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07-08-2020, 08:26 AM
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#1
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Norcold N8X freezer cold, refrig hot
Last week I installed window screen over the air inlet of my refrigerator compressor panel to stop the mud daubers from gaining access. The refrig and freezer were working just fine. Now, the freezer is working but the refrigerator is actually hot. A little hotter than the inside air temperature.
I've read a few online articles about how Norcold units operate. Apparently my window screen has diminished cooling air flow enough to cause the cooling ability of the unit to fail.
I'll remove the access cover with the screen and see if that resolves the problem.
Is this thing designed so close to tolerance that disrupting air flow just a little is enough to make it fail?
Also, do I have to remove the refrig to gain access to the back of the unit? I don't see any way to actually gain access from the outside.
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-08-2020, 08:57 AM
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#2
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Richland. Wa.
Posts: 624
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I've been working on this issue for 6 years. Here's my fix. Ducted top fridge with aluminum. (4th pic) to help get hot air out. (2nd pic) two 12volt fans on top vent to vent out hot air. (Pic 3) 12 volt fan too push in cool air at the bottom. (1st pic) 12 volt thermostat to set temp to have fans come on at 72°. Found thermostat on Amazon, along with q2 volt fans. 0305201051_HDR.jpg0305201213.jpg0729180732.jpg0709170750.jpg
__________________
1998.5 Dodge 3500 4X4 Black Bart. 150k
2013 Rushmore Jefferson
2008 Raptor 299 toy hauler
Ruby & Jade. English Springer Spaniels
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07-08-2020, 09:36 AM
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#3
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Get the trapped heat out!
Ramn4ver - thanks for the reply: ok, need way more air flow and still block the mud daubers. The hot air trapped between the back of the unit and the outside of the trailer transfer heat into the refrigerator making it hot inside the refrig. Get the heat out and it should start working again.
Thanks again.
Dustin
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-08-2020, 10:02 AM
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#5
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 750
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toolman.dustin
Ramn4ver - thanks for the reply: ok, need way more air flow and still block the mud daubers. The hot air trapped between the back of the unit and the outside of the trailer transfer heat into the refrigerator making it hot inside the refrig. Get the heat out and it should start working again.
Thanks again.
Dustin
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This should help. It has a larger mesh for less air flow restriction. Screens are also available for water heater and furnace.
https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...10-1310VP.html
__________________
Russ
Forney,TX
2010 Cruiser CTX CT29RLX
2009 F-150XLT
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07-08-2020, 10:35 AM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: mo
Posts: 2,106
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The holes in the window screen are too small to allow ample air flow. Use a larger mesh or one designed for the refrigerator vent and that should help. Also remove the screen to see if proper temperatures return. On your camper the only access to the rear is thru the side vent and the roof vent. Otherwise you will have to remove the refrigerator.
You have a heat absorption refrigerator so there is no compressor. It does not make "cold" but absorbs heat leaving behind cold. On very hot days try to limit opening the door too often. So make sure you have ample air flow for it to work correctly. In the old days we would remove the lower vent and blow a electric fan in the opening on very hot days.
__________________
2009 Seville VF32KS
2019 GMC Sierra 3500HD Crew Cab Denali.
6.6 Diesel standard box.
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07-08-2020, 08:14 PM
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#7
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dagst1
The holes in the window screen are too small to allow ample air flow. Use a larger mesh or one designed for the refrigerator vent and that should help. Also remove the screen to see if proper temperatures return. On your camper the only access to the rear is thru the side vent and the roof vent. Otherwise you will have to remove the refrigerator.
You have a heat absorption refrigerator so there is no compressor. It does not make "cold" but absorbs heat leaving behind cold. On very hot days try to limit opening the door too often. So make sure you have ample air flow for it to work correctly. In the old days we would remove the lower vent and blow a electric fan in the opening on very hot days.
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Found this Youtube video that does a good explanation of how absorption refrigerator works.
