Norcold Fridge Removal Question

[Vonvergmann]

Howdy,

I am replacing the well worn Norcold three way fridge in my 2003 Hawk and replacing it with an Iceco on a slide out. Can someone point me in the right direction of what I should do with the six wires that are shown in the attached picture? Does the furnace wiring really run through the fridge? Seems odd, but possible. Or does heater refer to something inside the Norcold?

Electronics and wiring are not a strong suit of mine, and I would rather not cause myself an avoidable headache. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Outnabout]

I believe the heater labels you see are to the heating element that is required for the cooling of the frig. 3way frigs require heat to circulate the coolant. The wire you will need to be concerned about are the ones that are labeled with a battery. Those should be the ones supplying power to the frig.

 

[Beach]

The wires labeled 12v + - are most likely the main feed from the house battery and could possibly be used as the 12v supply for the new fridge if the wire is the correct gauge. I think the wires labeled 12v heater are are coming from the fridge control panel selector switch(battery, propane, 120v). so once you disconnect the main 12v feed they will be effectively disconnected. The wires labeled 120v could be disconnected and capped with wire nuts although I would also locate the fuse for that circuit and remove it. You could also use those wires to install a 120v outlet(use it for the 120v option on the new fridge) providing the wire gauge is sufficient. NOTE: Disconnect the shore power and battery before any electrical work. If you can use a volt meter you should be able to trace these wires out and verify my post.

 

[Vonvergmann]

Outstanding! Thank you both for the info. I’ll report back.

 

[Vonvergmann]

Success! Thank you both again for the assist. I am grateful. Now on to the new install.

 

[bajaphile]

Success! Thank you both again for the assist. I am grateful. Now on to the new install.

Which IceCo fridge did you go with? Post pics when you're finished.

 

[Vonvergmann]

After removing the three way fridge from my 2003 Hawk, I installed an Iceco JP40 on an Iceco slide mount. It fits perfectly and works so much better at chilling items. Night and day. Also, it really sips electricity.

I ran it a few days on my dual AGM battery setup (old batteries) and it barely made a dent. More interestingly, I set up my small Jackery 300 battery unit with a 120 watt portable solar panel. I ran it for several days and each day the solar topped off the Jackery 100pct from the night before.

I couldn't be happier.

 

[TacomaAustin]

Also, it really sips electricity.

A 12 volt DC chest style fridge is a far better approach than the usual offerings from the American RV industry. Stick an insulated pad on top of the JP40 and you'll find that the bottom side of the pad is cool to the touch each time you remove it to raid the fridge.