Posted 2008-08-29 2:39 PM (#90688) Subject: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 65 Location: league city texas
Hi, I am going to a show this weekend and plugged in the trailer and turned on the frig yesterday. The freezer part is getting cold but not the main part of the frig. Any suggestions on what the problem would be? Thanks, Lynn
Posted 2008-08-29 3:09 PM (#90689 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
It sounds as if the circulatory fan is not working. Try cycling the main refrigerator temperature controller, on and off several times, to see if the fan will turn on. The switch may have dirty contacts.
The other thing you could check is the fan itself. Remove the inner plastic panel exposing the motor, and you can see if the fan is free or jammed, or with a multimeter, see if there is power to the motor. If you don't have power to the motor, the switch of which I previously mentioned may be defective. If there is power, the fan may be at fault.
Posted 2008-08-29 3:50 PM (#90692 - in reply to #90689) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 65 Location: league city texas
Hey, Gard. I went out and did the switch thing and nothing happened. I looked at the wiring diagram in the NOrcold book and it doesnt show a fan. The frig has a baffled aluminum thing inside. Sorry for all the technical talk ;P Am I missing something?
Posted 2008-08-29 4:22 PM (#90694 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Sorry to confuse you; there are several types and styles of refrigerators. Some how the airflow from the coolest part of your fridge (freezer) isn't being circulated to the open warmer parts of your refrigerator. If it's not circulated by a fan, then it's a thermo affair and you may have some baffles or louvers that are blocked.
Posted 2008-08-29 5:20 PM (#90698 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 83 Location: Cheshire England
Oh ok ..think it just has one circuit but it is set up so the freezer part gets coldest it could be the burner is dirty if you take the out side cover/ vent of look at the back of it you should be able to see the flame thru a hole needs to be nice blue and clean mine was plugged with dirt, flame was yellow I took it apart there is about 6 small slots in the end of the burner assembly, clean and try it again hope this helps
Posted 2008-08-29 6:20 PM (#90701 - in reply to #90698) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 65 Location: league city texas
Sorry about not being clear enough. Its hooked up to electrical, not running the propane. Its a small norcold that does either gas, elec or propane. I checked the book and I have all the switches in the right place, but no cooling in the main part of the fridge. Could there be a fuse that would run that part or would it be the whole fridge? I'm not real knowledgeable on fridges, so I may end up doing the ice chest. Or maybe take the door off the freezer part and let it cool the whole thing, as I dont need to freeze anything... would that work?
Posted 2008-08-29 7:31 PM (#90707 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
I don't have a schematic with which I can reference. I think your fridge is the smaller unit, and because it has one door and no fan, probably around the 1.7 cf size. This I believe, has one heater and a single cooling system. If it is cooling the freezer, than that part of the system is operating correctly.
The distribution of the air is what is being impeded. The coldest part is directed into your freezer first, then the open fridge area second. Determine if the louvers you can see are open, or if something is displaced. Wherever the air is vented into the box, you have a blockage preventing the air flow. Just determine where the air is diverted from the freezer section and work backwards.
Taking the door off the freezer would cool the rest or the refrigerator, but you would have to monitor the inside temperature so as not to freeze everything.
Posted 2008-08-29 9:43 PM (#90712 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Member
Posts: 43 Location: Cheyenne,Wy
What is the tempature out side . If the temp outside is to high the refer cant cool down. If the temp outside is to high you need a small ventalation fan to cool down the back of the refer.
If the temp outside isnt to high then you have a cloged cooling unit and you should take it to a rv dealership.
Try puting a small fan first . just open the back cover and let the fan run on low for a few hours and then check it .
If you are brave you can take the refer out and turn it upside down a few times and then let it set right side up for a few hours then put it back in and then try it . This may not work and i only recomend it as a last resort.
Posted 2008-08-30 1:52 PM (#90733 - in reply to #90701) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
According to my owners manuel if you have low voltage at the plug the frig will not cool properly. Try it on propane to see if it works right and test the outlet with a voltage meter to check the output. We had this problem at the fair last year and kept tripping the breaker when the AC would turn on. Turned the frig to propane and we quit tripping the breaker. The couple next to us tested the plug and with a meter and said there was low voltage. I didn't look at it to see what it read but someday I'm gonna buy a meter and learn how to work it.
Posted 2008-08-30 4:05 PM (#90738 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 83 Location: Cheshire England
Hm!! thats interesting Teri, Ive never thought my fridge works as well on electric as propane maybe it is low voltage thats causing the problem for paintcrazytexan and i will check mine too
Posted 2008-08-30 7:27 PM (#90742 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 52 Location: Elgin, IL
My trailer guy told me that the fridge on electric takes about 24 hrs to get cool and that alot of his customers actually start it with the propane then flip over to electric. With yours it sounds like the freezer is actually getting cold but that's it??
Posted 2008-08-31 5:41 PM (#90761 - in reply to #90723) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Regular
Posts: 65 Location: league city texas
Hi, All. Just got back from the show. We did pretty good! Thanks for all your suggestions. I havent tried the propane yet. Also, I am in Houston so the heat outside is pretty brutal. I'm gonna mess around with it next week and try all your suggestions and see if they will work. If not, RV dealership, here I come. Did not like working out of 2 ice chests
Posted 2008-09-01 5:08 PM (#90793 - in reply to #90688) Subject: RE: trailer frig question any help appreciated
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 368 Location: Georgia
I had a small norcold fridge that suddenly would work on propane and not on gas. (had previously been working on electric just fine) We took the cover on the outside of the trailer off for the fridge and one of the four "dillies" (highly specific techincal term) was not plugged in. Have no idea how it came unplugged but we plugged it up (it was a blue one) and waaalaaaa the fridge then was working on electric again. Check the dillies. lol
trailer frig question any help appreciated
.jpg)
