Norcold won't get cold

JoeMazz · 02-05-2015, 05:43 PM

1st trip in the Precept and I can't get the Norcold to run. No error message when on auto. Ran 24 hrs and it's a hotbox. Switched to LP only and the gas is burning and the stack is hot, but 2 hours later the walls inside the fridge are still warm to the touch. Outlet for the fridge tested and has 110 so I don't know why electric isn't powering it, or at least switching to LP since it's on auto. Gonna let the LP run all night and see, but I'm not optimistic. Any help would be appreciated. 1st trip too; bummer.

Grumpy · 02-05-2015, 05:49 PM

Check the freezer. An evaporative fridge usually takes 24 hrs to get cold. The bottom of the freezer should start feeling cold after a couple hours.

Could be a bad elec heating element. If your getting 120 to the control unit on the back it will not show a 120 fault code.

Forgot to ask. Was it working when you picked it up? The dealer should have had it on when you did the PDI.

Imnaha.Mansion · 02-05-2015, 05:50 PM

You didn't say the outside Temp. Too hot or too cold the fridges don't work as well. If new, take it back and have it checked out, might be a problem it the unit.

JoeMazz · 02-05-2015, 06:48 PM

it's 65 degrees out. Running 3 hours on LP and it's hotter in the freezer than it is in the RV. Something is horribly wrong. Still don't understand why on auto it doesn't switch to LP on it's own. Gotta be the board. This blows.

JoeMazz · 02-05-2015, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Check the freezer. An evaporative fridge usually takes 24 hrs to get cold. The bottom of the freezer should start feeling cold after a couple hours.

Could be a bad elec heating element. If your getting 120 to the control unit on the back it will not show a 120 fault code.

Forgot to ask. Was it working when you picked it up? The dealer should have had it on when you did the PDI.

On Auto it gives no signs that it's not running on AC, other than the fact that it ran 24 hrs and it's a hot box. It ran great in the walkthrough only a month ago. That's why last night I threw it on and didn't give it a second thought.
I'll be at the fort in the morning if you want to come and fix it for me...

Grumpy · 02-05-2015, 07:20 PM

It will not give an indication that it is not running on AC unless there is no power to the coach or the receptacle that the fridge is plugged into. If the board is getting AC power it will not automatically switch to LP even if it's not cooling. If the stack is getting hot and you have flame it is probably not the board. Was the stack hot when it was on AC?

Sorry, but I've got to ask, are you parked level or reasonably level?

Do you have an amonia smell when you pulled the cover to check the stack?

JoeMazz · 02-05-2015, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

It will not give an indication that it is not running on AC unless there is no power to the coach or the receptacle that the fridge is plugged into. If the board is getting AC power it will not automatically switch to LP even if it's not cooling. If the stack is getting hot and you have flame it is probably not the board. Was the stack hot when it was on AC?

Sorry, but I've got to ask, are you parked level or reasonably level?

Do you have an amonia smell when you pulled the cover to check the stack?

It's in my driveway plugged onto 30amp outlet. It's level enough, I guess. No ammonia smell

wags999 · 02-05-2015, 08:06 PM

Does your unit require 30 amp or 50 amp service ? I'm no expert on Precept"s but thought they had two AC, which would require 50 amp.. Could be a power issue.

JoeMazz · 02-06-2015, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags999

Does your unit require 30 amp or 50 amp service ? I'm no expert on Precept"s but thought they had two AC, which would require 50 amp.. Could be a power issue.

Fridge only requires 30 amp service to run. Not that I know what it takes to run; obviously. Heading out now to see if the LP cooled it over night.

Chata · 02-06-2015, 06:01 AM

Sounds like ammonia is not circulating , happened to me, was running fridge while driving, that is ok, but came home late at night and left it parked down hill without turning the fridge off, next day , fridge not working, checked everything from LP to 110, everything was fine, did some research and found out that sometimes dealers have to take a fridge out and turned it upside down to get the ammonia flow corrected, try to go for a ride, shaking might get it back running, hope it helps

JoeMazz · 02-06-2015, 06:06 AM

Burning Propane all night and it's still a hotbox. Shut it down and will live out of coolers for the weekend. If there is anything anyone thinks I can try to remedy this, it would be much appreciated...

JoeMazz · 02-06-2015, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chata

Sounds like ammonia is not circulating , happened to me, was running fridge while driving, that is ok, but came home late at night and left it parked down hill without turning the fridge off, next day , fridge not working, checked everything from LP to 110, everything was fine, did some research and found out that sometimes dealers have to take a fridge out and turned it upside down to get the ammonia flow corrected, try to go for a ride, shaking might get it back running, hope it helps

Driving to the campgrounds this morning. We'll see if that does the trick. Thanks...

wags999 · 02-06-2015, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeMazz

Fridge only requires 30 amp service to run. Not that I know what it takes to run; obviously. Heading out now to see if the LP cooled it over night.

Reason I was asking is, it's easy to have reverse polarity on a 30 amp line. Could effect operation, May want to check polarity of the plug. I would also check for voltage drop.

jal0710 · 02-06-2015, 12:15 PM

If you are plugged in to AC and have the fridge set on auto, it will be running on AC rather than propane. There would be no switchover to propane. Try unplugging the AC and see what happens with the auto changeover to propane. Maybe the boards got confused, as if I had any idea what that would mean. Sorry about your problem, hope you get it corrected.

JoeMazz · 02-06-2015, 09:46 PM

The drive must have shook something up cause it started cooling as soon as we got set up at the Fort. Could not being perfectly level keep the fridge from running? I've run the fridge in my driveway with all my other rv's and never had this issue.

cppeekskill · 02-06-2015, 10:36 PM

Not being level could have been the issue. I had the same issue with the Norcold in our 2014 Whitehawk 28DSBH. It worked fine in my driveway the first couple of times that I precooled it. After returning from a trip, I didn't back it up in the driveway as close to my garage as the previous two times, when I went the precool it for the next trip I had the same issue that you had. While on the road it started working. When I returned home from that trip, I backed it up closer to my garage where the driveway has less of a slope and didn't have an issue the next time that I precooled it. I previously had a Rockwood HW296 which was shorter and never had an issue pre cooling the fridge.

SouthCo · 02-06-2015, 10:51 PM

We always pre-cool at home before every trip and the trailer is always a little nose high and you can feel the cool in less than an hour. Not all the way cooled down but cool.

Glad it's working

JoeMazz · 02-06-2015, 11:43 PM

I guess that's it. Campsite was 40 minutes from home and when I checked it upon arrival it had cooled quite a bit. I guess I have to find a way to level it out in my driveway......Thanks guys for your help.

Elecchicken · 02-07-2015, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags999

Reason I was asking is, it's easy to have reverse polarity on a 30 amp line. Could effect operation, May want to check polarity of the plug. I would also check for voltage drop.

Just a heads up, polarity shouldnt matter on 120VAC. Just thought i'd throw it out there to avoid extra work. Most likely not being level was the issue.

JoeMazz · 02-09-2015, 09:03 AM

So I get to the Fort, and what do I see but Grumpy park across the way from me. He schooled me on the fridge. Apparently all the RV's I've had, the fridge was on the drivers side, so there was no issue running in my driveway with the fridge tilted low to the right. Now with the Precept, and it being the first RV with the fridge on my passage side, it was not liking the nose being lower even slightly tilted to the left. It started cooling the minute I pulled out of the driveway.
Thanks Grumpy, always feels better to have an explanation when things don't work right. Thanks for dumbing it down for me...

You may also like: