Results for "ammonia leak"

During my morning RV check I spotted my Norcold 1210 completely dead with zero cooling that was running perfectly yesterday with no error codes. Unit appears to be operating normally with no error codes displayed, but it's not cooling properly. Interior temperature is staying above 50 degrees. Thermistor has been tested and checks out fine. What else should I look at? …more

Last spring when I opened up my RV for the first camping trip, that same overwhelming ammonia stench hit me the moment I cracked open the refrigerator door. It seems to be getting worse and I can smell it throughout the coach now. I'm scared this might be some kind of refrigerant leak but I'm not sure.

Is it safe to keep using the refrigerator? Should I be concerned about health risks from breathing this in? I don't want to make the situation worse or put my family in danger. What should I do immediately to stay safe? …more

Three weeks into owning this RV and the previous owner left me with a power-hungry Norcold 3-way absorption fridge that's absolutely demolishing my 600AH battery bank daily.

I keep hearing people rave about switching to 12V compressor fridges like the Dometic DMC4101, claiming they'll solve all my power woes. But here's the thing - everyone says "it uses way less power" but nobody gives me actual numbers! I need the cold hard facts: exactly how much power will I save making this switch? Will it really make that big of a difference, or am I just trading one expensive problem for another?

Please tell me someone has real-world experience with the power consumption difference between these fridge types! …more

Standing in the RV supply store staring at replacement thermostats and control boards with no clue which one will actually stop my Norcold N7LX.3F from running constantly. It's been running way more frequently than it ever has before, and I can't figure out what's wrong. The cooling seems off too - items aren't staying as cold as they should be.

I've already checked the obvious stuff like making sure the vents aren't blocked and the unit is level, but something is definitely not right. The fridge just keeps cycling on and off constantly, which has me worried about both the power consumption and whether there's a bigger problem developing.

What should I be looking at to diagnose cooling efficiency issues? I really need to get this sorted before our next camping trip! …more

Before the summer heat kicks in, my 20-year-old Norcold absorption refrigerator only stops cooling when it's above 85 degrees outside — works perfectly fine the rest of the time. I've been tracking its performance with a recording thermometer for 5 days.

Here's what I've observed:
- Cooldown takes about 4 hours
- Freezer varies between 0 and 5 degrees
- Every ~24 hours the unit shuts off to defrost, heating to about 20 degrees
- Time to warm from 5 to 20 degrees is around 1.5 hours

I changed the temperature setting from 7 to 5 on day 3, which seemed to affect the temperature. The refrigerator section is hovering between 30 and 35 degrees during this time.

Is this temperature pattern normal for an absorption fridge, or does this sound like something that needs to be fixed? I'd really appreciate some guidance from more experienced RVers about what these temperatures might indicate. …more

Finally replaced the power board on my N821 fridge with Norcold kit 633292 yesterday but something still doesn't seem right. this thing came with zero instructions! Apparently it's some kind of universal kit that works on multiple applications, which sounds great in theory but leaves me scratching my head about the actual wiring.

My fridge is from a 1999 rig with one of the lower serial numbers (the early version), and I'm hearing that makes a difference in how this gets connected. Anyone know how to figure out which wiring configuration I need for this specific setup? Really don't want to fry anything by guessing! …more

Staring at my 2007 Norcold N611's flashing NO CO lights shutting everything down — is there a DIY fix under $50 since I can't swing a $300 service call? The fridge loses cooling and then locks out completely. I can reset it and it works for a few days or weeks, then the same cycle repeats.

What exactly does the NO CO error code mean and what causes it? Need to understand what's happening before I start throwing more parts at this problem. …more

Spent three hours yesterday trying to figure out if my 2001 truck camper's Dometic RM2453 uses DSI or pilot light ignition and I'm still completely lost. I've been trying to light what I thought was a pilot light, but I'm having issues with it staying lit and producing adequate heat for cooling. The flame seems very low and blows out easily, even though my thermocouple is reading over 20mv which should be sufficient.

After doing some research, I'm now questioning whether this model even uses a traditional pilot light system. I notice there's no wire going to the gas valve for electronic activation, and the only control appears to be the eyebrow board on top. Some sources suggest these units use DSI (direct spark ignition) instead of a standing pilot.

Can someone clarify definitively whether the Dometic RM2453 uses a pilot light system or DSI ignition? Also, does this model have variable burner output stages, or is it just a single on/off operation? Understanding the correct ignition system will help me focus my troubleshooting efforts in the right direction rather than chasing a pilot light that may not even exist on this model. …more

About 7 years ago leveling fixed my old Dometic's cooling issues — but this Maybe-Cold N8X (Serial 28221668) absorption fridge has me completely stumped. This thing is driving me absolutely crazy! It heats up just fine on both AC and propane - no issues there at all. But the cooling is completely unpredictable. Sometimes it works perfectly, other times it just stops cooling for no apparent reason, even in the middle of the night when temperatures are stable.

I've been tracking temps with data loggers and can see it just randomly stops cooling even though there are no error codes flashing. The thermostat tests good at about 8k ohms at 85°F, which matches what the service manual says it should be. I've got fans helping with air circulation and exhaust ventilation, so I don't think it's an airflow problem.

Before I throw in the towel and replace this entire fridge, what should I be checking? Is this a cooling unit failure, or could it be something with the control board or sensors? I really need to figure out what's actually failing here because this intermittent cooling is making our trips miserable! …more

According to what I spotted this morning, my 2001 Fleetwood Discovery has black patches creeping up the walls that definitely weren't there yesterday after three years of full-timing. Planning total interior demolition - walls, ceilings, floors, cabinets, everything except the fridge.

Detailed rebuild plan includes:
- 2" 7.7 R Foam Insulation
- White subway porcelain flooring with epoxy grout
- White plastic ceiling sheeting
- Dark stained pine shiplap walls
- Custom cabinets
- Furniture from Seats4less (U-shaped dinette), Amazon (queen sofa bed), Home Depot (loft bunk)
- Madico mirror finish security film on windows
- Comprehensive mold treatment before rebuilding

Never tackled anything this extensive before. What are the most critical structural and safety considerations I need to prioritize during this complete rebuild? Want to make sure I don't compromise anything important while upgrading everything. …more

Looked at my Norcold 1210 refrigerator in my Grand Design 303RLS this morning — it's running perfectly normal but everything inside stays warm with zero error codes. Everything seems to work - the control panel responds, lights come on, and it even fires up on propane - but there's absolutely no cooling happening. Temperature reading shows 43°F and climbing.

What's making me nervous is that there are no error codes or alarms at all. I've checked the fuse and it's good, the little black box's red light is not on, and the fans aren't running. Usually when something breaks, you get some kind of warning, right? I'm worried I might be missing something obvious or that continuing to run it could cause more damage. Is this pointing to a specific type of failure, and am I safe to keep troubleshooting or should I stop using it immediately? …more