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CLOC-AdminNorCold Fans…..again.
https://carriage-lifestyle-owners.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=3636
Posted: 10:39 AM – Aug 09, 2017Hi all.
I have a Cameo 36fws with the Norcold 1210 double door refrigerator. It has the stock fans that are working, and I added 2 exhaust fans on the top vent to help draw the warm air out. The baffles appear to be installed correctly also. Here’s my question. Has anybody and is it okay to just wire the stock fans to a switch so I can run them continuously when I want, instead of relying on the thermostat that controls the fan now? The refrigerator and freezer are working great when the fans are running but, as soon as they kick off, the temp goes up on refrigerator.
I know a residential unit would fix the problem but create other problems for me if I went that route. (Full timer who doesn’t always have access to utility power).Posted: 11:45 AM – Aug 09, 2017You may consider changing out the pancake temp switch that’s on the back of unit. It turns the fans on and off. I did that to our Cameo with a lower temperature unit and improved the cooling in warmer weather. I think the temperature switch would be a good option which would also provide you with a more consistent operation of the unit in the event you forgot to switch the fans on and off.Posted: 3:46 PM – Aug 09, 2017I have a 1210IM and we love it, it works fantastic. I know a lot of folks on this board hate teh norcold fridges. I would suggest that if your unit does not work right without these fans that you added perhaps there is something wrong with it. If it were me I would call Norcold and tell them the issues that you are having. If i’m not mistaken they have service centers that could look at it for you, that is of course if you do not have technical knowledge of their function.I say that as one of the lone voices on this board that truly loves their Norcold fridge. I got lucky with a good one I guess. In my opinion, a good working Norcold fridge rocks. I am a true believer in their fridges, so long as you get a good one I guess.
Are you in the desert or somewhere abnormally hot? FWIW Ours has been doing fine with temps into the mid 90’s outside.
I just think there must be something wrong with your unit if it is not cooling correctly and addressing that problem directly ought to straighten it out.
Keep us posted on your progress resolving the issue.
One final question, are you having the problems with AC power or running it on propane? It does not run near as well on propane for us, but does good enough to get the job done.
Posted: 4:33 PM – Aug 09, 2017We installed one of thesePosted: 12:57 PM – Aug 15, 2017jdpm wrote:You may consider changing out the pancake temp switch that’s on the back of unit. It turns the fans on and off. I did that to our Cameo with a lower temperature unit and improved the cooling in warmer weather. I think the temperature switch would be a good option which would also provide you with a more consistent operation of the unit in the event you forgot to switch the fans on and off.Where do you get this switch? Is is the one in the fridge wired in near the metal cooling fins? Or is it one located else where?
Posted: 7:52 PM – Aug 15, 2017Its located on the back of the fridge on the black tubes. I can’t recall the temperature range of the standard one. However, I purchased one that was actually adjustable. I found it on ebay. Was an easy swap out.Posted: 12:23 PM – Jun 19, 2018The hot weather is causing the Norcold 1210 to not cool well when the sun is baking the fridge side wall. I would like to replace the temperature switch with a lower temperature or variable switch but I don’t see how to get to it. It looks like Carriage did a good job with the vent compartment baffling but that makes access very difficult. Do I have to pull the fridge or is there some easier way to get to the switch?I have a 2011 36FWS
Posted: 11:28 PM – Jun 19, 2018On our unit I was able to use a small hand mirror at the top to see exactly where the thermistor was located. I simply cut out a small section of the baffle board to access it and replace it. I replaced the cut out piece with aluminum hvac tape.Posted: 4:18 PM – Jun 29, 2018jdpm I found the thermostat. It was on the right side of the upper coil heat sink plate. I hooked the fans up directly so they run full time in the 90-deg humid weather here in central FL. I was initially surprised that running the fans fulltime did not improve the fridge performance. It may actually be a little worse.So I took a look at the fan setup and the vent cavity and found many problems, primarily with the vent cavity design and Carriage’s implementation of the Norcold installation instructions. Regarding the fans, which is the subject of this thread topic, it appears to me that they may cause a recirculation of some of the hot air inside the vent cavity. I need to think about this some more and I may try to experiment with some other fan related configurations.
I plan to start a separate fridge performance topic on the various fixes I have tried.
And jdpm, I see you went through the ringer with the Norcold a few years ago and finally went with a residential unit. I need to decide on a dollar and frustration level I am willing to get to before going that route.
Posted: 4:39 AM – Jun 30, 2018I have the 8 cubic foot Norcold unit in my 5th wheel and want to install a fan also so I be very interested in what solution you come up with.Posted: 7:58 AM – Jun 30, 2018I don’t want to get off topic of the fans, however, still on the subject of inadequate cooling…….
I have a number of posts in a previous thread about my cooling issues with the 2014 Norcold 1210. In my case, it was particularly while in transit.
If you have a Norcold installation manual (also available from their website) study the installation guidelines. Pay particular attention to the baffling and “chimney” for side vented installations.
In my case, it turns out if was clearly installed improperly. I did not alter the baffling to see if that would correct things. By that point I was so sick and tired of fooling with it and felt the performance was still subpar while parked that I decided to r/r it with a residential.
It will be four 4 in September that I have had the Samsung. WE LOVE IT!!!!!
We do not boon dock so power is not an issue. During travel, the inverter, 160 watt solar and 2 6v batteries have never let the batteries drop below 80% on a 9 hour trip.
The Samsung is the quietest fridge I’ve ever been around. Its virtually silent. The freezer will cool to well below -25. Even in hot FL weather, it will take only 3 hours to get to proper cooling. Also, as a FL resident and a SE USA RVer at ths point, I camp in a lot of hot weather so I can’t deal with mediocre cooling.
I don’t ever want another RV fridge!
If you continue to have issues, there are plenty of us on here who can offer plenty of help.
The cost of residential replacement is also far less that that of conventual RV type, too.
Good luck and safe travels, PhilPosted: 10:14 AM – Jun 30, 2018Is there an 8 cubic foot residential refrigerator that will replace my 8 cubic foot that you are aware of? My Cameo’s floor plan does not allow for a 12 cubic foot.Posted: 10:37 AM – Jun 30, 2018Yes, look at Home Depot. My buddy replaced his 8 cu ft with a unit from by Haier.
You will find the dimensions on their website. A residential unit will offer more cu ft than an RV unit so look at the 9.8 and 11.5 see which fits in your space.
Remove the trim around the fridge area to get the exact width and height of the cut out and go from there. When you remove all the baffling in the rear you will gain more depth, as well. By buddies fit perfectly and he loves it.Posted: 12:33 PM – Jun 30, 2018I replaced my 10cuft fridge which is the same rough opening that you have for your 8cuft. A year ago I installed a whirlpool 10.?cuft fridge, black in color. I purchased the fridge from Best Buy in the Palm Springs, CA area for $405… a lot less than any rv fridge. The only modification was I had to widen the opening by about 1/4 of an inch and no more. Old fridge removed and new one installed in about a couple of hours. Cap the gas line with fittings from Lowes. We travel sometimes for about 10 hours and the fridge might warm up to about 42F but quickly cools down once it is plugged back in. We do not operate the fridge on any type of battery power while travelling.Posted: 8:29 PM – Jun 30, 2018Thanks for the information! I’ll remove the Norcold and take some measurements.B.W.Gentry
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