Norcold Trouble

foxden

Just returned from a 3 day VERY hot but beautiful camping trip and everything worked very well except the Norcold.  Started out fine with Norcold on electric but as the day heated up, the Norcold started generating huge amounts of heat, heating up the T@B and making it impossible for the a/c to keep up.  The counter top and cooktop were almost too hot to touch, although I could definitely feel heat coming from the outside vent.  Eventually the Norcold just stopped working (no green light showing that it was on).  I was able to switch over to propane and it did work, although it struggled.  These are things I do know:  The Norcold is plugged in.  The plug is working.  The breaker is not tripped.  I had no wifi or cell service but when I got back I did check Fuses for Newbies but the configuration is different than mine.  I see two fuses under the cooktop.  One 3 amp and one 20 amp.  Those are each inside a yellow plastic holder but I can find no other fuses.  They both look fine to me (although I am not sure what signs to look for in a blown fuse.....I assume it will be obvious?).  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Any fuses I missed?

Michigan_Mike

Did you have the switch on for the cooling fan to expel hot air out of the cabinet area of the Norcold unit?   Another thing to consider is that for the unit to function and operate as designed the area around the cooling fins inside the frig needs to be open to allow air to circulate inside the frig compartment.  We learned this the hard way too out in Arizona as a chock full frig (utilizing every space inside the compartment)  can ultimately limit the performance of the Norcold and it will heat up and the ability to refrigerate is minimized.  

I was thankful we had an ARB in the back of the truck as we used that as a back-up when we were experiencing the issues you are having now.  But the small fan inside the unit that sucks the heat out of the compartment the unit is mounted does need to be on and that will reduce the heating issue, while enhancing the performance of the Norcold.  You can certainly try changing out the fuses on top of the unit for good measure and try turning the temperature control knob back and forth a few times as I was told the unit can somehow "become confused" if you will and on some units this action helped out.  

Try turning the fridge off, letting it sit for a while and try running it normally and see if things change and it runs normally again.   This type of reset or rest if you will is a reboot of sorts and hopefully the unit returns to normal.  

foxden

Because of the buildup of heat, the fan was my first thought.  But if there is a switch to turn the fan, I can't find it.  I assumed it was just an internal fan and came on automatically.  But after the overheating, the Norcold no longer work on electric (the green light is no longer coming on.  It was running on propane for a few days and I tried on electric when I came home but still not working.  I feel like the heat buildup must have blown something that caused it to shut down on electric but no on propane.  That is why I thought maybe a fuse.  Just can't find a blown fuse. 

Verna

Try looking for a blown fuse/breaker in the converter, the brown plastic lid that houses the 110V and 12V fuses. It will be under the driver's side seat on the front of the panel under the seat. Just gently push on the door and it will open. A flashlight will help let you see everything clearer. 

foxden

@Verna Tried that and all looks good to me.  Breakers are all on and I checked the fuses and they look good (I think).  How do you know if one is blown?  Is the metal piece inside the plastic top broken or "smoky" looking?  I will check those again. Thanks!

foxden

I checked the converter box and noticed that when I pulled a fuse, a red light next to it would come on.  Except for the first 15 amp fuse.  No red light.  Is that an indicator of a blown fuse?

dsatwork

@Michigan_Mike We had ours chocked full for most of our 15 day trip and I wondered about the the air circulation being an issue. But we didn't have any problem keeping it things cool. I wonder if the several small plastic bins that we use to organize the food leaves just enough space to allow the air to move. We did have an issue when we started across Arizona on the I-10 and the temps heated up to 107, then the 12v couldn't keep up and the Norcold temp got as high as 58 or 60 inside the fridge.

@foxden I think our electric light indicator went out on ours too, but I believe the fridge was still working. Now I need to go plug in the 30amp cable and check that, to be sure. Our Norcold flame meter stopped working and we have an appointment on the 5th with a Norcold repair facility to fix it. If the electric is having trouble too, I should know before I take it in.

@Michigan_Mike Do you remember how close I park my Tab to the house? Yep I'll have to slide under there and plug that in...not looking forward to that.

Michigan_Mike

foxden said:

I checked the converter box and noticed that when I pulled a fuse, a red light next to it would come on.  Except for the first 15 amp fuse.  No red light.  Is that an indicator of a blown fuse?

