Norcold fridge

[Toby]

I have a Jayco Eagle pu, I bought it used three years ago. it was a year 2000, when I bought it everything seemed to work ok then I started to get soot build up from my propane fridge, I checked and had spider webs so I cleaned and everything seemed ok, but it keeps repeating, as it turnes out I pulled the burner tube out and it is stainless steel but it seamed to be about 70% blocked by what looks to be rust, I took it to a wire wheel grinder and was amazed on how much it was blocked up, it looks new now, anyway in reinstalled it and fired it up and it is working great so far, I never seen that amount of flame and was wondering if it may be to much.  It dosent seem to be to big however I now can here it as before I never heard anything, but I think it was blocked when I got it and it has just been getting worse as time went buy.  I called my local dealer american camper shell in stanton and they dont work on them, and I'm finding many places dont, I have a slack tube manometer and can check the pressure but I'm not sure what propane should be at.  On my fridge there is a gas cock and I was thinking of turning it down some but not sure if it is necessary.  Dose the fridge make any noise from the gas flowing to the fridge?  Not much but I can here it, I have never had an RV with a fridge and have no experiance to pull from.  my norcold is a three way refrig/freezer any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Rob.

[austinado16]

Sounds like you've made excellent headway there Rob.  Nice work.  I think you want to see 11" water column pressure on your propane going to the fridge and stove.  That's what I've read, and that's what I've set mine to using my slack tube manometer that I made last summer.  My 2 stage propane regulator at the propane tank had an adjustment screw inside the threaded plastic cap.  I think clockwise (more pressure on the diaphram) increase the pressure, counter-clockwise decreased pressure.

My fridge is a Dometic 2 way and I can here the flame when it's running.  Put some food in yours, let it run for 24hrs and see what it maintains.  You should be able to make ice in the top near the evaporator fins (if it has a little ice box or ice-cube tray area).  It usually takes them about 12hrs to really get "cooking" and make good cold and about 24hrs to really be good and cold.

Airflow over the condensor fins on the back is a big deal and if you look in the archives of the "Mr. Fixit" section you'll find a lot of threads about fridge temps, making baffles, temp testing, adding little computer fans to aid in airflow and cooling, and on and on.

Not a big topic here during the winter, but come summer, watch the fur fly!

[SpeakEasy]

I have what is probably the same fridge in my 1999 Coleman.

I also had very similar problems to what you're describing. In addition to what you've described, I also had an odor of what I can only describe as burnt propane exhaust. I did all the same things you've done, and many of the things austinado16 describes.

Last summer I went to the Norcold website armed with my fridge's model number. I searched their parts list and found the part number for a new burner assembly. I found the local Norcold dealer, called and asked them about the burner assembly, and found that they had one in stock. I purchased it for less than $50, brought it home, installed it, and solved the problem completely.

-Speak

[Toby]

Thank's austinado16 and speak for your replys and suggestions, I think that with what I did I fixed the problem?  After cleaning the burner assy up on the wire wheel grinder it looks brand new.

I will be going camping this weekend so I'll have a chance to check things out.  I'll check my pressure with my manometer.  My brother in law has a Trailmanor with the same fridge so I'll have to listen to his to his and check his flame to compare it to mine.  

Since austinado16 can here his I'm sure everything is running fine, I would still like to know how it got in that condition in the first place.  I work on pool and spa heaters and when I have a burner problem it's a blockage of air flow or a gas flow or gas pressure problem.  so what confuses me is how my burner got that way in the first place.  I tend to over think things some times.

I have a computer fan with a on off switch, I would like to try and find a thermostat to control it.  The previous owner installed it.  Thanks again for all of your help.



Rob.

[SpeakEasy]

Thank's austinado16 and speak for your replys and suggestions, I think that with what I did I fixed the problem?  After cleaning the burner assy up on the wire wheel grinder it looks brand new.

I will be going camping this weekend so I'll have a chance to check things out.  I'll check my pressure with my manometer.  My brother in law has a Trailmanor with the same fridge so I'll have to listen to his to his and check his flame to compare it to mine.  

Since austinado16 can here his I'm sure everything is running fine, I would still like to know how it got in that condition in the first place.  I work on pool and spa heaters and when I have a burner problem it's a blockage of air flow or a gas flow or gas pressure problem.  so what confuses me is how my burner got that way in the first place.  I tend to over think things some times.

