Norcold fridge not working on 30 amp power even when switched to propane mode

millsandtrix · 06-18-2021, 08:54 AM

We got our 2021 Jayco Redhawk 26M in January. We've been to several campgrounds and state parks in our area since then and we've noticed a trend.

When we are plugged in to 30 amp power, our fridge stops cooling. Even when the fridge is set to use propane, it still does not cool. And I mean everything inside of it gets warm so it is just not even working at all. However, the green light remains on.

Whenever we visit with family and plug into their 15 amp power, our fridge works great. And if we are boondocking and using the generator, it works great. It also works great when we are traveling down the road and it is using battery power.

But as soon as we get somewhere and plug it in to the 30 amp power, it stops cooling completely. We've tried switching it to propane, electric, and auto settings but none of them will work. However, there have been two campgrounds where it did work great using the 30 amp and the trend we noticed was that both of the campgrounds had been newly renovated within the past 1-2 years. That might be totally unrelated but it is the only common denominator we could come up with.

We also purchased a little RV fridge fan to put inside of it and it does help keep it nice and cool when the fridge is working but didn't resolve our issue.

We thankfully have an outdoor kitchen with a little fridge so that has saved us so many times at this point.

Any ideas what the issue might be? Are we not getting enough voltage to run the fridge when plugged in at these campgrounds? I considered buying a voltage meter so I could start checking it. If this is the issue, are there any good remedies for it besides replacing the whole fridge with a conventional one?

Thanks!

Grumpy · 06-18-2021, 10:04 AM

30 amp or 15 amp would make no difference especially on propane since you would then only be using 12 volt.

JimD · 06-18-2021, 10:04 AM

You won't get anywhere without a voltmeter. I have attached some documents that may shed light on fridge operation.

It is strange that only the 30 amp connection fails as the power feeding the rig should be the same as with 15 amp. All outlets should be tied together. It is not like a 50 amp setup where the feed has 2 separate 120 volt feeds. If by chance your rig is 50 amp and you are using an adapter for 30 amp, that adapter is the problem. It is suppose to tie the 2 120 volt feeds together.

The fridge control is 12 volt which is why it still lights up. It should operate independently of 120 volts when set to propane. Very strange symptoms.

craigav · 06-18-2021, 10:15 AM

I would check in the back (outside cover for the fridge) to see if there is a 120v plug the fridge is plugged into and unplug it and see if propane will keep it cool. If that works then that could be a temporary work around until you can take it back to the dealer as something is wrong, perhaps the 120v heater or controller board for the fridge. ~CA

and BTW, Welcome to the JOF website.

millsandtrix · 06-18-2021, 11:00 AM

Thank you for all the quick responses and for taking it easy on a noob

. We are currently two days into a week long trip (our longest one yet) and we're afraid all the food in our fridge is going to spoil. I took craigav's advice and unplugged the fridge from 120V power from the outside panel. I feel like this is going to fix our problem, at least temporarily. Fingers crossed!

We also checked the fuse box and noticed that the one for the fridge was badly bent. Wondering if that could also be attributing to the issue?

pconroy · 06-18-2021, 11:59 AM

The fact that it's intermittent:

- you said it worked a couple of times plugged into 30A shore
- it always works plugged into 15A at home

Yet it sometimes doesn't work plugged into 30A shore

That's what puzzles me!
Good luck

craigav · 06-18-2021, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millsandtrix

Thank you for all the quick responses and for taking it easy on a noob

. We are currently two days into a week long trip (our longest one yet) and we're afraid all the food in our fridge is going to spoil. I took craigav's advice and unplugged the fridge from 120V power from the outside panel. I feel like this is going to fix our problem, at least temporarily. Fingers crossed!

We also checked the fuse box and noticed that the one for the fridge was badly bent. Wondering if that could also be attributing to the issue?

Good deal! Also just an FYI, You can run the fridge for a very long time on propane without running out, more than a month was my experience but I never actually tested to see if I could go two or three months, but for sure you should be good for a few weeks unless you are using a lot of propane for other uses. ~CA

2edgesword · 06-18-2021, 05:53 PM

30A or 15A shouldn't matter. It should work on either and very puzzling if it consistently works on one and not the other. The frig is going to draw what it needs regardless of what service (30A or 15A) is being provided. This is one of those situatios that's going to be interesting to read about once the service folks figure it out.

watchout · 06-18-2021, 11:19 PM

As others have mentioned, it shouldn't matter whether it is connected to 15A or 30A. You also mentioned that it doesn't cool even when switched to propane at those locations. So, maybe the electrical service is not the culprit, but something else about the site.

These Norcold refrigerators are very sensitive to being level. Norcold says that they need to be within 2 degrees of level. With my Greyhawk, I need to be well under 1 degree for the Norcold to operate properly. Is the MH perfectly level at those sites where it doesn't work? Not just mostly level, but dead center level. Just an idea.

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