Community Forums

Tigerfan1 · 03-12-2014, 10:48 AM

Going to replace our Norcold 1200 with a residential fridge. Have read that many folks have used the Samsung rf 197 French door. If anyone has used this frige are you happy with it? Would be interested to hear what other models members have used especially anyone with a size by side. My furnace sits under the current set up so I know I have to lower the platform for the new fridge. Also turned on the inverter (xantrex 2000 ms) and checked the plug in the outside fridge access area and found that it is not connected to the inverter. However there is a plug in the basement that is connected and I was thinking about running a wire from the basement plug to the one in the fridge area so I will have inverter power. Any reason I shouldn't? If I add a new plug can you use residential plug gfi or are their special plugs for rv,s? Sorry for rambling but this group is a great resource.

tricotec · 03-12-2014, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigerfan1

Going to replace our Norcold 1200 with a residential fridge. Have read that many folks have used the Samsung rf 197 French door. If anyone has used this frige are you happy with it? Would be interested to hear what other models members have used especially anyone with a size by side. My furnace sits under the current set up so I know I have to lower the platform for the new fridge. Also turned on the inverter (xantrex 2000 ms) and checked the plug in the outside fridge access area and found that it is not connected to the inverter. However there is a plug in the basement that is connected and I was thinking about running a wire from the basement plug to the one in the fridge area so I will have inverter power. Any reason I shouldn't? If I add a new plug can you use residential plug gfi or are their special plugs for rv,s? Sorry for rambling but this group is a great resource.

Our NoCold recently went bad. The RF197, after weeks of research, is simply the best replacement for many reasons. Chief among them:

Size - The width and depth of the RF197 are an exact match for the NoCold 1200. The height is 5" taller, and usually it can be made to fit.
Capacity - The Samsung is bigger inside because the ammonia cooling unit on the NoCold (hidden away in the rear) is very large. This means you have 18 cubic feet of space in the fridge instead of 12 in the Nocold. The use of space in the Samsung is also much better organized by design.
DC Compressor - The Samsung has DC compressor motors. Because of this it is very efficient, but most important it runs great on the Modified sine wave inverters installed in most older coaches.
Efficiency - This unit sips electricity with only 1.2A AC (about 12A at 12VDC), well within range for most coach Alternators. This is with the energy saver mode on (turns off the heaters on the door seals) and the ice maker turned off (has a heater to melt the ice cubes when dumping the ice). Our coach easily handles the load of the fridge on the inverter while on the road. We turn the energy saver off and the ice maker back on when we plug in to shore power.
Looks - The fridge is gorgeous and comes in two different Stainless finishes, White or Black.
Separate compressors for Fridge and Freezer - increases efficiency because you don't have to over-cool one to accommodate the other.
Good track record - These have been available for 5 years or so and have been used in RVs all over the place. Owners universally love them.
Good design for motor homes - Our fridge was put in a narrow hallway by Monaco. The new fridge with the split doors up top and the pull out freezer works very well in this restricted space.
Price - The Nocold costs $4500 new. We got our Samsung for $1350 from Home Depot...delivered to the site of installation within a week for free.

On our Monaco Windsor, and on a lot of coaches, the driver's side window is very large. The Samsung and the NoCold both fit through the hole when it is removed. Probably the best way for your fridge to get inverter power is to have the 120VAC feed reconnected to the inverter back at the breaker panel. If you have a professional install your fridge as we did, (Elite Repair & Re-modelling) they can do this for you. I don't think a GFCI outlet is necessary for a fridge, and might be a liability because they are very sensitive and can trip leaving your fridge dead. They are mostly used where outlets are close to water, like around the kitchen or bathroom sinks. A refrigerator should always have a dedicated outlet.

We are VERY happy with our Samsung. Here is a link to the thread where I shared photos of our installation: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/nocol...ed-191738.html See the last page of the posts for the before and after photos.

Here is the Finished product:

The decision to go with the Samsung is the best I've ever made. You won't be sorry if you do it.

becks · 03-12-2014, 01:47 PM

Post above offers great info, and I agree with all stated. I installed a Samsung 197 in my coach myself one year ago. We are very happy.

