Norcold 1201IRIM 4 door unit not cooling while traveling

[SteveG]

Our Norcold 1201IRIM 4 door unit is not cooling while traveling. When we stop the unit cools down to normal temps. Called Norcold and they said "a seal" may be opened and that while underway the cold air is sucked out. Has any body experienced this problem? Thanks, SteveG

[RV Wizard]

It is quite possible from the negative pressures. I take it you are operating on lp gas mode when in travel and have not had any fault warning that the flame is not present? By chance have you talked to Winnebago about it?

[SteveG]

Thanks for the reply. I had not thought of calling Winnebago but taht is a good idea and I'll do that next. Here is what happened.
1. Pre-cooled the ref.
2. Departure read 30.
3. Traveled using LP gas to be sure it would stay cool becasue exterior temp was 95.
4. Arrived at lunch spot, 2.5 hours later, read 64. No gas alarm; no alarms at all.
5. Departed about 45 min later and temp dropped to about 56.
6. Changed over to electric as we were running with generator to run house air.
7. Arrived destination about 2 hours (about 1400) later and temp at 62.
8. Set up and let run on electric. Noticed temp started dropping. By 2300 temp at 30.
9. That was Thursday. Maintained temperature entire stay until our departure on Monday. Left it running on electric.
10. Arrived at Lunch at 1130 hours temp at 62.
11. So it did the same thing going and coming.
12. Talking with Norcold they said it was either the unit's seal was opening or the flue was a problem.
13. Examined the flue and it looks normal and everything seems to be operating normally.
14. LP flame is strong; fans are strong.
15. So I am thinking that Norcold is probably correct. But when I went to search for this problem I could not find another example. I thought that was strange. So thought I better see if there was any experience with this problem before I pay someone to remove the ref to fix the seal.
Thanks, SteveG

[SteveG]

I called Winnebago and they said that it made sense that negative pressure could push against the seal and allow warm air to enter the ref.

I re-called Norcold and got another tech and re-explained problem and she said that it sounded like the mastic seal failed and that the ref would have to be removed so the existing seal could be removed and a new mastic seal applied. Looks like I need to proceed in that direction. Don't think I'll try this myself. Thanks, SteveG

[RV Wizard]

Steve, it does sound like the cold air is being sucked out of the box. Also check (or have checked) the defrost condensate drain tube; it should have a crimped end with a small hole to allow the water out but hold enough to create a vapor barrier. Also check where the wiring and water line for ice maker penetrate the wall has a good seal around them. How does the door seal look. I would suggest a thin film of petroleum jelly or silicone grease be applied to the surface of the gasket. It help treat against the heat of the mullion heater and fills small seams. Once you stop the flow of air it should be able to maintain good temperatures.

[Brigadoon]

This may not be your problem since you seem to have an excessive temperature rise but here is what happened to our frig.

I run my frig at about 36-38 degrees. When traveling I would get a temperature rise to 50-52 degrees which is unacceptable in my book.

I stopped at a Norcold authorized service dealer to have it checked out. With the unit running on propane the tech rapped on the tube/smoke stack/exhaust pipe that is directly above the propane burner. This caused rust particles and other debris to fall down onto the flame causing the flame to nearly go out. The tech's theory is that as I drove down the road the particles were being dislodged and interfering with the burners flame and the cooling ability of the frig.

He did a routine cleaning of the burner and the tube and recommended an annual cleaning.

That was about 3 weeks ago and we have had 6 travel days since then and I'm happy to report that the temperature rise when driving goes from the normal 36-38 to 39-40 degrees.

I guess I'll stick to that annual maintenance schedule in the future.

[SteveG]

Mike & Terry, all good input. I have never lubed the seal so it certainly can't hurt, especially as we are putting on a little age. And as we will have the Ref removed it will be a perfect time to check all those air leak potentials. I keep everything pretty clean and routinely check the ice maker drain as I had previously picked that tip up on this forum.

Checking the vent stack for rust is not something I would have thought of so thanks for the tip. I don't think that is our problem as we have the problem if it is electric or LP. But while we have the patient opened up might as well service every thing we can think of.

