My Norcold fridge freezes but no cold

[RogerR]

I have the standard small gas/electric fridge that most SLX models have. Temps in Moab near Arches are low 90s to highs in 102 or so. Freezer section is still very cold but nothing in fridge compartment below 60 degrees. Fins don't feel cold and not iced up. Tried on gas and electric. Removed outside plastic grills to enhance air flow. Nothing blocking air flow.

So is this just normal? Moved everything to my car ice chest and bought ice last few days. 6 more days on this trip.

[Stripgear]

I've had a 154BH and 184BH and that's how both of mine have worked. Some folks have mounted a little 12v computer fans inside to blow the air around. Since we don't boon dock, I just ripped mine out and put in a 120v dorm unit from Walmart.

[Jagiven]

It can run better than that. They can struggle in high twmps. But the options/cure is fairly simple.

Do you have a frig with a roof top vent or both vents out the side wall? Dual side wall vents tend to have the most issues.

There are a number of recent posts on the subject. A frig coil fan is all it took for us to get better temp control. We only camp above 100 a few times a year.

4" 12v PC fans placed up high to draw the heat out can really help.

If you have a roof top vent, casing in the back part of the frig, to the ceiling rafters will help to.

[Kim Gass]

Originally Posted by RogerR

I have the standard small gas/electric fridge that most SLX models have. Temps in Moab near Arches are low 90s to highs in 102 or so. Freezer section is still very cold but nothing in fridge compartment below 60 degrees. Fins don't feel cold and not iced up. Tried on gas and electric. Removed outside plastic grills to enhance air flow. Nothing blocking air flow.

So is this just normal? Moved everything to my car ice chest and bought ice last few days. 6 more days on this trip.

It doesnt sound normal but you can regard your fridge as a cooler too. We seldom used the miniature freezer in our 195 so always had room for some frozen 2 liter soda bottles in case of a problem like yours. The soda bottles prevent a mess when the ice melts.

At that temp if for any reason the door was left open by accident it may take days to become normal in the fridge.

[ARoamer]

One thing easy to check is your door seals. Check door for damage and fit, door isn't binding and hinges aren't bent. Shut a dollar bill in the seal and it should have some drag when pulled out, check on all sides of the door.

[RogerR]

I forgot to mention, the cabinet top above the fridge gets warmer when it is working. I noticed the baffle has 2 inch square cutouts on either corner where hot air may be getting above the baffle. There is no insulation fiberglass above the baffle.
One thought I have is to get a 120 volt ac portable fan and use it on the top opening to pull air out of the stack when parked. A permanent fix when home would be to add one or two 12 volt fans to pull air up the stack and out but we are on the road for at least another week.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by RogerR

I forgot to mention, the cabinet top above the fridge gets warmer when it is working. I noticed the baffle has 2 inch square cutouts on either corner where hot air may be getting above the baffle. There is no insulation fiberglass above the baffle.
One thought I have is to get a 120 volt ac portable fan and use it on the top opening to pull air out of the stack when parked. A permanent fix when home would be to add one or two 12 volt fans to pull air up the stack and out but we are on the road for at least another week.

This was always an issue on our 195RB and is more of a problem for side-vented units. Your idea to use a 120 vac fan in a pinch when parked is good. That's what I had to do on one trip where my 12v fan died and temps were similar to what you are seeing. As you can see below I strapped the fan to the bottom opening but either way will certainly help. The counter above the fridge was usually warm when it was on as was the cabinet under the sink. Adding in one or two 12v fans at the top with a thermal switch should help out a lot especially on travel days.

[SmokerBill]

Just how cold is it in your freezer. It should be at a maximum of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and lower is better. If it's warmer than 10 degrees, you have a problem with the cooling unit or refrigerator (seals, etc), in one way or another.

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by RogerR

So is this just normal?

Undesirable but "normal" in my experience. I installed fans to help out and use a little Camco fridge fan. I haven't mapped how much fan is helpful and how much is too much, since these systems actually require heat to work. We'll put ice in the fridge to help out on the hottest days. Reduction in temp takes hours and hours on the hottest days. I may only get a 10° temp reduction in a 15-hour period overnight.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tml#post874181

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Fridge-.../dp/B01E5SNB5I

[RogerR]

UPDATE, we moved on to Cortez, CO to visit Mesa Verde and surrounding area for a few days. Turned fridge back on and it cooled like a champ. I think it is the highs of 90 and lows in the 60s that did the trick. Freezer near zero and fridge compartment in 30s. I am still going to get top fans and install them when I get home so I can avoid it in the future.
Also, metal baffle on top of chimney is not sealed or insulated. Plan to do both to increase flow and reduce heat under cabinet.

[deano]

We have a plastic slide with a heavy plastic wire attached on the Rt. Side end cooling fin . I can adjust the temp sliding it up or down on the fin. Up colder down warmer. Hope that helps.

[deano]

The post I made may not apply as I realized my refrigerator is a Dometic not a Norcold.Sorry for any confusion.

[thenovaks]

We had the same problem with the 4-door gas electric unit. Installed a conversion kit for 12 volt compressor style system from here:
https://jc-refrigeration.com/
MUCH better. Safer too.

[Charles in WV]

Check the insulation wrap on the chimney and boiler tube. The foil retention wrap looses its glue over time. Mine wasnas.yours and I used Gorilla Tape on it at the bottom and cable ties on top. Mine now works great.
Charles in WV