Norcold “High Temperature Monitoring Control Kit 634737”

[Robin_M]

Originally Posted by rmeusborn

Two more,questions: Many of you have and love a "residential" style refrigerator. Is it 120V only? How do you power it when you're on the road?

RH,

Richard answered your question directly, but I thought it might be informative to add that one of the most popular residential refrigerators used in RV's is Samsung's RF197. It is very efficient and runs well with a modified sine wave inverter. And it is almost exactly the same size as the Norcold 1200 series, so it is an easy fit in the same space. That's the one I installed. Fisher & Paykel also makes a model with similar qualifications. Many domestic brands require a pure sine wave inverter. But most smaller residential refrigerators made today are very power efficient, and, as I discovered, do not pose much of a burden for modern motorhome electrical systems with a 2000w inverter.

The reason I mention this is that before I actually looked into these I would have had reservations about upgrading to an RV with a residential refrigerator. But after having one installed, and using it even while dry camping, I have absolutely no misgivings about owning one now.

[GSparks51]

To add as an update to this forum. I have just gone through the same issue with the temperature switch. My refrigerator is a Norcold model # 2118. We too were able to reset the tripped box several times on our own (once bc we washed the RV and 3 other times bc of rain/wind) by following directions from a previous post on this site. However, most recently we couldn't get it to reset.

Our unit is still under warranty as it is less than a yr old. I called Norcold...The rep was very unprofessional and explained to me that I would have to take the RV to a service provider that she told me was over 4 hours away! She said they no longer employ mobile service providers. After I got online myself to look up one of their service providers(an RV dealer) I found one about 11 miles away.

Long story short, I called them and they sent out a mobile tech for $125 plus $105 per hour to diagnosis the problem(which we had already accomplished by the way) which IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY! Needless to say, $230 later and a phone call from the mobile tech to Norcold...
Verdict:
Norcold said that on this particular model (2118) and also models 1200 and 1210 that the POWER MUST BE TURNED ON AND 12V NOT DISCONNECTED and then the magnet must be placed beside the light on the temp switch box and left there for at least a full minute (our tech left it over 2 minutes) and our box did reset-at least for now. The mobile tech had Norcold on speaker the entire call and the Norcold rep was very quick to tell him that they would not pay any part of the service call or diagnostics! The mobile tech (who is employed by the local RV dealer) told us that this is an ongoing problem that Norcold is WELL aware of and that he makes this same service call to almost everyone who has an RV with this box. His words were "It's a horseshXt design and they know it!" Well, I believe him because the Norcold rep actually told me "when you take the RV in to the service provider tell them to tilt the box downward". Seriously!? ...and if you alter the box or the way it is designed the warranty is void if the unit burns, causes other damage, etc. It is ridiculous that this problem is not being better addressed and that NORCOLD DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS!!!

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by GSparks51

To add as an update to this forum.

NORCOLD DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS!!!

If you read hundreds if not thousands of threads/posts on this forum in regards to Norcold (aka NotSoCold) problems and their jerry-rig recall which by the way was recall attempt #2, you are not alone. You are among thousands of other dissatisfied owners so now you have joined the ever increasing club.

I was hoping they would have been driven out of business after the Class Action Suit was settled but as always the victims got pennies on the dollar. Thousands of RV's burnt to the ground and one life was lost due to Norcold's negligence.

Get rid of it!

Install a residential and you will wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[LeeB]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

If you read hundreds if not thousands of threads/posts on this forum in regards to Norcold (aka NotSoCold) problems and their jerry-rig recall which by the way was recall attempt #2, you are not alone. You are among thousands of other dissatisfied owners so now you have joined the ever increasing club.

I was hoping they would have been driven out of business after the Class Action Suit was settled but as always the victims got pennies on the dollar. Thousands of RV's burnt to the ground and one life was lost due to Norcold's negligence.

Get rid of it!

Install a residential and you will wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

I just today got my 2101 back from my dealer today (at a cost of $298) an was told that they installed a "New" recall box and everything was fixed... I parked my coach very level and turned the 2101 on LP.. 2 hours later the no-co was flashing and the fridge was 10 degrees higher then the outside temp... IT WILL BE GOING BACK TO THE DEALER tomorrow........Grrrrrrrrrr

Dr4Film what Residential did you install? I read somewhere in the past week someone installed a GE 14.6 if theirs

[Dr4Film]

Originally Posted by LeeB

Dr4Film what Residential did you install? I read somewhere in the past week someone installed a GE 14.6 if theirs

The NotSoCold 1200 4 Door was replaced with the residential of choice back in 2012 which was the Samsung model RF-197 Counter-Depth French Door/Bottom Freezer. That model has been discontinued replaced with model RF-18 that now has the new DIC compressor.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[LeeB]

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

The NotSoCold 1200 4 Door was replaced with the residential of choice back in 2012 which was the Samsung model RF-197 Counter-Depth French Door/Bottom Freezer. That model has been discontinued replaced with model RF-18 that now has the new DIC compressor.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

Thanks Mama says the Samsung is to much... We don;t full time and really only boon dock a few tiems a year and that's only for a few days. Except we do Camp Host in Yosemite for a month. So the $$$$ for the Samsung is out........ Thanks LeeB

Plus we had a BAD experience with Samsung in our house... The top cooling unit went out under warranty and it took them 3 weeks to get it fixed and wife being diabetic she had to keep her insulin cold... SO she say NEVER again......

[Jake21]

If you are keeping the fridge, get the ARP Controller. Paul (owner) is also very helpful when it comes to absorption fridges.

[stearn]

Originally Posted by Jake21

If you are keeping the fridge, get the ARP Controller. Paul (owner) is also very helpful when it comes to absorption fridges.

I have missed something what is the ARP Controller? Thankfully I have learned how to bypass Norcolds wonderfull fix !! The lovely box has shown it's red light once again !! I called Nc only to be told in so many words that I need to have a qualified NC tech check that my box can not be reset , of course to bad if you can't pick up AND TRAVEL TO A DEALER 30 MILES AWAY !! She said they will cover the repair if the box can not be reset ,but not a service call!! Well I asked if they would send a new box to the RV service facility , to assist a speedy repair. No they would not do that!!
Long and short of this is the box is bad .It took two weeks to get a tech out to find the box with the red light was bad, and it will be two weeks one day before they will be back to replace the dead box . We had to have the complete cooling unit replaced 3 years this July. So sad a company could care less ! I am so glad I knew how to bypass the dreaded red light box. NC didn't care our refer would be down almost 5 weeks. The worry if heaven forbid ,this thing would have over heated it would be all on me, since I bypassed to keep our food cold. To add one more thing I did check fot excessive heat and for the ammonia leaks before bypassing. So now I have it off my chest Sorry for the rant!

[Dr4Film]

Dump the Norcold POC Black Box. They only cause headaches for RV owners and really don't offer much protection.

There was even one owner who had their fridge catch fire with this stupid piece of crap on the back end of it.

ARPrv is the only REAL protection.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[Jake21]

Click on the link above in DR4film's post. That is the website for the Arp Contoller. If you are handy, you can install it yourself.

[garbonz]

Thinking outside that box I would consider some of the incredibly efficient 12 frogs out there for off the grid use. For example, a small sundanzer frig is rated for 77 watt hours per day, or under 10 AH.

Forget the inverter, extra batteries, and big frig.

Just an idea.

[garbonz]

12 volts not 12 frogs. Lol

[garbonz]

The Arprv control is pretty awesome, you can even monitor the boiler temp and tube temp in real time and customize the set points to fit you situation.