Refrigerator Lighting Problem - On the Road

[travelingdan]

Hello all:

I have a Norcold 3-way frig in a 2005 camper and I am having problems getting it lit.

It worked for the first six days of my current trip and now it has gone out and refuses to stay lit.

I have lit the gas burners and have run the heater to chase out any air in the lines.

I hold down the red gas button then hit the ignite button. I can hear a "puff" and the red gauge needle moves from white all the way to the end of the green. I hold the gas button for a few more seconds before releasing it and the gauge needle either sits on the far right side of the green for a few teasing seconds before it heads left for the white or it moves left immediately. I ignite the gas again with the ignite button and begin the entire process again, but the refrigerator won't stay lit.

Before the trip I had the gauge replaced because it wasn't working.

Any help would be appreciated.

Dan

 

[camelracer]

I would check for corrosion on the burner slits and alignment of the sensor over the flame. I've had burner slits almost close a couple of times.

 

[K7MDL]

Like above, a simple removal of the shield, wipe my finger over the burner tip and nearby parts to remove some surface crust, and back in business.

 

[Addie]

Like above, a simple removal of the shield, wipe my finger over the burner tip and nearby parts to remove some surface crust, and back in business.


Quick question along similar lines.. HOW do you manually light the refer? The RV places told me my auto ignite is going out (ie dont work) but it runs if manually lit.. HOW?

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

90% - 95% of the time the small slits on the tip of the burner tube (where the flame is burning outside) get rusted over or covered with carbon build up.

I just cleaned the burner slits for my neighbor that has a 2002 Hawk.

Once they are clean the flame can burn healthy and the pilot light should stay lit.

It is simple & easy to do, but you will need a few basic tools to get the small wind cover off, so you can get inside to that area to see what is going on and clean it.

Any type of RV, travel trailer, camper, car, truck, boat, etc. etc. will need some general maintenance and "tune up's" from time to time.

Sorry I don't have any pics to share.

Working on my home computer tonight.




Do be afraid to poke around inside refrigerator compartment with a flashlight and try to get a look at the burner tube.

CHECK THIS LINK TOO . . .

http://blog.rv.net/2008/04/maintenance-cleaning-a-norcold-burner/




______________________________________________________________________


Hello all:

I have a Norcold 3-way frig in a 2005 camper and I am having problems getting it lit.

It worked for the first six days of my current trip and now it has gone out and refuses to stay lit.

 

[jfb]

What actually causes the pilot flame to " stay lit " is usually a device called a thermocouple. It has to be near or in the pilot flame, and produces a small millivolt electrical current, that tells the main gas valve..ok I am lit and its now ok for the main burner to come on. As stated already, the usual culprit is trash, or often issects such as spider webs, which can be blown out with low pressure air of some sort. When you are pushing in the button, you are allowing pilot gas to enter, it is then ignited auto or manully with some sort of spark device, the pilot flame is proven by the thremocouple device, and the main gas path opens, and the burner is allowed to operate. Any inturruption in that process will cause a problem. Hope that helps

 

[Ted]

I don't think this is the burner. I have cleaned and/or replaced a few of them. The flame is still there even as they get clogged. It just doesn't burn as well and the refrigerator can't cool properly. Travelingdan's was working fine then suddenly stopped.

jfb may be on to it with the thermocouple. Again, it seems strange that it would suddenly fail unless it got knocked out of alignment somehow.

I'd go with a gas suppl problem. The amount of gas used by the fridge is completely different from the stove or heater. I think there were some problems with the tanks for a bit. Try hooking up to a different source and seeing if that makes a difference. My two cents worth.

By the way, why do they call it two cents worth but only offer a penny for your thoughts?

 

[leadsled9]

I think it's a good chance it is corrosion on the burner like others have suggested.

Here is a link I started detailing the simple fix:http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3677/page__pid__39646__st__0&#entry39646

 

[Lighthawk]

By the way, why do they call it two cents worth but only offer a penny for your thoughts?


We like to buy at a 50% discount

 

[travelingdan]

I think it's a good chance it is corrosion on the burner like others have suggested.

Here is a link I started detailing the simple fix:http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/index.php?/topic/3677/page__pid__39646__st__0&#entry39646





I've studied your photos and description but I don't understand how to pull the burner (with the corroded slits) out. I have loosened the nut using a 5/8" wrench but it doesn't seem to give me access to the burner. Also, I'm not sure about the sheet metal screw holding "the assembly in place." The sheet metal screw I see seems to be holding another assembly in place (one with small diameter copper tubing). What am I doing wrong?

 

[travelingdan]

I've studied your photos and description but I don't understand how to pull the burner (with the corroded slits) out. I have loosened the nut using a 5/8" wrench but it doesn't seem to give me access to the burner. Also, I'm not sure about the sheet metal screw holding "the assembly in place." The sheet metal screw I see seems to be holding another assembly in place (one with small diameter copper tubing). What am I doing wrong?


I found the screw and have removed the burner. The slits look pretty clear but I took a wire brush to them anyway.

 

[travelingdan]

Well, I've cleaned the burner slots (they were pretty clear to begin with) and I still can't get the frig to light. Any other suggestions?

 

[RJones]

Well, I've cleaned the burner slots (they were pretty clear to begin with) and I still can't get the frig to light. Any other suggestions?



Replace the thermal coupler. Assuming your propane is not a problem.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

The best thing you could try next would be ...

1. Leave the sheet metal wind cover off of the pilot light burner tube area (so you can see what is happening inside of there).

2. Have someone push the "sparker" button on the inside / front of the refrigerator while you stand outside looking into the refrigerator compartment area. Look in there at that propane burner tube that has the small slits on it. Do you see a spark jump in there each time they push the "sparker" button inside the camper? Is the spark jumping to the propane burner tube near the small slits? Or is it jumping away from that to some other part of the refrigerator? If there is no "spark", you will probably just need to change out the sparker part. If there is a spark, but it is not zipping down to the propane burner tube, you could gently adjust the small rod a little closer to the propane burner tube so that the spark does hit the small slits.

If that is working and does not seem to be the problem, then you could try ...

.3 Have someone inside the camper push in the red propane flow button on the front of the refrigerator while you are standing outside the camper with a long BBQ lighter. As they are pushing and holding in the propane flow button on the inside of the camper, have your long BBQ lighter going and wave it over and around the small slits on the propane burner tube. If it lights up, then it was probaly just the "sparker" not getting it lit. If the propane does not light, then you have a propane flow issue and will need to clean the small propane line out.

4. If the propane lights up and is burning good, but keeps going out after you let go of the propane flow button on the inside of the camper, then the thermocoupler might need adjustment, cleaning, or replacement. If you are not getting the refrigerator to light and you are not getting a flame inside of there, there is no reason to replace the thermocoupler.

Hope this helps.

Let us know what you find out.


.


.

 

[leadsled9]

My "sparker" died shortly after I took possession of my Hawk. I simply did the relighter mod.....so now to light my fridge....I turn the relighter on and go inside and hold down the red button and she lights right up.

 

[travelingdan]

Thanks Stan and everyone else.

I'm only a couple of days from San Diego, so I'm going to delve into the problem when I return home. I'll let you know what I find out.

Dan