Norcold refrigerator died...

AFChap · 11-06-2009, 08:18 PM

Well, today I had planned a "pleasant" afternoon of replacing the seals in the leaky toilet bowl. Before starting that job I decided to have a sandwich for lunch ...and noted the display panel on the Norcold 1201LRIM refrigerator was dead. All power looked good elsewhere so I went outside and checked inside the access panel ...yellow fluid residue on the base plate. Oh well, not a huge surprise as it is 7 yr old with a coach build date of Aug '02. We had the recall done just two months ago, so guess the new thermal switch did it's job and shut things down before it could overheat too much.

The first mobile guy I called said he could get to it on Nov 24 ...too bad, we're leaving Dallas for Alabama on the 20th. The second guy I called said he would call me back, but didn't. So we went to WalMart and bought a small apt size refer to get us by for awhile ...fortunately the freezers were pretty low compared to normal.

For the past 6 months or so we have been having to bump the setting a bit higher than before to get good cooling temps. And a few days ago when I came in from unplugging shore power I heard the "beep beep" alarm and figured the refer door was open, but it wasn't. It had the "HE" code in the display. The manual says that means "you can't fix this ...call a service tech." I opened and closed the door, then turned it off and back on, and all returned to normal. Guess it was telling me it was on the way out...

...and the toilet seals are still waiting for me...

**Gary RVRoamer** · 11-07-2009, 09:53 AM

Ouch! A new cooling unit is expensive and you really shouldn't need to replace a 7 year old unit yet. Hope yours is an exception, cause our 1200LRIM is a late 2003 build.

I've seen too many reports of rebuilt cooling units failing within a year. Even if the cooling unit has a warranty, you don't want to go through that again. I'd go with a new cooling unit rather than a rebuilt.

AFChap · 11-07-2009, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Hope yours is an exception

I suspect it isn't much of an exception, Gary. My Ultimate was an Aug 02 build, and I know a guy with an 02 Ultimate who replaced his refrigerator this past April about the same time I replaced my water heater ...which he had replaced about 6 mo earlier. I may request he keep me updated on his repair record so I know what to expect next!!! When I had the Norcold recall done in early Septemter, I asked a couple of techs how long does an RV refrigerator normally last ...the answer was "about 7 years." So, I guess mine is just average ...hopefully yours is the one that drives the average up!!

Today my LP alarm has been going off ...located right under the fridge. Yesterday I couldn't smell amonia outside even though i could see the yellow residue on the base plate ...today there is yellow liquid gathering and a definite amonia smell. I opened the vents and have a small fan blowing on the LP alarm ...so far that is keeping it silent and the dogs from freaking out!!

**RV Wizard** · 11-08-2009, 05:43 AM

Paul, I know how you feel. My cooling unit went out a few months back and I was able to get Norcold to replace the cooling unit under the recall. This is the second cooling unit I have had to put in this 10 year old refrigerator. The original developed a restriction and the second, leaked after about 6 years. My first clast A had a 23 year old ref. in it that still worked well when I sold it! I second Gary's recommendation.

AFChap · 11-08-2009, 02:37 PM

Yesterday afternoon ...24 hr plus after the refrigerator quit ...the LP alarm started going off. When I went out and looked in the access panel there was a good bit of yellow liquid on the drain plate and strong smell of ammonia. We have a fan blowing on the LP alarm, keeping it happy enough to stay silent. If we turn the fan off, the alarm eventually goes off.

While looking in the access hole I showed a visiting friend the thermal switch the recall added to the chimney ...and saw an area just above the switch where the foil covering the chimney looked a bit strange. On close inspection, it has obvious heat damage ...looks thinner/stretched/fatigued like foil that has been in a campfire a long time. It appears to me that the thermal switch definitely saved us from overheat damage and a possible fire! I had the impression the danger of a fire existed when running on LP, but not on electric. But our refrigerator was running on electric when it failed, and still I can see that the chimney overheated at least a little!

If your unit is included in the recall, and you have not had it done, GET IT DONE!!

JeeperJohn · 11-17-2009, 03:07 PM

We are maintaining the "seven year average"! Our Norcold 1200 LRIM went south yesterday. The back coils are colder than a wedge, although the ac heaters work as well as propane heat. We turned it off and have an appointment for next Tuesday to see if we can either get a new cooling unit or a new refrigerator! We took delivery of our 2003 Allegro Bay exactly 7 years and 16 days ago! :(

First the brakes (Workhorse) . . . now the refrigerator . . . what next? At least we know we are not alone!