" "
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-09-2020, 07:09 AM
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#8
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Belle River , Ontario
Posts: 1,753
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Take off the outside vent and put a regular fan pointing into and upward the opening. Give it a few hrs and see if air flow helps. If so add a couple compute r fans.
__________________
It was a rainy few days at Algonquin Prov park...tarps kept us dry.
Wayne --Belle River (Windsor), Ontario
2013 Sunset Trail Reserve 25RB..(just sold it)
2015 White Chev Silverado 2500HD 4x4 (6.0 l gasser)
2003 Mountain Star 890SBRX Truck Camper
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07-09-2020, 08:19 AM
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#9
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by harley
Take off the outside vent and put a regular fan pointing into and upward the opening. Give it a few hrs and see if air flow helps. If so add a couple compute r fans.
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That's what I did. Removed the outside cover, defrosted the freezer for 6 hrs. Installed a fan to ram air up through the vent opening and behind the refrig. Restarted the refrig. Took about 9 hours but the refrig and freezer are both now cold. I've ordered the insect screen for RVs, less air flow restriction.
Still looking into this but I may install one of these bilge pump blowers. They move higher volume of air than computer fans.
" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...KIKX0DER&psc=1 "
Thanks for the help from everyone.
Dustin
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-09-2020, 11:59 AM
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#10
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Air Flow Failure - root cause analysis
Here's the root cause of the reduced air flow when I installed window screen.
I went out to take measurements for installing a fan. Turns out the screen I installed was 100% blocked!. I ordered a roll of adhesive backed window screen screen 2" width. After removing the backing material and sticking it in place I failed to notice the clear film of adhesive that was stuck to the screen. It did not get removed with the backing material. So the entire screen was 100% blocked with adhesive.. This makes sense now. I was really struggling with how the temp in the refrigerator could climb to 120 degrees.
I've already ordered RV screen mesh and I'll probably go ahead and install a fan. Certainly couldn't hurt.
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-09-2020, 02:47 PM
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#11
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Seasonal Camper
Join Date: May 2014
Location: TX
Posts: 335
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Ouch, glad you figured it out now, you would have had a lot of head scratching going on after installing the fans.
I do appreciate the discussion though, hopefully it will help others that have cooling issues in the future. I know i learned a few things.
Cheers!
__________________
John (USAF Ret) & Cheryl
San Antonio, TX
2014 Hill Country 32FR
2011 Ram 2500 4x4 6.7 CTD
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07-09-2020, 03:21 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: mo
Posts: 2,106
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You may want to pull the cover on the roof vent for the refrigerator just to check for a obstruction. Things like to build nests there and you should check there every year when you de-winterize. Also while it is off look down in behind the refrigerator and see if there is a fan from the factory. Our cruiser has one but the refrigerator is in a slide. The camper before this one had one and the refrigerator was not in a slide. They are on a thermostat so they do not run all the time so you may never hear it.
__________________
2009 Seville VF32KS
2019 GMC Sierra 3500HD Crew Cab Denali.
6.6 Diesel standard box.
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07-09-2020, 08:46 PM
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#13
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dagst1
You may want to pull the cover on the roof vent for the refrigerator just to check for a obstruction. Things like to build nests there and you should check there every year when you de-winterize. Also while it is off look down in behind the refrigerator and see if there is a fan from the factory. Our cruiser has one but the refrigerator is in a slide. The camper before this one had one and the refrigerator was not in a slide. They are on a thermostat so they do not run all the time so you may never hear it.
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I'll do that. I found an electrical schematic online for my model and it says there's a fan and that fan is wired to the thermister inside the refrigerator. So when the refrig says it's time to cool it turns it on the cooling process along with this fan (assuming it's actually there).
Thanks everybody!
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07-12-2020, 11:22 AM
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#14
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Does the cooling fan require temperature control?
I hate to re-activate this post but I have a new question:
I took the cover off the top of the refrig at the roof and there's no cooling fan anywhere. After studying the schematics and reading the online service manual for my model refrig: I've determined the cooling fan is an option (which I don't have) and the cooling fan is controlled via a thermostatic switch located on the first condenser and turns the fan on at 130 deg F and turns it off at 115 deg F. My plan is to install cooling fans at the roof top to pull cool air through the entire back of the refrig unit.