[Gary RVRoamer]

I have heard of several cases where the Norcold 12xx was not properly installed. Norcold has a very critical spec for the space surrounding the fridge, with both a minimum and a maximum clearance amount. Failure to stay within that specs yields the symptoms you describe becasue warm air intrudes around the fridge and it cannot cool properly. RV manufacturers don't seem to pay a lot of attention to the spec, or at least some assembly line workers ignore it. Happens in more than one brand of coach.

[SteveG]

I still have not initiated the repair which will require removing the AC unit. Interesting response from our extended warranty company who told me they replace 4 to 5 units a week for cooler unit failure but has never heard of a box "leak" due to a seal failure. This "rarity" response seems to be consistent as I have not found one other problem similar to mind as I searched the web. To remove the entire unit to reseal doesn't seem to accomplish very much when compared to removing to replace the cooling unit. But it apparently this is what it will take.

[Rex]

Steve, that box is HEAVY and depending on your strength, you will need at least one helper, possible two. If you make a platform about the height of the bottom with the trim removed, it will be much easier to sit it on the box rather than the floor. If your floor is hard surfaced, put a carpet scrap on the bottom of the box you make so you can slide the fridge if needed.

I am puzzled about what kind of seal you are speaking of. If the cooling unit has not been removed, there is nothing to seal. There is or should be some insulation on the sides of the hole the fridge fits into, and perhaps that is what is meant by sealing it.

Sounds more like the flame is being blown out as you travel.

[SteveG]

Rex, thanks for the insight on trying to handle/move the box.

I'm equally puzzled about what "seal" is leaking, especially as I can find no one else who has had a similar experience. I down loaded the 1200 Service Manual and found on page 37, installation instructions for replacing the cooling unit. #2 says, "Apply a 1/2 inch bead of sealant to the replacement cooling unit's low and high temperature evaporators, and to the foam plug step. See figure 36, page 38." Figure 36 shows the application of the sealant to the foam plug step. The foam plug is where the low and high temp evaporator are mounted.

In the removal instructions numbers 19 and 22b it explains how to unseat the foam plug.

So I am assuming this is the source of the leak. That when the foam plug was initially installed the sealant was not applied correctly and now it is leaking. According to the manual there isn't any place else that can leak. That's true isn't it?

Surely I can not be the only one who has experienced this type of failure amongest us posters as I search internet wide?

I am flying in a pea soup blind and think I am going to have to hire some one to do this. Once I disassemble I am not sure I will be able to determine if there is any thing else wrong never having seen the back side of one of these machines.

[RV Wizard]

Steve, while it is true that this can be a problem, I have found that the unit will not cool properly from day 1. It is not a problem that just happens over time. This is usually found during the warranty period and a new refrigerator would be installed. There are other possible areas to inspect for a leak; some are accessible without pulling the refrigerator and some are not.
You already know about doors sealing.
Check the defrost drain tube to be sure it will retain a small amount of water and create a vapor barrier; the end should be some what crimped closed, with just a small hole for draining. Also check to be sure it has not come loose at the top where it connects to the drip pan that penetrates through the wall. Also check that the nozzle is sealed to the wall.
The other sources of potential leakage would be around the ice maker water nozzle and associated wiring to the ice maker.
Unless you actually find a visible problem you are going to want to have a professional remove and reseal the cooling unit assembly to the box and guaranty his work. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Express1]

Hi Steve-I'm so glad I found someone else with this problem!(not really glad but maybe helpful) I have been fighting this issue for over a year now with no solution at this point.Service ctr has pulled and resealed fridge last month,before that he installed baffles,readjusted doors,stopped up drain tube to see if that would help.Gonna get back on the phone tomorrow with Norcold for further info.Is yours fixed yet or are you still working on it? Any info would be helpful! It worked fine for the first 1.5 yrs I have owned it.Thanks Ernie

[Jocat54]

SteveG,
Can't really help on the problem you are having, But I did help when Norcold replaced my cooling unit under there recall.
We used milk crates set on a piece of cardboard to slide the unit out on and then slide the milk crates to clear the opening and the laid the unit on some more cardboard on the floor to replace the cooling unit. Really wasn't very hard just time consuming.

Good luck

John

Thinking back, I believe it could be done in 3-4 hours (replacing cooling unit)