I have a 2005 Jayco 1007 with a Norcold refrigerator. Works great on AC. Doesn't work very good on propane. It doesn't stay cold during the day and freezes at night. I have read the report on venting but I am not sure how it applies to my trailer. There is not a whole lot of room to work in the compartment and I am not sure where to install a DC fan. Has anybody successfully fixed this problem on a similar trailer, and if so, how? Thanks!
There isn't a whole lot of room to work in/around any RV appliance---but it was an easy install on my 640! Was gonna' suggest you go to dometicusa.com or their new site for their manual on the fan kit----but their site is being upgraded......I'm sure I've seen details here---try searching the forums for fridge fan kit or variations on that.
FWIW: I've never heard of anyone's Norcold working better on 110V AC.....much better performance on LPG....have you gone through the troubleshooting section in your manual? (If you have your model number---you can go to bryantrv.com and download your manual for free.) Good luck.
J
FWIW: I've never heard of anyone's Norcold working better on 110V AC.....much better performance on LPG....have you gone through the troubleshooting section in your manual? (If you have your model number---you can go to bryantrv.com and download your manual for free.) Good luck.
J
I agree with you on this one. Mine has always worked better on propane because the heating of the coils is much more efficient than the AC coils. Same with the water heater .. always works better on propane.
I would suspect maybe a problem with the propane flow and/or an issue with the burner... spiders love to crawl into propane feeder tubes and clog them. Had this problem with my water heater.. it would flame for the pilot but not very much and wouldn't start heating. A good pipe cleaner run through and cleaning of the tips and everything was back to normal. Same would apply for the fridge.
Keep in mind... when on AC, the fridge is self regulating. On propane, you set the temp... and it isnt regulated.... hence the warmer during the day and frozen during the night....
I turn mine down during the night, then back up again during the day.... should help a bit..
Hey, Idaho....try taking this post to "Tech Issues" with a header like "how to install fan kit in my PUP fridge." Might get a response from someone who knows where the thread is....
J
A couple of facts on our small fridges:
The BTU output on propane for a 3CF fridge is 700 BTU's. 650 BTU's on 120 volt AC, and 300 BTU's on 12 volt.
There is NO self regulation on any source. They do not have any temperature regulation only an amount of cooling, so the outside temperature WILL have an effect on the inside temperature of the fridge.
We use a probe from an indoor/outdoor thermometer to register the fridge's inside temp so we know when to turn it up or down.
As for the fact the original poster's fridge works better on 120 volt AC than propane usually means you need to clean the burner and stack. A bug/spider or carbon will reduce the propane's effective BTU's.
If you don't have a manual for the fridge you can download one here: http://bryantrv.com/docs.html
I am not sure what the term "self-regulating" means but full-sized RV refers regulate the internal temperature on AC or propane via a thermostat, either electronic or mechanical, depending on the brand and/or age.
On AC, the electric heater is turned on and off via the thermistor and associated circuitry.
On propane, the same thermistor turns the propane burner completely on and off. All of this is dependent on the inside temp/load of the refer box.
On earlier models, before use of the thermistor and electronic ignition, RV refers used a special gas thermostat that had a capillary tube in the box and when the refer reached the set temperature, the themostat went into a by-pass mode and turned the burner flame down very low. This is what my 3cf dometic uses in my PUP.
Not sure what the current PUP refers are using for regulation if any. (?)
* This post was
last
edited 05/14/08 09:26pm by javaseuf *
View edit history
Steve
2007 Springdale 291RKL
2003 F150 King Ranch
2001 Dodge Van w/Wheelchair Ramp
1991 Palomino Mustang PUP
Eureka Timberline Tent
Yamaha IF2400isc
Yamaha EF3000iSEBC "Politically Incorrect And Proud Of It"
WaltinColo wrote: Keep in mind... when on AC, the fridge is self regulating. On propane, you set the temp... and it isnt regulated.... hence the warmer during the day and frozen during the night....
I turn mine down during the night, then back up again during the day.... should help a bit..
I have the same fridge you have. Mike the moderator is correct. And yes, the propane causes it to cool the most and I had trouble with it freezing every night too --- and I was camping in 90 degree weather during the day.
It works 'better' on AC as it seems to not cool down that extra 5 degrees or so to the freezing point. As he stated, you get more BTU's with propane so if it's not working that way, then yes, you have some issue with the burner or venting.
I've not tried it, but a lot of people use a small, battery operated fridge fan to circulate the air in the fridge. We have a 'regular' fridge thermometer in there to check temp (same little round thermometer we use in home fridge that hangs on shelf) --- those probe-types are better in that you can get a reading without opening the door, but cost a whole lot more.
You just have to 'play' around with them to try to get around the freezing.
Pup: 2007 Jayco 1206 w/slide-out + shower
surge brakes, 54w solar panel
TV: 2005 Nissan Xterra 4X4, manual trans
25 years tent camping, 4000+ miles of hiking, lots of biking
Offline
