Norcold refrigerator doesn't work on electric

FastGlassman69 · May 07, 2015, 09:10 PM

Just in case you want to check the fridge out to see if the AC heating element is ok, just take the 2 AC terminals off the board and plug them into a decent extension cord directly , if it cools the element is working! I did that on mine and when it worked I went for the boards, works perfect now! Bobby

Rickf1985 · May 08, 2015, 07:46 AM

But if it is shorted things could get exiting real fast!

FastGlassman69 · May 08, 2015, 07:55 AM

yeah like the breaker could pop or the gfci could trip, don't think it would be a problem as long as the cord is on a fused line if the element was shorted Rick! W%

jeno · May 11, 2015, 09:06 AM

i think ill just leave that one alone.

jeno · May 14, 2015, 10:43 AM

ok got my power supply in and eyebrow board in today going out in a hour to give it a try hope this works.

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2015, 10:00 AM

So, Did it work?

FastGlassman69 · May 17, 2015, 09:39 PM

Yes Rick, just what I was wondering?Bobby

Oz · May 18, 2015, 07:37 AM

Give him time. One hour is very, very long in Wisconsin....

jeno · May 18, 2015, 09:00 PM

i now have a fridge again ay ay everything works !

FastGlassman69 · May 19, 2015, 08:54 PM

Glad to hear that, told ya you could do it! Bobby

Mr Ray · July 06, 2015, 09:38 AM

Nice! I have maybe a similar situation, same fridge, '83 Mini Winnie. A little different...fridge works with the generator running but not on propane or shore power. I had a reverse polarity issue at the house I'm parked at. Power issue is resolved now, but when I first plugged in there was smoke from the breaker panel. Fridge worked in all modes before this.

Where are these hidden fuses / boards you guys reference in this thread? I've checked all the fuses in the breaker / converter box. Why put fuses out of reach and sight?

Rickf1985 · July 06, 2015, 09:47 AM

If you got smoke from the panel then you had a very serious short somewhere and you need to find it. I am pretty sure that if it were the fridge and there are fuses in there then the fuse would have gone before the magic smoke got out. Even if the heater shorted out it should not have created enough load to smoke the main panel unless a wire was loose in the panel. I would put an Ohm meter across the plug on the heater and see if it has any resistance or if it is open. If it is open then it is burnt and if it is dead shorted it will read infinity. Either reading is bad and it will need to be replaced.Thinking about it you will need to trace the wires from the heater back to the board and test them right there, the plug may have a fuse or bad circuit between it and the heater.

Mr Ray · July 06, 2015, 11:09 AM

Thanks so much for the info! I'll check the heater. Will probably start a new thread as I am beginning a if renovation project with this.

For clarity, the smoke came when I plugged in with polarity reversed.

Rickf1985 · July 06, 2015, 12:12 PM

Hopefully you did not cook your converter/charger.