Norcold Refrigerator

[edatlanta]

I'm not sure this is in the correct area, but I couldn't find one more appropriate since my refrigerator is in a 5'er. Admin: Please move it if appropriate.

My Norcold is working fine and has been since mid August when I bought the 5'er and started living in it full time. I have a wireless thermometer in the freezer and I have noticed periodically, unrelated to outside temperature, the freezer will jump up from a temperature in the single digits up to the mid to high teens. A temperature rise of 10-12 degrees or so. This is happening without the refrigerator being opened at all. It will then start back down into the single digits after a few hours.

Being the curious type, I just called Norcold and found out that these refrigerators go into a defrost cycle, not frost free for the freezer, for the cooling unit every 49 hours. I was told that they could not give a temperature range for the increase in temperature during this defrost cycle since there were too many variables, but given my conditions today of a 50 degree temperature outside, a 10-12 degree temperature rise is considered normal.

I didn't know of this every 49 hour defrost cycle, but I do now. Hopefully this will help all of us to better understand these units.

[edatlanta]

I guess the information from Norcold was correct. Right on time two days later my refrigerator started to defrost. They said 49 hours and my freezer has increased six degrees in the past few hours from 3 to 9.
At least now I know why and all seems to be working fine.

[Myles6543]

I have never noticed the defrost, but thank you for the "heads up", now if I can just remember this information all will be good.

[edatlanta]

The temp topped out today during the defrost at 13 degrees. It is now at 12 and dropping. All seems to be working per factory specs. You learn something every day.

[grncrdbrit]

We are new (to us) 5er owners...picked ours up in November, have been doing plenty of 'puttering' but won't take it on any trips til the Spring.........thank you for the information, every little bit helps ! There are many posts on here that have been really helpful to us and this forum is the first place we look if we have a question about anything.......

[yogi154]

Thanks Ed, I have noticed the temp. rise too. Never knew what was up, when I asked the dealer ? They had no clue !!
I guess that's one more thing the Wife doesn't have to Worry about. Well now if the snow would stop we could get out of here !!!

[kcconawa]

Now a question - what is going on inside the refrig; does it make a similar rise & fall and if so from what to what?

[edatlanta]

I haven't actually measured the temp rise in the refrigerator section. I'm not as concerned with that as I am the freezer. I'm sure it will go up a little, but remember, the freezer is still well below freezing even when on the high side so I doubt the refrigerator will rise much.

My freezer right now is sitting steady on 4 degrees F.