My question is to those of you who have expertise in absorption refrigeration; is the thermostatic switch necessary? What happens if I have the fans come on anytime the unit is cooling regardless of temperature and have them shut off when the cooling cycle is completed? I wouldn't think there was such a thing as "too cool"?
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-12-2020, 11:26 AM
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#15
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,160
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The only part of your question I can answer, is yes, there is such a thing as to cool for the absorption fridge.
They don't do very good in cold weather.
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07-12-2020, 12:01 PM
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#16
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Richland. Wa.
Posts: 624
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Took me a triple check to find the original fan behind our fridge. It is very small and in the middle of the fridge, on the back wall.
Yesterday was 99° outside. Both fridges stayed right at 37°. I'm so happy not having to deal with anymore fridge issues.
__________________
1998.5 Dodge 3500 4X4 Black Bart. 150k
2013 Rushmore Jefferson
2008 Raptor 299 toy hauler
Ruby & Jade. English Springer Spaniels
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07-12-2020, 02:03 PM
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#17
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramn4ver
Took me a triple check to find the original fan behind our fridge. It is very small and in the middle of the fridge, on the back wall.
Yesterday was 99° outside. Both fridges stayed right at 37°. I'm so happy not having to deal with anymore fridge issues.
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I'm catching up to you. Actually, if you recall this was a problem with mud daubers. I didn't have a problem until I tried to stop the mud daubers. But, anything worth doing is worth overdoing so here I am fixing a cooling problem I didn't have. I don't have a fan. My controller would turn the fan on/off using pins 1 & 6 of the controller board. There are no wires attached to pins 1 & 6. And, I'm not certain pins 1 & 6 are active on my controller.
So, I've decided to install a thermal switch to turn the fans on at air temp of 90 degrees and off at 70 behind the refrig. Picked those numbers at random. And I can lock the mud daubers and wasps out as well. I'll post a couple of pictures when this is all done. This thread might help someone else some day.
And..... while I had access to the top of the refrig via the vent,, I pulled a 12 volt power wire to the kitchen vent about 30 inches. Now I can install a reversible Fan-Tastic vent fan.
Thanks again to all:
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-15-2020, 03:30 PM
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#18
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Now it's too cold : -4 and 16
So installed 4 vent fans (computer fans) at the top of chimney. Turned on the refrig about 24 hours ago. I put two thermometers in, one in the freezer and one in the refrig. The freezer is now -4 deg F and the refrig is 16 deg F. The front panel control is set to the warmest setting. In the refrig I slid the thermocouple all the way to the bottom of the fins. It's 96 degrees outside and 102 degrees inside the trailer.
Surely I'm not going to have to disconnect these fans to warm up the refrig?
Any ideas?
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-15-2020, 06:04 PM
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#19
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Kansas
Posts: 204
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Update:
Never mind --- I decided to swap the thermometers around and see what happened. So the refrig now reads 45 (was 16) and the freezer now reads 16 (was -5). So I have a defective thermometer. All is fine after all.
__________________
Dustin and Doris
2018 Crossroads, Sunset Trail 33CK,
38', 7600 lbs empty, 8300 lbs loaded.
2016 Tundra: 5.7L with towing package with added "Roadmaster Active Suspension"
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07-15-2020, 10:23 PM
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#20
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: 1
Posts: 2,036
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I have been following this thread and am glad you are getting your situation back to normal. I will say that on my rig, the fans didn't really come on at the correct temps so I disconnected the thermal switch and added a manual switch to turn the fan on/off as the outside temp dictates. When I replaced my fridge a few years ago I really studied the manufacturers directions and found out CR did NOT install the fridge correctly. There is a lot of ducting requirements that were not adhered to. My new fridge works great. I wrote a long informational post on what I did and should be searchable on this forum if interested.
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