Another Refigerator Nightmare?

Our fridge went out 2 years ago and we had it repaired. I don't recall the repair bill exactly but it wasn't over 1k. He replaced some of the guts due to it not cooling down properly. That would have made the fridge around 8 years old at the time of service. I do recall the guy saying that he added a fan to help keep things cool. I have never had any complaints about the noise or operation of a norcold. I would opt for repair to avoid the removal and custom fit problems. Get a couple opinions from a couple different places.
 
Update:

We pulled the fridge out on Friday to take a closer look and measure etc. The first thing I noticed, after 12 years of service was how clean it all was. There was really no dirt back there at all. The area behind the fridge wasn't exactly cavernous, but there was a lot of room for air to circulate.

A friend of mine is an HVAC expert. He thought the compressor was too hot, but didn't have experience with Norcolds for comparison.

We didn't spend much time measuring. It was clear that in order for the DE-561 to come out, it would have to be significantly dismantled - not just doors, but coils, compressor etc. appeared to be in the way as well.

I called a mobile repair outfit and (gulp) gave them my credit card number.
 
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Update: they replaced the "cooling unit" for a cool $1,200.

That was about $300 more than what I feared it would be, but it's working.

btw: dry ice got me through several wkds and worked beautifully. If a weekend-size block didn't cost $30, I might've been willing to put off the repair until winter.
 
What kind of Compressor did they install. I have heard that the Danfoss compressors are the ticket.
 
I have a Norcold service manual on pdf. It doesn't cover all models but I suppose the wiring, basic mechanics and troubleshooting are about the same. I lost the link where I downloaded it so pm with your email if anyone wants it.
 
I have a 2000 41' Dancer and the DE 461 will not come out of the cabin. Even if you strip everything off the back it will not fit. I have had two SEA RAY service techs out to the boat and they agree that the only way to get it out is to cut it into smaller pieces. The dimensions on the new DE0061, the Tundra TJ85 , the Nova COOL, the Vitrifrigo and the Isothern all share the same dimensions. None of them will fit through the cabin door. The only solution is to replace the cooling unit. Cooling units are on back order from Norcold untill late Sept. at best.
 
I am expecting my refrigerator to go in my 1999 400DA sometime. I dock at Son Rise and would like to know who you used for the repair just in case.
 
I replaced mine this year. I know it's a smaller fridge but it came right out. I bought the new "improved" version from norcold and it fit in fine. The screw holes even matched the old one. It is actually a better design and seems to work great (knock on wood). I found a company from NY on Ebay and got a better deal than I could find anywhere else.
 
I used Bay Area Heating & AC in Sandusky.

I feel like I paid too much, but using boating math, it was almost a bargain.

I never saw the tech. He came to the boat while I was away and cleaned up after himself.

The unit performs better than it ever did. I didn't realized that it had been dying a slow death.
 
I am also @ Son Rise, C DOACK and used Bay Area Refrigeration, 419 684-7475. They changed the entire refrigreation unit for around $1100-$1200 2 years ago. Mine failed at the end of the season...Bay Area suggested waiting till the spring so as not to waste 6 months of warranty. I never knew they were there...and it's lasted 2 entire seasons!
 
I agree with the replace the guts approach. Any RV parts shop will sell you a kit that has the evaporator/condenser/compressor as a pre charged unit. I paid about $600 for mine. This approach also mitigates the issue of replacing the cover doors and other new cabinet stuff. Gettingthe old unit out of the boat is easy compared to getting a new one in as many have discovered. If you are set on a new unit, a mockup box would tell you if it will fit before you buy it.

Good Luck
 
I just went through this at the beginning of the summer, $600 and a few hours time and good as new. Now that I've done it I probably could swap one out in an hour. It's not bad at all if you have any mechanical ability.
 
tomtdo said:
I have a 2000 41' Dancer and the DE 461 will not come out of the cabin. Even if you strip everything off the back it will not fit. I have had two SEA RAY service techs out to the boat and they agree that the only way to get it out is to cut it into smaller pieces. The dimensions on the new DE0061, the Tundra TJ85 , the Nova COOL, the Vitrifrigo and the Isothern all share the same dimensions. None of them will fit through the cabin door. The only solution is to replace the cooling unit.
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Very very funny stories! Did Searay put the wood fridge cabinet into a mold cavity too? Lots of big head brains here! Please post more stories how Searay forgot to make the opening big enough. Please post more stories how the new and old fridge needs to be cut in half. Please post more stories about $1K to fix an old crappy fridge. Big genius brains here!
 
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