Community Forums

rmeusborn · 05-13-2014, 07:04 AM

Ours failed last fall & we bypassed it to keep the refrigerator operating. Our dealer asked if we’d washed the RV & said dampness can cause false operation of the monitor. Sure enough, we’d just washed the rig & apparently some spray came through the service door vents or down the chimney. The dealer has a special magnetic tool with which he was able to reset the control & everything was fine. Yesterday, a driving rain against the refrigerator side of the rig tripped the control and we are again operating with it bypassed.

These false operations of the control are getting to be a pain. Is there a way we can reset the control ourselves or maybe independently monitor the boiler temperature so we can tell if we have a real cooling unit failure or just a false trip of the control?

Thanks

RH

TurtleKent · 05-13-2014, 07:13 AM

But understand it is tripping for a reason, it could be caused by water intrusion, but it could also be an overheating situation which will lead to a refrigerator fire! You reset the switch at your own peril!

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/norco...op-131058.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f101/norc...or-151964.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/dread...ox-141111.html

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/norco...ch-196570.html

Dr4Film · 05-13-2014, 07:15 AM

Buy yourself a medium size STRONG magnet and hold it on top until you hear a click.

If it were me I'd get rid of the POS fridge. They are the worst piece of crap that has been pushed onto the RV industry since the beginning of time.

Some people love them, a few, and hundreds really hate them.

JMTCW.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

akeyzoo · 05-13-2014, 11:40 AM

Pull that crappy fridge out!

fastcat · 05-13-2014, 03:22 PM

Many just say "remove that piece of junk". Well, if you have the money and inclination, OK.

Mine tripped down in Vegas when I ran a car wash wand over the access door. I did all the homework and got it running again with a magnet. On mine the power actually had to be hooked up going to the over limit switch in order for the magnet trick to work. I tried resetting it with the wires unhooked and it didn't work.

After I got it working I installed a little sheet metal baffle in front of the switch to protect it from water spray.

Fred and Bonnie · 05-13-2014, 05:26 PM

Just out of curiosity, is your unit facing the exterior? Postings in the past have indicated the unit should be positioned facing down.

Fred

fastcat · 05-13-2014, 08:55 PM

Facing it down might eliminate the problem. I still think the baffle is a good idea and will keep it even if there's room to tip the module down.

Robin_M · 05-14-2014, 04:11 PM

RH,

I had the same problem. I bought a magnet of the proper size, but couldn't get it reset with that. Neither could the dealer. One time when it happened on the road, a dealer did install a new recall box. I was very lucky because those things are not usually in stock at a dealer. But eventually I got fed up with the whole thing and just replaced the Norcold with the Samsung RF197. VERY glad we did that and VERY happy with the residential unit.

However, if I were going to keep the Norcold, I would have thrown away that silly recall box and installed this alternative instead. It does the same thing only it is supposed to work much better, and you can reset it.

phranc · 05-14-2014, 06:23 PM

Three bucks at Lowes/home Depot/ Harbor Freight gets you a STRONG magnet . No special dealer tool needed . Search the forum for directions on how to do this . Might even find the info in stickies ,, RV refrigerator magnet trick .

Robin_M · 05-14-2014, 10:45 PM

Phranc,

As reported elsewhere in this forum, the "magnet trick" doesn't always work. I followed the instructions, but it didn't work for me on two separate occasions. Nor could the dealer I went to get it reset with a magnet. When it happened to me both times I had to have the recall box replaced.

I had the latest version of the recall, and there have been many versions, so I'm wondering if maybe Norcold didn't discontinue that "magnet reset feature" along the way. The reason I wonder about that is that the last time it happened, I took the cover off the box to see what was happening inside as I applied the magnet. There was a very tiny electronic switch in there that looked like it could not possibly be reset in that manner.

rmeusborn · 05-16-2014, 05:31 AM

Thanks, all, for the many, many very supportive alternatives you offered. We'll be trading the rig soon, so will probably try the magnet/shield fix & let you know. 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?

Thanks

RH

Dr4Film · 05-16-2014, 06:01 AM

It is powered by 120 VAC supplied by the inverter portion of my Xantrex/Trace RV-2012 2000 Watt MSW Inverter/Charger.

The alternator keeps the House batteries fully charged.

Since my inverter is on standby ALL the time, the power supply is seamless when I disconnect shore power or turn off the generator.

Dr4Film ----- Richard

stearn · 05-16-2014, 06:13 AM

I glued a round magnet to a paint stir stick. It helped to reach the control box that is up above the vent. I now am very careful with the spray when washing our rig. Putting a shield over it sounds like a plan.

phranc · 05-16-2014, 11:51 AM

Thanks Robin for the update . That would be just like NorCold to make a change . But I will say , I've had to use the 'magnet trick' twice. The last time it was not cooperating .
Tried various combos of power on , power off , refer on or off etc and all of a sudden
'click' and all was well ..Perhaps persistence paid off in this case. As in all things RV , everyones situation is different . Hopefully the OP will get his issue resolved at a reasonable cost