Yes, red light indicates an "open" point or blown fuse.  

foxden

Update  @dsatwork mentioned that their green indicator light went out on their Norcold as well but the unit continued to work.  So I cleaned everything out, turned off the propane to the refrigerator and let it sit to get to room temperature.  Then went back out and turned it on again on electric.  Still no green light but when I came back a few hours later, it had started to cool down.  So it may not have ever stopped working, just the light isn't.  But once again it is very very hot at the cooktop and counter above the Norcold, with nothing inside.  It is possible that at these temperatures, the heat just can't be vented out.  Still haven't found any kind of vent fan and do suspect it is not doing its job.

dsatwork

@foxden  the Norcold N180.3 doesn't have a fan switch. Don't see a fan listed in the parts list or manual either. However, ours never got hot on the stove area.  http://www.thetford.com/product/n180-3/ doesn't have

dsatwork

@foxden I'll take some pictures inside the vent area's tomorrow. Maybe something will stand out

foxden

thanks!

Michigan_Mike

I would call the factory on Monday and ask to speak to Marvin Raber and see if he can help you out.  

Verna

The extra fans with the switch were installed beginning with the 2014 T@B's, through the 2016 T@B's. The reason was because Norcold changed the available models and the new 3-way created too much heat under the counter top. The stock fan on the left of these models didn't draw enough hot air out. To alleviate the problem, nüCamp/Pleasant Valley installed a single muffin fan inside a vent behind the door. It was enough to draw the hot air out. 

The new Norcold model for 2017 and 2018 T@B's no longer need this fan. You should have two vents behind your outside door (when it is open). This is a sign that you have the latest and greatest model. 

If you feel you have a problem with the Norcold, please begin by contacting your dealer, if you are still under your one year from purchase date warranty. If you are out of warranty, you'll need to contact Norcold and discuss your problem with them. 

dsatwork

On our last outing, the flame meter stopped working on the Norcold. Without the flame meter it is very difficult to tell when the Norcold is lit or even if it's working at all, from inside the Tab. I contacted warranty@nucamp.com and heard back from Renee. No attempt to diagnose the problem was made on NuCamp part, they just tied in Ed Minor the customer service supervisor for Thetford. Ed pretty quickly accessed that it needed to go in for repair and I made my appointment with a local RV center found on this link http://www.thetford.com/customer-support/dealer-and-service-center-locator/. From start to finish it was all done in less than 10 email exchanges, which I would consider pretty painless as far as these kind of issues go.

ericnliz

@foxden, When your fridge gets hot, do you have the T@B door open all the way? I know your vents are on the passenger side by that door. Might be, if you do have it open, that it blocks ventilation just enough for it to get hot. I know my counter top gets warm, but I have the auxiliary fan switch to turn on when this happens. I've noticed that if I have the door open all the way, and it's hot outside, it seems to contribute to the counter getting hotter than usual. Just an observation from what mine does. Another note, my light does not come on for shore power, or 12 volt operation, only for propane usage. The light should remain lit for propane use, if not, perhaps a bad light, or sensor. At first, I thought as did you that it wasn't working (light not on for 12 volt, and shore power), but I have since put a thermostat inside the fridge to help monitor/adjust the temp inside. I hope this helps you even though we have two different models of fridge. 

foxden

Thanks @dsatwork I will contact them on Monday.  @ericnliz Way way too hot to have the door open at all and I could definitely feel hot air coming out of the vent next to the door.  The heat is breaking today with an approaching cool front so I turned on the Norcold a few hours ago and just went out to check.  The Norcold is cold, the counter and cooktop are barely warm and heat is coming out of the outside vent.  Still no indicator light.  While camping, the front of the T@B was incredibly hot and the counter and cooktop were almost too hot to touch.  So maybe the T@B was just telling me not to camp in a sunny spot when it is 100+degrees outside!  I will see what NuCamp/Thetford have say and if they have any suggestions, I will pass that on. And I look forward to many fall, winter and spring camping trips!

Verna

@foxden, there are campers who make sure their fridge is not pointing towards the sun. 

ChanW

On our NorcoId (3 way) the green light only lights up in propane mode, indicating that its flame is lit. In either of the electric modes, there is no light. Is it different on the newer models?

foxden

Yes, I had an indicator light on electric early in the trip.  Now I have no light showing for anything other than battery.

dsatwork

@foxden I  checked mine out today and still no indicator light when running on AC. But the fridge cooled to 34 degrees by in about 5 hours but it was only 84 here today. Here are the photos but they aren't that great. Sounds like yours may be working. 

foxden

Yes, it is working @dsatwork And thanks so much for all of the suggestions from the forum.  I now know that I can use the Norcold under "normal" conditions.  Just not the extreme heat.  Will still check with the factory tomorrow but it looks like all but the light is working well (I promise, there really was a little green electric plug showing early in the trip).

dsatwork

@foxden oh, I'm completely on-board and had the exact same experience with the light. Was working from the beginning, then one day it's just not working anymore. On my trip with the flame meter going out, I was concerned that a fuse went out when the  AC power indicator light stopped functioning. The fuse at the panel was fine and I wasn't about to tackle pulling the stove top. I still haven't, I may some day, but not for this. I'll let the Norcold repair facility check it out, when I take it in on July 5th. Likely, I'll have an answer before you and will post what I learn.

