refigerator won't cool

Ruby
Ruby Member Posts: 10
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
My wife has had trouble keeping the refigerator cold when running on propane.  The indicator shows in the green (pilot lit) band and the battery has been charged.  Any suggestions?  
Many thanks.
Lisa, Nelson, and Ruby in NE North Carolina
2019 T@b 320S - 2003 GMC Yukon XL

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Comments

  • morey000
    morey000 Member Posts: 162
    is the unit level?  What I don't know, if anyone can assist, is how level does it really need to be?  
    Silver on Silver, 320S '19 Outback
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    @Ruby, can you give us some more details?  
    Are you pre-chilling before moving to propane?  
    Keeping the frig full?  Is it venting out the side with the fan?  
    What temps are you able to achieve?  
    Is your LPG tank fully open?  
    Any problem running anything else off of LPG?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Ruby
    Ruby Member Posts: 10
    @Sharon_is_SAM thanks so much for your response and sorry for such a long delay. I just got back from 6 weeks going from NC to the Washington East Meets West Rally then British Columbia and finally back to NC and real internet service. 

    - My refrigerator often stopped cooling while set to propane though the indicator stayed in the middle of the green. I would just notice the frig would thaw completely. It operated fine while plugged in and also while on battery. I always had plenty of propane, and cold food, and was usually level. I did not have a thermometer but it was basically either cooling perfectly or obviously shut down, despite the bar being in the green. It happened whether I was stationary or driving. It was also hard to restart it on gas so I would leave it off for up to 12 hours before I could get it to restart. LP always worked fine for stove and Alde. In fact, the frig only wants to start when the stove is lit. The only thing I could think of towards the end of the trip was that the frig was so cold that to stop the lettuce from freezing, I would often turn it down to the low setting. For the last days on the trip, I just kept the frig on high and it never failed again. 

    Any ideas? And is it normal for the indicator to stay in the green even though the frig has obviously completely stopped cooling? And I too wonder like @morey000 how level it needs to be...the level bubbles were usually close to the middle both ways. 
    Lisa, Nelson, and Ruby in NE North Carolina
    2019 T@b 320S - 2003 GMC Yukon XL

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  • jrhamel
    jrhamel Member Posts: 101
    edited November 2019
    I'm sure this has been covered but couldn't find an answer. My power converter is making a high pitched sound. I assume its because my battery is low. I plugged into our home but noise continues. Is there something I need to do or just wait until the battery charges? 
    Thanks
     20 T@G XL Boondock and 2019 Ford F 150 4x4

    Madison, Wi
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    Check to make sure the battery breaker did not trip.  If the large batteries get too low, sometimes attempting to recharge will trip the breaker which is next to the battery by the cut off switch.  I don’t think that the converter should not be making that kind of noise.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,529
    There is a fan to cool the converter while charging your battery.  Is the "high pitched whine" over and above the fan noise?
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • jrhamel
    jrhamel Member Posts: 101
    @pthomas745 yes it above the fan noise. 
     20 T@G XL Boondock and 2019 Ford F 150 4x4

    Madison, Wi
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  • jrhamel
    jrhamel Member Posts: 101
    @Sharon_is_SAM breaker did trip, reset but still have a noise
     20 T@G XL Boondock and 2019 Ford F 150 4x4

    Madison, Wi
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,529
    Anything else over near the converter that could be making it?  I know there is an inverter in some models of the 400, if it is on it could be making some noise. Just a WAG......

    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • jrhamel
    jrhamel Member Posts: 101
    @pthomas745 it was the inverter and it stopped. Not sure why but all is good. Thanks
     20 T@G XL Boondock and 2019 Ford F 150 4x4

    Madison, Wi
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  • N7SHG_Ham
    N7SHG_Ham Member Posts: 1,261
    @jrhamel probably a low voltage alarm from the inverter if battery was way low, BUT that would only be happening if the inverter was turned on. Any chance you left that on? That would of drained the battery to dead over a few days and would be cause for an alarm AND why the battery was low.
    2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite
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  • jrhamel
    jrhamel Member Posts: 101
    @N7SHG_Ham It was on, didn't know it was suppose to be turned off. Thanks for that, now I know. 
     20 T@G XL Boondock and 2019 Ford F 150 4x4

    Madison, Wi
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,529
    edited November 2019
    Another score for Wild Guessing!
    There was a thread a couple of weeks ago about the inverter's wiring and how it can drain the battery.  Part of your "arrival" checklist should be to confirm the inverter is "Off."

    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • N7SHG_Ham
    N7SHG_Ham Member Posts: 1,261
    @pthomas745 guessing? Haha. It wasn't much of a guess once the inverter being installed came to light especially with it making a squealing noise. Logical conclusion :)
    2019 T@B 400 Boondock Lite
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  • rcrcowboy
    rcrcowboy Member Posts: 4
    after two trips with my 2019 320 sc-s when my frig was working fine, it was not cooling when i returned home.
    norcold repair could not look at it till Jan 9th----- so I found that the very rough roads i had been on--- the frige fuze had come loose , after reinserted it everthing works fine now rcrcowboy
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