Norcold 1200LRIM Inop?

[dougandsharon]

After three years of RV bliss with our 2001 Holiday Rambler Endeavor, we decided it's time to downsize to a Class C. (The wife promised to learn how to drive it, but then decided it was too big.)

After locating a buyer, I started going through things to make sure they all work. And of course, as you can see in the title, the fridge is acting funky. Or not acting at all. I cranked it up on auto and got both "nO FL" and "nO AC" errors. I opened up the cover and saw the 5A fuse on the controller board was blown. So I started troubleshooting and here's what I found at the end of the morning (I'm connected to 20A shore power):

• No matter what I did all morning, it won't fire on LP. I smell gas as I hear it trying to ignite, but nada. All the display diagnostics say everything is working fine, but it just doesn't light. A very last thought I had was this: Will it even fire up if the unit isn't close to being level? (It's not. Afraid to lift the rear wheels off the ground to make it level.)
• Both heating elements ohm out at 60, give or take about an ohm.
• If I connect heating element #1 by itself, it seems to run: When I put it in AC mode, it never goes into "nO AC." At the moment, the jury is still out as to whether or not it cools.
• If I connect heating element #2 by itself, the GFCI breaker in my garage trips. This happens if I plug the fridge directly into an extension cord from the garage, or if I plug into the on-board AC outlet in the outside compartment.
• If I connect both heating elements, the 5A fuse blows (pretty spectacularly, I might add).

And here are my potential conclusions:

• Bad controller. Maybe the heating element relay failed & can't handle two elements? Plus the LP is never cranking up.
• Bad heating element. Things blow up when element #2 is plugged in. If they need replacing, then I suppose I should do both at once.
• Unit not level keeps the LP from lighting. Easy to test, and will check later today.

Thanks so much in advance to anyone who can impart some wisdom!

[hermanmullins]

Doug and Sharon,

Welcome to the Forum.

Do you know if your Norcold has had both of the recalls preformed. I so you will a small black box approx 2" X 2" square in the service area. If the red Light is on you need to reset it. You can do this by running a strong magnetic over the little black box. You may have to do this several times.

However if you see Yellow Dust all over the coils then you Norcold is cooked.

Sorry for you troubles, but don't be a stranger.

Herman 

[dougandsharon]

Thanks Herman!

I know of at least one recall htat was done, but wasn't aware of a second one.

The LED in the little box is off, and there's no yellow dust. 

The troubleshooting chart in the service manual says I need to replace the controller, so I managed to find one that I can pick up in the morning.

I'll try to remember to post the result.

[Lenp]

The fact your GFCI is popping when #2 heating element is connected suggests the element (or wires) may be contacting something it shouldn't.  And, yes, if replacing one, replace both.

Lenp

[dougandsharon]

Thanks all!

New elements on order. Propane works after cleaning out the chamber. After the new elements are in and working, I’ll replace the controller board as well.

I’ll check for continuity between the hozed element and the frame. It’s interesting that it ohms out at 60 if it’s shorted somewhere.

[rayin]

Perhaps the Norcold 1200 service manual will still be helpful.

[dougandsharon]

Thanks!

[dougandsharon]

Replaced both elements, propane up and running. Thanks to all!

[jleamont]

Nice work!

[tjsolberg]

Hey Guys,

I have a question about this topic.  I have a 1200L RIMD Norcold refrigerator with a similar problem.  It works on LP, but not electric.  When I turn it on electric, I get a fault code of "No AC".  I checked the things mentioned in this thread with no luck, The outlet where the unit is plug in has power and I don't have a red light on the TMC (before I read this thread, I was just checking things out yesterday and thought I remembered seeing a solid red light on the TMC but after I went back out and powered things back up, it wasn't on. Not sure if it has to be on for a while before it comes on. I will check that again tomorrow when I let it run for a while.)  Anyway, I was told it could be a fuse for the unit but I'm not sure where that would be.  I checked the fuse by the breaker and it's good.  Any other suggestions?  Just to also mention, when I have it on LP, the freezer seems to get real cold like it should, but the refrigerator portion doesn't seem to get as cool as it should. Thanks in advance for he help.

