Norcold 1200 refrigerator is Not Cooling - I bet you've never heard that before :)

[cbr046]

1 hour ago, Bill C said:

UPDATE (probably my last): Frig seems to run fine, been running on propane for 26 hours now, fins hot at the top, fan runs periodically to cool the fins, yet after 26 hours, freezer is 47 deg F and frig is 62 deg F. Frig tech said everything seems to be good, he could not see why it was not cooling properly.

With everything seeming to be running normal, WHY ISN'T IT COOLING?

After 26 hours you should be near normal temps (0F freezer, 36F fridge), certainly better than 47 / 62.  It's possible you lost some of the refrigerant causing the Not-So-Cold condition.  They can corrode near the flame and the horrid yellow dust gets hidden by the insulation around the boiling tube (flame part).  It's non-serviceable. 

23 years?  Stick a fork in it.  It's done. 

- bob

[VinceB]

3 hours ago, Bill C said:

UPDATE (probably my last): Frig seems to run fine, been running on propane for 26 hours now, fins hot at the top, fan runs periodically to cool the fins, yet after 26 hours, freezer is 47 deg F and frig is 62 deg F. Frig tech said everything seems to be good, he could not see why it was not cooling properly.

With everything seeming to be running normal, WHY ISN'T IT COOLING? Seals are good, and besides the freezer and frig seals are diff, yet both have low temps.

I give up, unless one of my support gurus can assist, I guess I'll be buying a new frig.

Thanks to everyone for their advice, and words of wisdom. No comment is to small, or insignificant 🙂

Regards,

Bill

I realize this may sound crazy, but like you said, last resort time.

Have you tightened up the screws in the freezer and fridge compartments? They are on the back wall.  If your cooling plate has worked its way away from the back of the fridge, it will not transfer cooling to the freezer/fridge compartments.  I had this problem once and I fixed it this way - never worked so good.

Worth a try if everything else checks out.

[Bill C]

8 minutes ago, VinceB said:

I realize this may sound crazy, but like you said, last resort time.

Have you tightened up the screws in the freezer and fridge compartments? They are on the back wall.  If your cooling plate has worked its way away from the back of the fridge, it will not transfer cooling to the freezer/fridge compartments.  I had this problem once and I fixed it this way - never worked so good.

Worth a try if everything else checks out.

Hi Vince, thanks for the try, but they are very tight 😞

On another note, I know it's a shot in the dark, but I used to know a Vince Bousa, that is not you is it?

Thanks,

Bill

[Bill C]

Been doing some research, found a new Norcold for $4k, cheaper than any other place I have found,

Here is the link:

https://www.dyersonline.com/norcold-ultraline-12-cu-ft-side-by-side-refrigerator.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0Goiia65Zro7ZhXQZXz9quR0iN0jjcOFtOzpitwzSrWDN2EB0spUNlBIaAnlDEALw_wcB

[CAT Stephen]

14 hours ago, Bill C said:

Been doing some research, found a new Norcold for $4k, cheaper than any other place I have found,

Here is the link:

https://www.dyersonline.com/norcold-ultraline-12-cu-ft-side-by-side-refrigerator.html?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=shoppingengine&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0Goiia65Zro7ZhXQZXz9quR0iN0jjcOFtOzpitwzSrWDN2EB0spUNlBIaAnlDEALw_wcB

Bill, your cooling unit has a slow pinhole refrigerant leak which is severely hindering your cooling units capacity to cool.  I have been through that once and there is no fixing that issue as only a few RV shops in the country have the capability to recharge a cooling unit.  You could decide to purchase the new refrigerator above, but be warned that Norcold OEM cooling units are very poor quality with very thin cooling unit tubing which fail quickly. Thus, Norcold OEM cooling units are a fire hazard.

The aftermarket JC Refrigeration cooling units are very high quality and have exceptionally thick cooling unit tubing thickness.  All cooling units will experience boiler damage if they are EVER ran out of level which results in corrosion which leads to refrigerator fires, thus I also suggest that you add an ARP boiler monitoring system for your new cooling unit for an additional $196.  The ARP monitor turns off your boiler before damage occurs then automatically turns on your boiler aggain when the temperature drops to the normal boiler operating range.  Order Kit #2 from here: https://www.arprv.com/purchase.php

Just so that you know, I own a 23 year old Norcold 1200LRIM refrigerator with a new cooling unit from JC Refrigeration in 2021 with an ARP boiler monitor.  In 100 degree outdoor temperatures, My freezer runs at -2F and my refrigerator runs at 33 degrees with ample additional adjustment to run cooler due to the tremendous additional efficiency of the JC Refrigeration cooling unit.

Your ultimate decision moving forward depends upon your use case. 

• If you camp off-grid and do not have solar and you don't like running your generator daily to charge your existing house batteries to run a replacement residential refrigerator, then stay with your existing Norcold and have your Norcold's existing cooling unit replaced with a JC Refrigeration (i.e. Amish) cooling unit.  This will cost you $1445 for the cooling unit plus $300 labor if you have JC Refrigeration install for you on-site in Indiana, and $196 for an ARP boiler monitor.  If you elect to have others install, plan on $500-$700 for the cooling unit install.
• If you are on-grid nearly full time, then seriously consider a residential refrigerator as a replacement as they are much lower cost than replacing your cooling unit.  But, if your furnace is located directly below your refrigerator, then you will be very limited on residential refrigerator capacity. 

Edited March 19 by CAT Stephen

[VinceB]

18 hours ago, Bill C said:

Hi Vince, thanks for the try, but they are very tight 😞

On another note, I know it's a shot in the dark, but I used to know a Vince Bousa, that is not you is it?

Thanks,

Bill

No I'm not Vince Bousa.

[CAT Stephen]

@Bill C,

 

Can you share your decision with the group?

[Bill C]

On 3/21/2024 at 10:24 AM, CAT Stephen said:

@Bill C,

 

Can you share your decision with the group?

I decided to go with the NORCOLD 1210 Untraline, the direct replacement for my old 1200 model.

The reasons: Because of the way my coach was customized when build, and has the aqua hot water lines running under the frig, I have zero room for any size refrigerator larger than mine. I looked in to frigs that were the same size, or will fit in my space ( I did not want to go any smaller), I found these:

A.     NORCOLD Polar Elite N15DC:

1. Same exact size
2. It has a little more storage than mine (15cf vice 12cf)
3. Was the same size, and ran on 12v
4.  Price was $4600 and only came in stainless steel color (the 2 negatives for my wife)

 

B.     NORCOLD 1210 Ultraline:

1. Same exact size, same amount of storage.
2. It is only $4000
3. The door panels from our old frig can be installed on this new one, keeping the same color scheme. These two are positives for my wife.
4. Personally, I still like the very efficient propone option.

 

Hope this helps

Bill