Community Forums

BradandJanee · 09-15-2007, 05:37 AM

I have the Norcold 2-door model N842IM. I don't believe it is an intermittent AC heater element because I can easily reach it and check it frequently throughout the day. It is always very hot. Too hot to touch. Also the rectifier, condenser, and absorber coils are always hot. This would indicate that it is working properly on AC and there is no blockage in the cooling unit. I have not checked it on LP yet but certainly plan to do so as soon as it starts acting up again. Right now it's working well which is so frustrating because now I have time to work on it. Thanks for your help though. I really appreciate the feed back.

JC2 · 09-15-2007, 07:16 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BradandJaneen:
I have the Norcold 2-door model N842IM. I don't believe it is an intermittent AC heater element because I can easily reach it and check it frequently throughout the day. It is always very hot. Too hot to touch. Also the rectifier, condenser, and absorber coils are always hot. This would indicate that it is working properly on AC and there is no blockage in the cooling unit. I have not checked it on LP yet but certainly plan to do so as soon as it starts acting up again. Right now it's working well which is so frustrating because now I have time to work on it. Thanks for your help though. I really appreciate the feed back. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I feel your fustration as we have I believe the same model. We became the 2nd owner of our MH in Jan/07 and upon using the fridge around March/April, our freezer temps were consistently ok but the lower fridge part would sometimes read in the low 40's on a 5-7 setting then drop to the middle to low 30's after awhile when on AC. Don't know if a weak electric element or loose connections might be the problem as some have suggested, but a weak element is the first thing Norcold (have you called them?)stated when I called them. After using the unit for several weeks and making absolutely sure the unit was level, the problem has not resurfaced. I intend to mount a thermostatically fan in the outside compartment that I can't help but believe will help especially when the outside air temps get into the 90's.http://www.valterra.com/RV/rv-main.htm
Someone might refresh my memory but I thought I read somewhere that some RV fridges will cycle some type of heater/defroster(?) periodically to help keep frost off of the fins. Don't know how long this cycle stays on if it in fact does occur, but could it be causing your temporary heat rise?

"007" · 09-15-2007, 11:22 AM

Ok Brad if its ok on AC now maybe we have a problem with a loose connection in the AC outlet for refer or feed to that outlet from load center.
The ckt should be a direct feed from load center and not thru a possible bad GFI outlet.
Try for now your LP gas just to make sure thats ok. Its also possible you have a problem with your 12v feed block on deck for refer. 12v feeds your control board and a screw could be loose or not striped enough for the wire and there is insulation under screw.
Some thing will turn up eventually.

heavyequiptmentmover · 09-15-2007, 03:35 PM

Dont recall if electric heater elements are powered through relays on the control panel,if they are, that could be a source of trouble.Bad relay contacts,high resistance causing voltage drop prior to heating element.

RV Wizard · 09-16-2007, 01:15 AM

Now that I see you have an ice maker in yours, I would suggest that the next time it starts to act up carefully feel the bottom of the ice maker. It might be hot. If it is the ice maker is jambing up in the harvest cycle and the mold heater is staying on. This will cause the freezer evaporator to absorb so much heat that by the time the refrigerant gets to the fresh food evaporator there is not enough BTU's available to handle the heat load there.
If you find that the ice make is the culprit let me know and I can help you with the reasons it will do this.

BradandJanee · 09-16-2007, 01:46 AM

For three straight days, over the Labor Day weekend, my refrigerator temperature stayed at 48 degrees and the freezer temperature stayed at 20 degrees. This is too warm for both compartments. I kept the temperature setting at 9. The coach's inside temperature was around 80 and the outside air temperature was around 90. So we know the refrigerator was working. The AC heating element was hot, very hot. Too hot to touch. The condenser and absorber coils were hot. Even the leveling chamber was hot. They did not heat and then cool off. There was no cycling...it stayed hot. But the refrigerator temp stayed at 48 no matter what I did. It behaved as if it were stuck in the defrost cycle. It would not come out. The plates inside the refrigerator were dripping water. I turned the refrigerator off and then turned it back on but it still would not move off the 48 degrees. The one thing I did not do was switch to LP. I'll try that next time. Also the ice maker continued to make ice during this entire three days. I wonder how often the defrost cycle is activated and if it is possible to deactivate that.

In the diagnostic mode on the control assembly I have a stored fault history of screens 4 and 5 that would tell me of an intermittent AC or DC problem. None were displayed so I don't think its a loose wire or dirty connection.

If it would just malfunction and stay that way I could probably isolate the problem. What makes it difficult is that it is intermittent. Right now its working well. jezzzz Louise. I've tried calling the folks at Norcold but they wont even return my call.

DancinCampers · 09-17-2007, 07:54 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I wonder how often the defrost cycle is activated and if it is possible to deactivate that. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I attended a Norcold seminar at the 2005 GNR. The Rep said that the defrost cycle was set at 49 hours. You could reset it by turning unit off, then back on.

I'm unaware of any way to turn the defrost off all together.

Mike in Florida · 09-17-2007, 03:15 PM

I too have a Norcold 842-IM, and am experiencing similar circumstances. I just had it at the shop and heard all sorts or craziness from the tech, but got little help.

I downloaded the Norcold Manual from the Bryant RV website, and began diagnosing it myself. I kept a daily log over the course of several days, checking the air temperature inside the box, and the "fin temperature" using the on-board diagnostic panel. Consistently, the fin temperature was 35 to 39 degrees, but the box air temperatuire was 42 to 44 degrees. I found little temperature variation on A/C or LP.

I moved the thermistor up and down the fin, with little change. I then added two (2) of the Valterra refrigerator fans to the top vent (at the roof), as well as a dual blade "hard drive cooling" fan inside the box.

I am now seeing "fin" temperatures of 31-32 degrees, and air temperatures of 35 to 38 degrees. Not where I had hoped to be, but noticably better.