"007" · 03-12-2014, 03:51 PM

Here are three of the conversions and the ones with the Norcold are happy with there type conversion.

stink · 03-12-2014, 04:02 PM

I squeezed a Samsung rf297 in mine as the DW wanted the ice and water in the door. Ref is same height and depth as the 197 but 36" wide. Yup it fit!

Dutch Star Don · 03-12-2014, 04:22 PM

I've done two installs, one in a my previous coach (Monaco) and one in my sister's Itasca Meridian. Everything is the same, except the height. You need a few more inches. My Monaco had the heater below it and I measured the RF197 in a store several times to see if I could make it fit. I only had 3/4" to spare and had to remove the floor between the heater and the refer altogether. I framed it up in square tubing and slid the refer in on a metal frame. There was nothing between the heater and the bottom of the refer in my Monaco install. The air gap was about 1.5", but did not cause any issues. The heater does not get hot on the top.

Just a note, on my Monaco, they ran two outlets to the rear of the Norcold, one was inverted and one ran on shore power. This allowed the refer to make ice while boon docking. When you check the outlet at the rear of your refer, you must plug in a light, drill or something that turns on. If you check outlets to see if they're inverted outlets, they will often read dead if the inverter has gone to sleep because of lack of use.

You'll kick yourself for not having done this sooner once it's in. Even though the Samsung RF197 doesn't have water and ice in the door, the ice tray in the freezer is huge and is easily accessed.

Winepress · 03-13-2014, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tricotec

Our NoCold recently went bad. The RF197, after weeks of research, is simply the best replacement for many reasons. Chief among them:[*]Size - The width and depth of the RF197 are an exact match for the NoCold 1200. The height is 5" taller, and usually it can be made to fit.[*]Capacity - The Samsung is bigger inside because the ammonia cooling unit on the NoCold (hidden away in the rear) is very large. This means you have 18 cubic feet of space in the fridge instead of 12 in the Nocold. The use of space in the Samsung is also much better organized by design.[*]DC Compressor - The Samsung has DC compressor motors. Because of this it is very efficient, but most important it runs great on the Modified sine wave inverters installed in most older coaches.[*]Efficiency - This unit sips electricity with only 1.2A AC (about 12A at 12VDC), well within range for most coach Alternators. This is with the energy saver mode on (turns off the heaters on the door seals) and the ice maker turned off (has a heater to melt the ice cubes when dumping the ice). Our coach easily handles the load of the fridge on the inverter while on the road. We turn the energy saver off and the ice maker back on when we plug in to shore power.[*]Looks - The fridge is gorgeous and comes in two different Stainless finishes, White or Black.[*]Separate compressors for Fridge and Freezer - increases efficiency because you don't have to over-cool one to accommodate the other.[*]Good track record - These have been available for 5 years or so and have been used in RVs all over the place. Owners universally love them.[*]Good design for motor homes - Our fridge was put in a narrow hallway by Monaco. The new fridge with the split doors up top and the pull out freezer works very well in this restricted space.[*]Price - The Nocold costs $4500 new. We got our Samsung for $1350 from Home Depot...delivered to the site of installation within a week for free. On our Monaco Windsor, and on a lot of coaches, the driver's side window is very large. The Samsung and the NoCold both fit through the hole when it is removed. Probably the best way for your fridge to get inverter power is to have the 120VAC feed reconnected to the inverter back at the breaker panel. If you have a professional install your fridge as we did, (Elite Repair & Re-modelling) they can do this for you. I don't think a GFCI outlet is necessary for a fridge, and might be a liability because they are very sensitive and can trip leaving your fridge dead. They are mostly used where outlets are close to water, like around the kitchen or bathroom sinks. A refrigerator should always have a dedicated outlet. We are VERY happy with our Samsung. Here is a link to the thread where I shared photos of our installation: http://www.irv2.com/forums/f54/nocol...ed-191738.html See the last page of the posts for the before and after photos. Here is the Finished product: The decision to go with the Samsung is the best I've ever made. You won't be sorry if you do it.