Gary - K7GLD · 11-17-2009, 03:26 PM

HMMMmmmm - I wonder if this "7 year" lifespan bit is something of late invention?

The large Norcold unit in our recently acquired '88 Winnie was in the process of failing at the time we bought it - I replaced the cooling unit - and it was obviously the first time the refrigerator had ever been removed or repaired - sure hope the rebuilt refrigeration unit is good for more than 7 years!

The Dometic in our '88 KIT 5er - bought new by us - is still the OEM, and working perfectly - maybe these more current failures/issues are a Norcold problem primarily related to later model units?

JeeperJohn · 11-17-2009, 03:56 PM

Seems they just don't make 'em like they used to! Wish it wasn't so! :(

RustyJC · 11-17-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary - K7GLD

The Dometic in our '88 KIT 5er - bought new by us - is still the OEM, and working perfectly - maybe these more current failures/issues are a Norcold problem primarily related to later model units?

Afraid not. The cooling unit in our Dometic has already been replaced - failed at about 2 years old.

The Dometic in our first RV was 24 years old when we sold it in 1996 and still worked fine.

Rusty

Gary - K7GLD · 11-17-2009, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyJC

Afraid not. The cooling unit in our Dometic has already been replaced - failed at about 2 years old.

The Dometic in our first RV was 24 years old when we sold it in 1996 and still worked fine.

Rusty

JEEZE - these type units have been in existence for MANY decades, and are so simple a design, you have to wonder what has happened to make them now so failure prone! Could it be some of these later environmental controls that have compromised construction materials, components and methods?

AFChap · 11-17-2009, 04:56 PM

Gary ...I found the replacement fridge, 1210LRIM for normal price of about $3,900 at PPL near Houston ...they had it on sale at that time for about $2,900. They come without door panels ...you order them separetely, and I understand our 1201 door panels will not fit the 1210.

We had a new cooling unit put in yesterday in Ft Worth. The cooling unit was $1,586.99 plus 6.5 hrs labor ...the tech said removing and putting the refrigerator back on a Winnebago takes longer that others because of the "roll-over kit" that Winnebago installs. Guess that means the fridge is our roll bar.

The new cooling unit comes with the two heaters and recall kit as part of it ...basically replaces everything on the outside rear of the box (not sure about the board ...meant to ask that but forgot.)

It works great now ...actually better than it has for most of the past year...

TXiceman · 11-17-2009, 07:20 PM

It seems that the newer frigs are not built to last like the old ones. The Dometic in our 30 year old trailer finally gave up the ghost early this year...but it was 30 years old.

Ken

mfire1339 · 11-17-2009, 07:38 PM

Seems to me I read a few years ago they upped the wattage of the electric coils to cool a bigger box that everyone wanted. They would burn up the unit tubing, And part of a recall was to install a lower watt heater.

Mike

Gary - K7GLD · 11-17-2009, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AFChap

Gary ...I found the replacement fridge, 1210LRIM for normal price of about $3,900 at PPL near Houston ...they had it on sale at that time for about $2,900. They come without door panels ...you order them separetely, and I understand our 1201 door panels will not fit the 1210.

We had a new cooling unit put in yesterday in Ft Worth. The cooling unit was $1,586.99 plus 6.5 hrs labor ...the tech said removing and putting the refrigerator back on a Winnebago takes longer that others because of the "roll-over kit" that Winnebago installs. Guess that means the fridge is our roll bar.

The new cooling unit comes with the two heaters and recall kit as part of it ...basically replaces everything on the outside rear of the box (not sure about the board ...meant to ask that but forgot.)

It works great now ...actually better than it has for most of the past year...

MAN - pretty stiff price, both for a complete unit, as well as for the replacement unit - A complete NEW Norcold 8360 in ours could be had for about $1500 plus shipping - and the replacement freezing unit was just over $500 delivered - and that's the 3-way, AC, DC and gas. BUT, I suppose there's lots of neat bells and whistles on the newer stuff my older unit doesn't have. Here's my repaired unit just prior to reinstallation in the '88 Winnie MH:

And the reinstalled unit:

So far, so good!

Quote:

It seems that the newer frigs are not built to last like the old ones. The Dometic in our 30 year old trailer finally gave up the ghost early this year...but it was 30 years old.

Ken

YUP - over 20 years on the OEM Norcold in the Winnie, and the same on the still working Dometic in the '88 Kit isn't too bad!