Norcold fridges

comsnark said:
Isn't having 12 V capability important? Or do you always run the Gennie when anchored?
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Gennie is the first thing started and the last thing shut down. It gets really muggy here so AC is a must in the summer. I don't worry about it too much in Saint Max because of the battery bank.

In the Regal with only 2 batteries and no genny, if I was on the hook for an entire day, the battery was crap after 8 hours (Norcold 12V only BTW) so I had to switch to the other battery for starting. What I found was getting what we wanted out of the fridge and into the cooler and shutting off the fridge after about 15 minutes and things were fine in the fridge for the day. If we needed to open it for something, we just turned it on to cool it down. Another trick is dry ice. As long as your gasket has a good seal, a small piece of dry ice will keep a fridge really cold for a weekend.
 
Actually it was the first time I turned it on this season.
Pulled it out into the kitchen and compressor and both fans are running but the compressor is room temp. We knocked on the compressor a few times to make sure the piston was not stuck. I really don't want to attempt to get it out of the boat and scratch the wood. I'm being told that I can buy the guts and replace it myself. Just weighing the cost to have them come in and try freon first since the fridge is 8 years old....
 
Let me know which way you go...I'm still up in the air about trying to charge or replacing the guts.

Rob - I know you offered help a few months ago, I'm just dealing with another problem right now so I may tap your brain when I get back to it.
 
I know several people who have replaced their ac/dc fridges with ac dorm fridges. I'd think long and hard about that if/when mine craps out. Dorm fridges are nicer looking, priced reasonably and you just don't care as much if they die. We don't stay out at night on the hook and when we anchor out for the day, I don't usually turn the fridge on DC anyway. Perishables stay cold enough if you don't open the door 50 times OR they get transferred into a cooler full of ice. Plus it's another reason to run the genny - a little motor that prefers to be run rather than sit idly by in a damp dank bilge. Not sure about you guys with newer 40+ footers but my friend with a '99 420AC has an AC only full sized fridge/freezer that came with the boat. If he can do it, so can I!
 
I bit the bullet after many conversations. Sounds like it would be a couple of hours($200.00) to put in a service port, charge/look for a leak and pray that it fixes it. I'm going to replace the whole cooling unit. Found a new one on ebay for $620.00 which is $150.00 cheaper than any other place. He still has one left. It's listed under Norcold DE-461 or his email is rvrepair1029@comcast.net. It's something you can do yourself(so I'm told) and said that it would take a 6 pack to get it replaced. I'll have a case cold... I will report back next week and let you know how it went.
 
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A little late with my results. With 2 people it took us about 3 hours to replace the cooling unit. The new unit comes precharged and folded in half. When the new unit came in, the freezer insert was bent down which is correct. It's the only way to get it into the freezer and then you can bend it back to fit. You remove the sheet metal on the freezer half and pull out the foam insulation and then you have the access to pull the old freezer insert out. I would take a picture of the coil hangers before removal. We spent 1/2 hour moving those around after the fact. Other than having to form some of the tubing slightly to fit it was pretty easy. Only 2 wires to remove and reconnect. Runs like a champ. My thermostat setting is about 2 numbers less than before.
When you remove the sheet metal, the freon tubing was sitting on a sharp edge. We did a little bending on that edge so that it would not rub which it was on the old set up.
Not a bad deal for $620.00.....
 
Okay, now I'm up against a new issue for me. I have a Norcold DE 461 double door dual voltage fridge. I doubt is has ever been run on DC and I keep that breaker off at all times. It has cooled its last beer.

The freezer cage (what ever you call the metal walled freezer box that has small refridgeration tupes molded in to it.) no longers gets cold, a small amount of solid ice forms on a copper tube in the back of the freezer where the tube comes out from behind the freezer panels portion. The motor has AC power, and it humms away like it was the little train that could, just doesn't cool.

I talked to a repair house who gave me an $900 repair estimate to replace the compressor unit that hangs on the back of the box, I was told that it is replaced while on the boat, is pre charged and a mechanically inclined boat owner could do the replament him self without special refirg. mechanic tools.

I was quoted 800 bucks for the compressor/ 900 installed. Seems outrageous to me, also quoted a new double door unti at $1500, which caused me a instant case of appaplexy.

Times being what they are I do not want a $1K solution for a simple refridgerator issue with essentially no bells and whistles nor worse to buy a a new one.

I'm a decent shade tree mechanic and can be rational in my apporach t new work.

Anyone ever replace one of these DE461 compressor units and was it something that could be undertaken by a non refridgerator mechanic? Anyone have a source for a compressor?
 
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Chad,
As you may have read, I just replaced my compressor unit on the same fridge. It was straightforward and took a few hours. I got mine from rvcoolingunit.com for around $625 shipped. That was the best price and easiest solution that I could find.
 
quality time said:
Chad,
As you may have read, I just replaced my compressor unit on the same fridge. It was straightforward and took a few hours. I got mine from rvcoolingunit.com for around $625 shipped. That was the best price and easiest solution that I could find.
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Almost not worth putting that kind of money in a Norcold. Better to buy a new Isotherm from what I have been told so far.....
 
I would probably only replace the cooling unit because I don't like the repalcement for my DE-441 in it's layout and on my 340 it is really difficult to get the fridge out of the cabin if it is even possible.

Here are some parts sites that sell all kinds of fridge spare
parts:
http://rvcoolingunit.com/

http://www.rvdealership.com/rvdstore/index.aspx?CustomerNumber=885555&BannerURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epplmotorhomes%2Ecom%2Fparts%2Fheader%5Fdti%2Ehtm&Referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Epplmotorhomes%2Ecom%2Fparts%2Frv%2Drefrigerators%2Fnorcold%2Dparts%2Ehtm

These guys sell all kinds of fridge parts and cooling units.
 
AKBASSKING said:
Almost not worth putting that kind of money in a Norcold. Better to buy a new Isotherm from what I have been told so far.....
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The fact that the old or new fridge will not go through the door in one piece made this a no brainer for me. Plus I won't have this boat for more than a few years so it's only got to last that long!
 
Replacement parts, compressor will not be availble until after Labor day! Crud!
 
Bummer. If you want use of the fridge in the meantime, a 10" block of dry ice in the freezer compartment will keep things VERY cold for a weekend.
 
quality time said:
The fact that the old or new fridge will not go through the door in one piece made this a no brainer for me. Plus I won't have this boat for more than a few years so it's only got to last that long!
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I know what you mean! I had to completely disassemble my genny to get it out the door.

Not one of SR's better moments. The never think of the guy who has to work on them. Slap it in and put the lid on.....
 
I am going through the process of fixing my DE461 on a 2000 41' Dancer. As you know it is too big to remove from the cabin and no new units of equal size have any smaller dimensions. My only choice was to replace the cooling unit. Parts are on back order from Norcold until late September at best. Has anyone had any success with rebuits units. I plan on installing a small DC fan to help extract hot air from behind the unit once it is rebuilt.
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