Norcold freezing in fridge

[Exnavydiver]

We seem to have another small problem, after the "big bounce" on that RR Xing on the way home the 4 door fridge in the rig seems to have on speed, FREEEEZE!!! I did a complete shutdown and defrost and left it off for a few days. After I turned it back on I put a fridge thermometer in the fridge area and left it there for a day and it read about 38, right in the safe zone for the fridge. I then put it in the freezer and it read -10. I then put it back in the fridge and today it was reading 22. I had set the temp at 1 which is the lowest(warmest). I am at a loss as what to do next, I suppose I should call Norcold on Monday. This is the first problem we have had with the fridge. Any suggestions would be appreciated... Dave

[Art-n-Marge]

Yikes! This has got to be a first that someone is complaining that their fridge/freezer is too cold! Bummer.

In the past, my refrigerator books have said the optimum freezer temp is 0 degrees and fridge is 34-40 degrees. Regardless of the setting the fridge it should not go below freezing (32 degrees). I am sure something is wrong if it gets that cold.

I believe the way it works is the freezer gets its cold air first, then the air is exhausted into the fridge about 30-35 degrees warmer. If your fridge is at 22 and your freezer at -10 that's seems like the unit is getting too cold. It sounds like your unit is not shutting off regardless of the setting!

Just curious, are you running 110v or Propane or 12v? Are the fridge vents facing the sun or the shade. I'm just wondering if any of these are a factor.

I do think you need to contact Norcold.

[Exnavydiver]

Actually It does it on both, but the freezer has its own cooling system. There is no access between the freezer and fridge. This is the 4 door unit and the two top doors are two separate freezer compartments with a common cooling system, the fridge on the other hand is one big box with its own cooling system. We used to have to set the thermostat to 6 or 7 to keep the ice cream firm, now it is rock hard. My ice tea in the fridge is actually tea ice. I suppose I will just have to shut it off at night and turn it back on in the morning till I can get to a Norcold repair center. Oh and by the way the warranty on these is only ONE year but it has to be fixed so I will take it in after the rally. Maybe I can make ice for the rally, by the ton... Dave

[David and Jo-Anna]

Dave--

We fought the same problem with our Norcold last year. Food in the frig kept freezing. Turned out that the sensor (the piece of plastic at the end of the wire running from the light in the frig) went bad. As a result, the frig kept getting colder because the sensor couldn't tell the circuitry that the frig was already cold enough. You can probably get a replacement sensor from a dealer or Camping World and replace it yourself--it was so easy to do that even I could do it.

One thing to watch for in the future--if the frig freezes up and covers the sensor in heavy frost, that can kill the sensor. We went thru two sensors before someone told us to watch out for that situation.

Good luck.

[Exnavydiver]

Dave, thanks, that is what probably did it, as we got home the fins in the fridge were frosted pretty badly.. Will hit a Norcold dealer on the way to the rally. Will call first to make sure they have the part... Dave

[bob n pam]

Thanks, guys. Maybe this will keep us from having a Norcold problem down the road.

[Exnavydiver]

David and Jo-Anna, thanks for the info about the thermistor assy. in the fridge, I have ordered one from Hilltop RV in Escanaba MI. We will pick it up on the way to the rally in a week or two. I have one question though, how do you get the lamp cover off without breaking it? does it slide forward of back or do you have to squeeze it to release it.

[David and Jo-Anna]

Dave-

It probably is supposed to just slide into place, but I had trouble getting it to stay in place that way. Instead, I just fitted it into place around the metal plate on one side of the light, and then just pulled/stretched the plastic cover until I could get it to slip over the metal plate on the opposite side of the light.

If you have any problem with it, we can play with it when we get together at Mackinaw. See you then.

[Exnavydiver]

Thanks, I will fool around with it and see if I can get it off. We will fill the fridge last and then turn it on just as we head out, it should take a day to play catch up with the internal temp...Dave