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Old 03-18-2018, 07:41 AM   #1
Maurice45
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Norcold 2118x not cold enough

We have a 2018 3160RL with a 2118x Norcold reefer. We have been traveling in the southwest since Jan 1 and the reefer performed fine. We are now on the TX coast and cant maintain proper cooling even at a setting of 9. Could the high humidity and lower ambient temps affect performance or is there another issue?
 
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Old 03-18-2018, 09:21 AM   #2
DarMar
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My experience says there are other issues than the humidity and temp.

IF an rv fridge is working fine I wouldn't think one should need to have it set near the maximum setting.
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Old 03-18-2018, 09:43 AM   #3
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No..Our Norcold in our 13 3402 is set a 3 and freezes ice cream and keeps everything in the fridge cool. The problem is the cost effective OEM cooling unit. Our cooling unit failed in both our 06 3400 and this 13 3402. We had it replaced with a high quality Amish unit. When your cooling unit fails and it sounds like it has, replace it with the high quality Amish unit and your problems will be solved. We of course have extended warranty for such things.
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Old 03-18-2018, 09:44 AM   #4
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If you have a lot of frost/ice on the walls of the freezer, then cooling in the fridge will be compromised. I used to scrape down my freezer sections on my old 1200 unit quite often to keep things working right. Everytime you open the doors, moisture is added to the unit and frost builds fast. I was never convinced that the larger design would be effective when it came out. Good luck.
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Old 03-18-2018, 12:38 PM   #5
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First thing to check is the center door flap. If it doesn’t close, refer won’t work well
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Old 03-19-2018, 07:35 AM   #6
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after checking the center door flap on the fridge section mentioned above also check to ensure there are no gaps in the seal around the door. Moisture around a seal is a good sign of air leaking. Another item to check is to see the exterior circulation fans are turning on once the fridge "condenser" heats up. You should hear them when it is running. The fans are controlled by a thermistor switch (temperature controlled switch) on the cooling fins behind the upper exhaust vent.


Something else to consider is how much sun the fridge side of the rig is getting. If the fridge side is getting lots of sun, it makes it more difficult to cool.


One other test you could do is compare how it cools on propane vs electric. Usually it cools a little better on propane.
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Old 03-19-2018, 11:09 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by richfaa View Post
No..Our Norcold in our 13 3402 is set a 3 and freezes ice cream and keeps everything in the fridge cool. The problem is the cost effective OEM cooling unit. Our cooling unit failed in both our 06 3400 and this 13 3402. We had it replaced with a high quality Amish unit. When your cooling unit fails and it sounds like it has, replace it with the high quality Amish unit and your problems will be solved. We of course have extended warranty for such things.

What is the name of the high quality Amish cooling unit?
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Old 03-19-2018, 12:37 PM   #8
richfaa
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Originally Posted by Razrbk View Post
What is the name of the high quality Amish cooling unit?
Check here https://rvcoolingunit.com/4-Door-Nor...7.aspx?sid=298

Also google Amish RV cooling units, Indiana and look around
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Old 03-19-2018, 08:24 PM   #9
Butch & Kathy
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A few things to do, these have improved the fridge temp on my 2118. 1-Add intake and exhaust fans to the upper and lower vents. 2-add ARP-RV to control those fans. 3-add a fan attachment inside the fridge to the cooling fins (check eBay or amazon). 4-check center flap and make certain it is not dragging on the floor of the fridge, shim the door up to eliminate resulting air leaks.
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Old 03-19-2018, 09:03 PM   #10
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I have a 2017 3000RE. I live in California where it can get hot, and mine did the same thing. Dealer add another fan and it worked really good when in Las Vegas last summer and it was 110 degrees.
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Old 03-20-2018, 04:34 AM   #11
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The Norcold OEM cooling units are junk and ours failed after 1.5 years. Replaced with Articold aftermarket cooling unit, now the ice cream is froze solid with the unit on 4.
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