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Norcold Cooling Unit Replacement

Yahoo Message Number: 68712
Hi,

I know this was discussed in a previous thread. I couldn't respond at that time owing to working through registering myself with this news group. We have a Norcold 1200 LRIM installed in the bus which didn't fall within the original recall. Norcold, I understand, is on its second cooling unit recall now. That means all those cooling units that were in the first recall group are now being recalled a second time. It's a recall of recalls so to speak.

The link to my reference page is
here:

http://www.muniac.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=68#Post68 It presents some photos and provides some tid bits of information that may help a few folks. I may be unique in that we did the repairs ourselves and thus had a first hand glimpse into all the details involved to effect repairs. It took us some 15+ hours to complete and I rate it a difficult job. We used the Pines RV Refrigeration cooling unit. It seems heavier and reasonably well built. It also includes a sheet metal sleeve around the heaters. Time, of course, will tell how long it lasts. Delivered it will set you back $1000.00 On our bus we needed to move the AC outlet down about 4". The two cooling fans can be mounted over the left coil by reversing their brackets. It's like a puzzle. The plastic drip pan won't go back into its original mounting place. The hardest part is moving around clumsy and heavy parts. Dimensionally the cooling unit fits in pretty well. Trying to seal the foam pack with the can of "Great Stuff" they provide is almost impossible. If you can, have the job done by someone familiar with cooling unit replacements.

The new cooling unit brings the freezer down to -10F and seems to do a better job than the OEM unit. Our tests were done in cold weather so I'd imagine things will change as summer approached. We use a setting of 6 now and that keeps the freezer at 0F. The refrigerator cooling fins freeze up nicely which is good. It takes about 24 hours to cool everything down.

I'm blown away that the gas burner doesn't include some sort of flame/heat detection. Not sure what happens if it doesn't fire and propane continues to pour out the burner?? Not sure what happens if a gust of wind blows out the flame.

As for "owner making repairs" I think better more detailed instructions would be helpful. The "Great Stuff" needs to go. Do check your cooling unit is the overriding message. Even with sodium chromate added as a rust inhibitor the water/ammonia mixture eventually rusts out steel. Copper tubing can't be used because it reacts with ammonia. I guess stainless steel is prohibitively expensive. But then how expensive is it when your entire bus burns to the ground.

Best - Scott

2006 Allure 430 #31349
(Bus-Stead Lemon)

Re: Norcold Cooling Unit Replacement

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 68713
Scott,

Modern electronic spark ignitions detect the presence or absence of a flame and shut off the gas if no flame is present. The burning gas flowing over the ignitor is slightly conductive and the controller detects this small electric current, allowing the gas to flow as long as it is present. Thus the spark gap serves two purposes, gas ignition and flame detection.
Dave

2000 Allure
#30444

Re: Norcold Cooling Unit Replacement

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 68714
Dave,

Thanks for that information and that is an interesting way of handling a safety measure. When the weather warms up a bit I need to hook up the propane and test the burner. I'll measure the voltage on the solenoid valve and blow out the flame. If all is working, the controller should shut power off to the valve to close it. Will report back on that later.

At 09:42 AM 2/23/2011, you wrote:

Quote
>

Scott,

Modern electronic spark ignitions detect the presence or absence of a >flame and shut off the gas if no flame is present. The burning gas >flowing over the ignitor is slightly conductive and the controller >detects this small electric current, allowing the gas to flow as long as >it is present. Thus the spark gap serves two purposes, gas ignition and >flame detection.

Dave

2000 Allure
30444
 

Re: Norcold Cooling Unit Replacement

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 68729

Modern electronic ignition controls actually measure current flow through the flame using the igniter probe. Simple, effective, accurate.

Dave

aka Billy Byte (trusty hound)
2000 Allure #30443