I agree with everything said above, however, the compressor is not DC, it is AC. I confirmed this when I installed mine and took the back cover off to facilitate mounting. On the compressor it had a sticker that indicated 120VAC. As stated in many forum posts, the compressor appears to run fine with a modified sine wave, but would most likely run cooler with a pure sine wave inverter, thus last longer, in theory.

Sky_Boss · 03-13-2014, 11:40 AM

To the OP...been there, done that, glad I did!

As to the inverter power...it was pretty easy moving the AC power from the main circuit panel to the inverter panel and adding a breaker if your inverter panel is directly above your main panel like mine.

We took out a single 20 amp breaker and replaced it with a split 20/15 breaker and moved the refer outlet from the main up to the 15 amp split above it. I haven't labeled it yet...need to.

Tigerfan1 · 03-13-2014, 07:18 PM

Thanks for all the posts, Darrel you spelled it out so well I ordered a Samsung rf197 today, got a great price on line from Goedekers.com. Thanks Sky Boss, great idea about the split breaker.

tricotec · 03-14-2014, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winepress

I agree with everything said above, however, the compressor is not DC, it is AC. I confirmed this when I installed mine and took the back cover off to facilitate mounting. On the compressor it had a sticker that indicated 120VAC. As stated in many forum posts, the compressor appears to run fine with a modified sine wave, but would most likely run cooler with a pure sine wave inverter, thus last longer, in theory.

The Samsung refrigerator compressor's motor isn't technically a DC motor, however it does run on DC current...Sort of. The motor does receive single phase 120VAC power (which is reflected in the label you saw), however the motor controller rectifies the AC into DC and then re-converts it to three phase AC with a varying voltage and frequency to run the compressor motor at a precisely varying speed based on conditions in the refrigerator. The motor itself is a small three phase electric motor, which is designed to work as described above.

Samsung calls this the "Digital Inverter Compressor", and it is the reason these refrigerators are so efficient. It is also the reason the refrigerator runs perfectly on an MSW inverter. Here is a link to a video promoting and explaining the technology:

Samsung Digital Inverter Compressor - YouTube

Here is another:

Samsung Digital Inverter Compressor Demo Video - YouTube

Here is a website explaining the technology: Digital Inverter Compressors: Can't We All Just Chill Out? - Reviewed.com Refrigerators

Since the AC is rectified to DC and then back to AC, the incoming AC waveform isn't particularly important. The motor never sees the MSW waveform in the AC feed, so it isn't noisy and does NOT run hotter.

A PSW inverter is not needed for Samsung refrigerator, and if you install one for that purpose, you're wasting your money. The only reason to install one is if your existing one is undersized or you're installing a bigger battery bank and want additional charging or total inverter capacity.

I can confirm that this unit is as quiet as a mouse, and does indeed sip electricity...It's a great product and I don't think most people who buy them even know how good the product they bought is.

Not a bad thing...sometimes it's great when a product just WORKS.

Ernie Ekberg · 03-14-2014, 05:37 AM

When- not if- my 4 door dometic bites the dust, the Samsung will be its' replacement

HHIDan · 03-14-2014, 05:51 AM

Am doing my refrigerator this summer. Will also get this unit.
And then I will take out the last propane burning unit, the cooktop. (will most likely go with induction??) And then out the tank, will be all electric. Will have plenty of room in the propane compartment for batteries if I need them...

Ernie Ekberg · 03-14-2014, 06:23 AM

folks with their Neptune that were just here did the induction cook top. they love it

Sky_Boss · 03-14-2014, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHIDan

Am doing my refrigerator this summer. Will also get this unit.
And then I will take out the last propane burning unit, the cooktop. (will most likely go with induction??) And then out the tank, will be all electric. Will have plenty of room in the propane compartment for batteries if I need them...

HMMMM...sounds interesting. The challenge, I think, will be cable lengths and maybe balanced battery performance. Still...

Maybe a thread on that project when you start serious planning would be fun to see.

EDIT...BTW...kinda a DUH question but I assume you then have some kind of diesel hydronic heating system. (Hey...it is early and I wasn't thinking when I started the post.)