R/

Tim Solberg

[rayin]

Tim, dougandsharon said their electric heating elements ohmed- out OK, but the replacements cooled the fridge. (If I read his posts correctly)

[wildebill308]

11 hours ago, tjsolberg said:

Hey Guys,

I have a question about this topic.  I have a 1200L RIMD Norcold refrigerator with a similar problem.  It works on LP, but not electric.  When I turn it on electric, I get a fault code of "No AC".  I checked the things mentioned in this thread with no luck, The outlet where the unit is plug in has power and I don't have a red light on the TMC (before I read this thread, I was just checking things out yesterday and thought I remembered seeing a solid red light on the TMC but after I went back out and powered things back up, it wasn't on. Not sure if it has to be on for a while before it comes on. I will check that again tomorrow when I let it run for a while.)  Anyway, I was told it could be a fuse for the unit but I'm not sure where that would be.  I checked the fuse by the breaker and it's good.  Any other suggestions?  Just to also mention, when I have it on LP, the freezer seems to get real cold like it should, but the refrigerator portion doesn't seem to get as cool as it should. Thanks in advance for he help.

R/

Tim Solberg

What kind of time frame are you talking about? Absorption refrigerators can take 12+ hours to cool down. Many recommend 24 hours before adding food.

Bill

[tjsolberg]

44 minutes ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

What kind of time frame are you talking about? Absorption refrigerators can take 12+ hours to cool down. Many recommend 24 hours before adding food.

Bill

Bill,

I ran the LP for approximately 8 hrs.  So I guess that isn't long enough. I still need to fix the "No AC" indication.  Could it be the heating elements?

[tjsolberg]

6 hours ago, RayIN said:

Tim, dougandsharon said their electric heating elements ohmed- out OK, but the replacements cooled the fridge. (If I read his posts correctly)

RayIN,

I just bought this coach a couple of days ago.  The guy told me that he had the same problem some months back and took it in and they changed a fuse for $200 and he said it worked fine after that.  He thinks when he plugged it in to shore power he it blew the fuse again, but I checked the fuses I could find associated with it and they were good.  Unless I missed one?  Anyway, I'm checking everything out just to make sure.  I just don't want to run it on LP gas all the time and I can't stand it when things don't work as designed.  Anyway, I'm going to  check the heating elements and anything else anyone suggest.  I'm not an AC/R guy so I have to ask.  Thanks for the response.

R/

Tim

[wildebill308]

I think there is a fuse on the circuit board.

Bill

 

[tjsolberg]

1 hour ago, WILDEBILL308 said:

I think there is a fuse on the circuit board.

Bill

 

Thanks Bill.  I didn't know that.  I'll look at in the morning and let you know what I find.

R/

Tim

[manholt]

The fuse in the board is a inline 15 amp & should be a 25.  $200 for a 10 cent fuse?  OMG they saw him coming!  When you remove the outside cover to get to LP heat element, off to the right side, there's a fuse there also, I think it's a stab in!

[rsbilledwards]

ohm resistance of the heating elements is 60. IF that they are good to go. Carl I am going to ck but think that fuse size is to tall. Only have one coach now so have to go to the shop to ck as Panther is now inside...yes!

[tjsolberg]

11 hours ago, tjsolberg said:

Thanks Bill.  I didn't know that.  I'll look at in the morning and let you know what I find.

R/

Tim

Bill,

There are two fuses on the board, both 5 amp, one ATC and one AGC.  The long AGC 5 amp looked good but when tested it wasn't.  Replaced the fuse and op tested SAT!!  Thanks for the info.  I didn't know there were fuses on the control board. 

R/

Tim

[wildebill308]

Tim, glad to help.

Bill

[manholt]

Linda (my wife) found that on the 1200 that she had in her 2006 Phaethon 40' DP...both fuse's kept tripping, she replaced with 10a and no more problems.  She and I traded both of our rigs in on the current  coach in Feb and got married in May...extended due to Covid.

Tim, my wife is on her (the new coach is in her name, marriage present from me) 6th coach in 37 years, makes me #18 in 54 years. T last none Residential fridge was on a 1997 Allegro!  I think WBill is on his first Residential.  We got a new to us Newmar about the same time.

[wildebill308]

Tim like Carl said If the fuse keeps blowing, I would step up a notch. I might try to find a 7.5 amp before going to a 10 amp but yes.

Tim, what kind of Surge guard are you using?

Carl this my 2ed residential. I changed out the one in the last coach myself. I don't see me ever going back to an absorption unit.

Bill 

Edited July 5, 2020 by WILDEBILL308

[hermanmullins]

Bill, stepping up in a fuse is ok for a quick fix but I would be more concerned with what was causing the required size fuse to blow. Increasing fuse amp size can cause some hot things to happen. 

IMHO

Herman 

[jleamont]

In the business we call that a “smoke test”. Install a bigger fuse and look for the smoke 

I don’t recommend that procedure, I’ve seen several vehicles sustain serious damage from that. 

[manholt]

Joe, it was a temp fix, Linda was going to install a residential, then a month later we where getting a new to us coach and yes, we did tell MOT about it, they took the 1200 out & put a dble door fridge in....it's now listed as sold!  My AC Tradition is still on lot.