Force at RV Cooling Unit Warehouse. I used it for four years and it worked good except I could not get the fridge temps below 37-38 degrees, and when going in and out of it the temps would get up around 40 degrees.

A short time ago, the unit went bad, and even though it was about a year out of warranty, Jr. with J.C. Refrigeration, the manufacturer, gave me a replacement unit at no charge. I just got around to replacing it.

On a setting of "3" the temp in the fridge is steady at 33 degrees and the freezer section at "0" degrees! I am amazed! I guess I must not have got the original one sealed properly.

Anyway, I'm a Happy Camper again!

CJ7365 · 12-26-2016, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

When we bought the MH in 2012 I replaced the original Norcold cooling unit with one of the Dutch Aire Amish-built units from David Force at RV Cooling Unit Warehouse. I used it for four years and it worked good except I could not get the fridge temps below 37-38 degrees, and when going in and out of it the temps would get up around 40 degrees.

A short time ago, the unit went bad, and even though it was about a year out of warranty, Jr. with J.C. Refrigeration, the manufacturer, gave me a replacement unit at no charge. I just got around to replacing it.

On a setting of "3" the temp in the fridge is steady at 33 degrees and the freezer section at "0" degrees! I am amazed! I guess I must not have got the original one sealed properly.

Anyway, I'm a Happy Camper again!

glad the manufacturer treated you well, that is a time consuming job, probably made the install easier as well as the pocket book

hypoxia · 12-27-2016, 06:14 AM

I had the same experience. There are two important factors here; Amish units do fail and the manufacturer backs up their product 100%. The replacement cooling unit arrived 4 days after reporting the failure, that's fast.

Lifemember · 12-27-2016, 07:02 AM

southernlady · 12-27-2016, 07:15 AM

That's great how they treated you.

We still have a S&B for now, my fridge here sits at 38. I get raw milk locally and had mine at 36. The milk wasn't staying fresh as long as they said it should. They asked how cold I kept my fridge. Told me 36 was too cold, to raise it to 38. Milk has stayed fresh as long as told it should ever since. (Oh, and my milk is never in the door shelves).

MSHappyCampers · 12-27-2016, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southernlady

That's great how they treated you.

We still have a S&B for now, my fridge here sits at 38. I get raw milk locally and had mine at 36. The milk wasn't staying fresh as long as they said it should. They asked how cold I kept my fridge. Told me 36 was too cold, to raise it to 38. Milk has stayed fresh as long as told it should ever since. (Oh, and my milk is never in the door shelves).

WOW! I would never have thought that! You would think that the colder the better, as long as it did not freeze!

southernlady · 12-27-2016, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers

WOW! I would never have thought that! You would think that the colder the better, as long as it did not freeze!

I thought that too for most of my life. Apparently milk breaks down faster as it gets colder toward freezing. I know I was told to never freeze raw milk.

hypoxia · 12-27-2016, 06:04 PM

Another obscure factoid that my brother the dairyman told me he read about; LED lights cause milk to go bad quickly! Who would'a thunk it?

MSHappyCampers · 12-28-2016, 08:41 AM

I just Googled recommended temp for storing milk. I looked at dozens of hits, and almost all of them say that about 35 degrees F is ideal. None of them mentioned any problem with having it lower than that other than it freezing so you can't drink it. I think I may leave mine on 33, then with opening and closing the door the average will probably be in the 35-36 degree range.

Timon · 12-28-2016, 09:23 AM

Not to burst any bubbles but the temp of food does not change much, if at all, because the door is open for 30 seconds or 4 minutes.

Sure the cold air flows out of the compartment but that will happen in the first 30 seconds. It's the mass of the items in the compartment where the cold is "stored" and air has very little mass. It won't take much energy to cool down that air once the compartment is closed.

Following the same thought if you set the compartment to 35 degrees that's the temp items will be at even when you open the door a few times. In addition in a well insulated frig items in the door should stay very very close to the set temp.

MSHappyCampers · 12-28-2016, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Timon

Not to burst any bubbles but the temp of food does not change much, if at all, because the door is open for 30 seconds or 4 minutes.

Sure the cold air flows out of the compartment but that will happen in the first 30 seconds. It's the mass of the items in the compartment where the cold is "stored" and air has very little mass. It won't take much energy to cool down that air once the compartment is closed.

Following the same thought if you set the compartment to 35 degrees that's the temp items will be at even when you open the door a few times. In addition in a well insulated frig items in the door should stay very very close to the set temp.

Good info John! Hadn't thought about it in that way!