Fridge stays running all the time on gas.

[Rickf1985]

Norcold 3 way fridge stays running all the time when on gas. The temp controls still seem to work although the freezer seems to be much colder than the fridge in relation to the controls. The freezer will be 5 below zero when the fridge is 40 degrees. Door gasket is good. I do get a red LED behind the temp control but I cannot find any info on that from the Norcold site for that particular unit. They have a very extensive troubleshooting program for a no run situation but nothing for a problem like mine. The light behind the control is apparently a diagnostic tool but no description of how to use it. I can get it to go off if I turn the temp to almost full cold.
I had posted a problem with no cooling on AC a week ago and I think that may have been a problem with a popped breaker for the load control center which supplies DC power to the fridge. From what I can gather from the Norcold site you have to have DC power to run the controls even on AC.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Both Dometic and Norcold each have dozens of models of fridges.  What model number is your Norcold?

Dave

[DonD]

Every RV I've owned..(nothing newer than '87).. the fridge flame never goes off. I goes higher for more cooling and lower for less. All the units have had manual lighting, if the flame goes out I 'd have to push da button and light every time.

[brians1969]

On my Dometic there is a "fail-safe", where if your electronics fail for some reason, the system defaults to gas mode and runs continuously. That way your food doesn't spoil till you get home and get the unit serviced.

[Rickf1985]

Sorry Dave, I meant to put that in but forgot the number. It is an 8683.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Service manual in Free manuals area
Page 5-4:
Note:
When defective, the temperature control circuit (Thermistor) can cause the food storage cabinet to overfreeze. The same result will occur when the Thermistor is disconnected from the Eyebrow board.

DSI model like yours turns flame on and off.  Does adjust flame level.

Page 5-10: Eyebrow Board Description
Also, a red light may be visible at times through the Thermostat slide opening; this light is for Production testing only.  (L5 Test mode LED; 

Funny, I do not see a check for the Thermistor.  Changes resistance value as a result of temp change.

Will look more later.

Dave

[Rickf1985]

Just so you know Dave, the temp control does work. If I turn it down the temp comes up and if I crank it all the way to max it will freeze stuff in the fridge. BUT, The flame never stops and it does not lower either. It sounds like a torch all the time. I compare that to the small Dometic in my slide in where you cannot hear the flame at all. I have it on AC right now and I am going to be checking temps to see if they stay stable. It just seemed to me that there was too much of a differential between the fridge and the freezer, -3 freezer and 40 in the fridge. I am going to get some paper strips and my temp gun and check all around the door again and see if I missed an opening somewhere. To me it acts like the fridge is getting warm from something which is keeping the burner lit and overcooling the freezer. I did notice something when I was checking the top with the vent cover off, besides the wasp nest. W% The nest was not in the way of anything. On the front side of the unit, this being the drivers side of the fridge there appears to have been a piece of wood that was a separator to possibly direct the air all up past the coils, this is rotted and gone. Could this be affecting the way it is working and how in the world do you replace that?

[Rickf1985]

OK, I have checked out the fridge for two weeks on AC and it is working fine so now it is time to address why the flame is on high all the time. I do seem to have control of the temp up and down but the only time I can get the flame to shut off is if I manually turn the temp control to a higher temp forcing it to shut off. Once it reaches that temp it fires up again and does not stop. It is if it has to be running all the time just to maintain the temp at any level but that cannot be right because all I have to do is turn the temp down and it drops down with no problem. That would tell me it is not straining to maintain. I have thought about removing the unit to give the coils a good cleaning and repair the wood I mentioned above. I remember reading somewhere a long time ago that the side baffles are critical. How are these units held in? Screws obviously but where should I look for them?

Rick

[Froggy1936]

Rick This can be a problem in the control unit . My Norcold works perfectly on 110  & Propane but on 12V it will not regulate just keeps getting colder till fridge starts freezing things . So i have the 12 V wires disconnected . Not to mention i have to replace complete cooling unit again Failure of rebuilt after 3 + yrs Frank 

[Rickf1985]

I saw your other post about the failure. That sucks. The part that is strange is that mine seems to maintain the temperature it is set at, up or down. That is why it is so weird that it is always running. You would think I would also have a freezing problem. Only thing I had was some ice on the fins from moisture from opening the door too many times for beer while on vacation. It was not a fun trip, I will post about that in the travel section when I have time. Other than that it stayed at 38-40 degrees and -3 in the freezer. I can't complain about that. It just worries me about the constant running knowing that it should not do that.

[Oz]

Check the manuals & diagrams in the Member Area for your fridge model, or even one close to it.  Most of the manuals include a section on installation which will show you how it's installed.


Mine was actually secured to the floor by only 2 screws, in the back, accessed through the body panel.  The rest was simply blocked in by the surrounding wood, including a cross brace at the top.

[Rickf1985]

Check the manuals & diagrams in the Member Area for your fridge model, or even one close to it.  Most of the manuals include a section on installation which will show you how it's installed.


Mine was actually secured to the floor by only 2 screws, in the back, accessed through the body panel.  The rest was simply blocked in by the surrounding wood, including a cross brace at the top.

That's interesting. That is when you hear one of those bangs or thumps you always hear when driving and wonder "What was that" and then notice your fridge is in the hallway!

[Oz]

Never had that happen and never worried about it.  Since the entire unit was completely framed in with wood, the screws weren't even necessary.