Refrigerator not working

ymc2272

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
19
Hi y'all,

I have a Norcold 322x, 1.7 cubic foot, 3-way fridge that ain't working. I bought the camper (an Eagle of uncertain age) used and the previous owner hadn't used the fridge. I've followed the instruction on how to start it with the gas, but it isn't working. I am wondering if anyone has some tips, or if there are places near LA that can repair it.

Thanks
 
Is the unit level?

Does the refg work on house 120 volt AC? Will it work on battery and suck down the battery?

As far a gas...do you have gas and do you get a flame at the burner?

If no gas then there is a jet that might be plugged. Seen that when a new propane tank is not purged. Sometime it takes a while for the propane to get to the burner and purge the air out of the lines.
 
If it works in ANY mode, then it is not a refrigeration cycle failure, but a mode failure. If it won't work in any mode, and esp if you can smell ammonia, that's bad....

If it just won't work in LP mode, the most common problem is that the burner tube has insect debris in it; blow it out or vacuum it to clear. Next problem is either the burner jet clogged as Patrick mentioned or the thermocouple at the jet isn't working or is not close enough or the LP gas pressure is too low.

If it won't work in 120VAC mode, it's likely that the heater element has failed.

Helpful links:

Appliance Manuals

It's also possible on some newer units with electronic controls that something is wrong there.

Cooling Unit

Make Your Own LP Gas Pressure Tester
 
Hello ymc2272


Keep trying !
:)

Most new customers starting a refrigerator don't give it long enough to bleed the air out of the lines !

99% of the time when they come in, I can get it going for them in 2 minutes (sometimes longer if it requires some cleaning).

This is what comes to mind at the moment ...

1. take a compressed air line and gently blow out any dust, leaves, bees nests, spider webs, etc. out of the lower / outside refrigerator vent area.

2. slide the small round cover near the propane lighting / flame area "up", so you can see in to the tip of the pilot light and the thermocoupler housing.

3. take an old tooth brush (or something like it) and dust off the small slit openings at the tip of the pilot light tube. Soemtimes you will have some carbon build up there that will prevent the propane from lighting or flowing evenly.

4. Make sure you have propane in the propane tank and the valve is open.

5. Go inside and light the stove for a few seconds -- this will help belld the propane lines out some.

6. Go back outside to the refrigerator controls and push the red "sparker" buttom a few times (best to do this at night) -- to see if it is making a spark.

If it is sparking, turn the propane / temperature setting knob to the high position and push it down, and hold it down. This will start the propane flowing to the pilot light area. Keep holding it down for anwhere from 15 seconds, up to as long a 1 or 2 minutes. About every 15 seconds push the red sparker button a few times.

This should get it going after awhile.

If that doesn;t do it, you might not be geting propane to the pilot light -- if there is no "spark" you can always light it wilt a BBQ lighter.

hope this helps

I will see if I can think of anything else on the ride home



.
 
Here is a Norcold in an Eagle pictures. I put a Attwod hotwater heater relighter in this one.

Follow what Stan said. There might just be blockage. In the picture that you can see the srtiker off to the right there might be a gas valve just under the tip of the striker.

If all cear and purged it should light up;)
 

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I got one more thing to add when I got my keystone It had sat for 3plus years. It has a sanyo frige (no longer made)

Well I blew out the the chimney with a air compreser blead the gas, taped on the regulater afew times and got a nice blue flame. 12 hours later its 40 degress in the frige :eek:

Well when a frige sits for a long time sometimes they just dont come to life but with amonnia refers you have a chanse to give them a new life

Carefully disconnect and remove them from the camper. Place refer upside down onthe ground for 12 hours and reinstall (right side up of course)

what happens is the ammonia gases settle to a liquid. turning them upside down and right side up turns it back to a gas

wait 1 hour from the time you turned it right side up which is about the time to reinstall hook everything back up

my refer is now 20 degress freezer -10:D


out of 3 refers 2 came back to life...

Bob
 
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