Michigan_Mike

Here's some basic information that is food for thought when the unit doesn't cool as desired.  Air flow seems to be the key here and as noted previously, higher temps above 90F do impact the ability of the Norcold to perform as desired.  @Tabaz does the additional cooling fan make a difference for you out in the extreme Arizona heat?  

Is Your Norcold Refrigerator Not Getting Cool Enough?

There are several components that work together to get the refrigerator to cool properly. Understanding the basics will help you in locating the cause of the failure.

AC/DC model Norcold refrigerators are fairly simple in troubleshooting. You will know that you have one of these models if the refrigerator has a compressor in the back (typically installed in boats and trucks). Most RV's have gas absorption refrigerators and these can be more troublesome since there are more components that affect the cooling. 

Below is a useful diagram of the gas absorption cooling unit on your Norcold refrigerator:

1. The first thing to know is that the cooling units on every Norcold gas absorption refrigerator are gravity operated and MUST be level in order to run properly.
2. The second thing you need to understand is that the refrigerator will not cool properly if it is too hot outside (typically over 90 degrees F ambient). The refrigerator needs good air flow across the "condenser fins" that are located at the top of the cooling unit. If you remove your refrigerator's access panel on the outside of the RV you should be able to look up and see these fins. Make sure that there are no obstructions. If your refrigerator doesn't have good air flow it will not cool properly. Many models do not come with external fans behind the cooling unit. For the RVers that love the heat, we recommend installing some fans in the back to help with the air flow.
3. The next thing to check is your Thermistor (thermostat/ resistor) located inside the refrigerator. It has a 4-prong connector located at your light fixture at one end and the other end connects inside the refrigerator on one of the back fins. To test this Thermistor you don't need any tools whatsoever. Provided your refrigerator is not showing any fault codes, you can turn the temperature setting as cold as it gets and disconnect this Thermistor. If it cools properly, you have a bad Thermistor. If, however, you do have a multi-meter, here is an article on testing the thermistor for resistance:
   Norcold Thermistor Test (<-click)
4. If you checked all of the following and it's still not cooling as well as it should, we highly recommend purchasing a Camco Aerator (<-click) and having it pointed towards the fins inside the refrigerator compartment. This should drop the temperature in the refrigerator section several degrees.

Need further assistance?! We will diagnose your refrigerator over the phone for $70 or via Email for $40. Save yourself time and money by locating the problem from the comfort of your RV. After we locate the problem we can sell you the faulty part right over the phone! You can schedule your technical support by clicking the link below:

Norcold Technical Support (<click)

Norcold Parts by Model Number (<click)

Norcold Parts by Category (<click)

New Norcold Refrigerators (<click)

  

Tabaz

Mike:

I actually added two additional fans behind the plastic grill.  I don't have any empirical evidence - just anecdotal - but I do believe the additional fans keep the interior of the frig cooler in high ambient temperatures.

foxden

Great information @Michigan_Mike I have not called on this yet but I think I will try a few of these suggestions first.  Didn't know about the aerator but now have one in my cart at Amazon.  I am anxious to hear what @Tabaz   or others in that area have to say about hot camping.  Still concerned about the amount of heat generated but that could just be a result of trying to keep up with the cooling.  Maybe a higher btu a/c might be in order to help cool off the inside!

dsatwork

Tabaz said:

Mike:

I actually added two additional fans behind the plastic grill.  I don't have any empirical evidence - just anecdotal - but I do believe the additional fans keep the interior of the frig cooler in high ambient temperatures.

@Tabaz Do you run your fridge on propane or 12v while traveling? I would say that since you're forcing air out the the vent and over the fins this would indeed help the fridge stay more cool. 

Tabaz

dsatwork - I have a large SUV with the tow package, so I'm able to run the Norcold on battery while traveling.  It blew out the last time I traveled with it on propane.

foxden

This looks like a good idea to me @Tabaz   What PWM should I choose?  I have no idea what a PWM is but apparently, based on the Amazon selection, I should choose one!

dsatwork

Tabaz said:

dsatwork - I have a large SUV with the tow package, so I'm able to run the Norcold on battery while traveling.  It blew out the last time I traveled with it on propane.

@Tabaz  Do the fans allow it to keep things cool in the AZ heat? As we were running across the 10 back to San Diego from Phoenix it got 107 outside and the Norcold got up to 60 degrees or more.