I have a computer fan with a on off switch, I would like to try and find a thermostat to control it.  The previous owner installed it.  Thanks again for all of your help.



Rob.

I'd encourage you to examine that burner assembly very closely. The problem with mine was a hairline crack that allowed too much propane to burn. It sounds to me like yours is also burning too much propane.

If you go to Norcold's website you'll see that they have a page on recalls. Included in their recalls are some burners of similar vintage. In fact, yours might even be one of the models that is recalled. (Mine wasn't.)

Having it spotlessly clean is certainly a good thing, but as you noted, the real question is how it got fouled up in the first place. I would not be comfortable with it until I solved that problem.

On top of that, the cleaning instructions are very specific about NOT using any tools to try to clean the orifice. The orifice is so finely engineered and crafted that cleaning it can easily ruin it. I hope your wheel grinding cleaning didn't touch the orifice.

Here's the Norcold recall site: http://www.thetford.com/HOME/CUSTOMERSUPPORT/RecallInfo/tabid/264/Default.aspx

Note this from their site: "Continued propane gas mode operation of a refrigerator under this recall could result in a fire.

If you own an affected model:

    * Immediately switch your refrigerator's controls to AC power (or DC power, if available, while in transit). No LP gas power operation should occur because it could create an unsafe condition.
    * Contact a Dealer/Service Center to arrange a service date soon. The gas valve in your refrigerator will be replaced at no charge."


-Speak

[naganthunter]

I'd encourage you to examine that burner assembly very closely. The problem with mine was a hairline crack that allowed too much propane to burn. It sounds to me like yours is also burning too much propane.

If you go to Norcold's website you'll see that they have a page on recalls. Included in their recalls are some burners of similar vintage. In fact, yours might even be one of the models that is recalled. (Mine wasn't.)

Having it spotlessly clean is certainly a good thing, but as you noted, the real question is how it got fouled up in the first place. I would not be comfortable with it until I solved that problem.

On top of that, the cleaning instructions are very specific about NOT using any tools to try to clean the orifice. The orifice is so finely engineered and crafted that cleaning it can easily ruin it. I hope your wheel grinding cleaning didn't touch the orifice.

Here's the Norcold recall site: http://www.thetford.com/HOME/CUSTOMERSUPPORT/RecallInfo/tabid/264/Default.aspx

Note this from their site: "Continued propane gas mode operation of a refrigerator under this recall could result in a fire.

If you own an affected model:

    * Immediately switch your refrigerator's controls to AC power (or DC power, if available, while in transit). No LP gas power operation should occur because it could create an unsafe condition.
    * Contact a Dealer/Service Center to arrange a service date soon. The gas valve in your refrigerator will be replaced at no charge."


-Speak

x2 on getting it checked.  I've seen my fair share of total losses as a result of fires from these recalled units!!!

[Toby]

Thanks again for everyone's help, campers are really the greatest people.  I checked my model number N300.3 and I just missed the recall, my serial number starts at 81572 and the cutoff was below that.

I feel stupid that I dident look inside the unit it self for the information plate. working on pool heaters I just forgot to follow the advice I always give my own customers.   I of course now know the pressures it requires.  I'm kinda of glad I'm going thru this after seeing the recall I'm sure alot of other campers out there fall under the recall and dont even know it.  So please every one please check the link and your model numbers it only takes a second.  Saftey first.  


First thing tomorrow I'm calling Norcold to go over my unit and try to find a local dealer to double check my unit.  I'm hoping to find someone that I can look over there shoulder so I can learn more about this type of system.  So far it's been hard to find a good local repair shop, I called American Camper in my area and they dont work on them.  I went to a shop in Santa Ana and was not that confident to the tech I was talking to.  He dident seem to care much, They service motor homes.  

When I took my burner apart to service, the orfice screws off the burner so it wasent touched, when you look at the orfice size it's hard imange that gas flowing thru it, hole so small it's like the size of a needle.

Again thanks for the help, this weekends trip we will be using a good old fashion ice chest, at least until I get this thing looked at.  Take care.



Rob

[naganthunter]

I find myself GREEN with envy over the fact you're going camping this weekend!!  Enjoy yourself.  If you're hitting a campground without a review on the board, please let us know all about it.  Heck, even if there IS a review let us know!  (I'm in OC too and am interested in hearing about where you go)   :-()