Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I've been discussing the Norcold fire problem and similar fridge temperature issues on other brands with Paul Unmack, a consulting Process Control engineer and RV owner. Paul has developed a temperature sensor and controller module that monitors and regulates the temperature of the boiler in an absorption fridge more closely than the factory controllers. Equally important for the Norcold 1200's, his monitor prevents the boiler tube from ever getting so hot that a shutdown is necessary. It automatically cuts it off well short of the danger point and restarts once it cools.
Basically the Norcold recall box lets the temperature soar to near 800 degrees F. before irrevocably shutting down. At that temperature it is pretty much conclusive that the cooling unit has failed. However, Paul contends that operation above about 200 degrees C. (about 390 F.) is totally unnecessary for good cooling action and that the boiler can be controlled to much lower temperatures. These videos are a bit techie but it describes what happens in the fridge boiler and how it can be controlled better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zQGFsddE1Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv1G9HcNnjI
Paul is looking for a small number of people for some further testing and reporting on his controller module, which he hopes to put into production soon. The primary purpose of this is to gather data on the temperature ranges encountered in normal fridge usage by a varied population of RVers. To do that, he wants to install both the controller and a data gathering module in more Rvs. I'm going to have one installed on my Norcold and I am extending an invitation from Paul to others on this group who might be interested in doing the same. I think he may be willing to install it even if you don't want to participate in the data gathering, but there would probably be a modest charge for the device.
I have no financial interest in this device but the concept is intriguing to me. Doesn't seem to be any real risk in giving it a try.
Basically the Norcold recall box lets the temperature soar to near 800 degrees F. before irrevocably shutting down. At that temperature it is pretty much conclusive that the cooling unit has failed. However, Paul contends that operation above about 200 degrees C. (about 390 F.) is totally unnecessary for good cooling action and that the boiler can be controlled to much lower temperatures. These videos are a bit techie but it describes what happens in the fridge boiler and how it can be controlled better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zQGFsddE1Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv1G9HcNnjI
Paul is looking for a small number of people for some further testing and reporting on his controller module, which he hopes to put into production soon. The primary purpose of this is to gather data on the temperature ranges encountered in normal fridge usage by a varied population of RVers. To do that, he wants to install both the controller and a data gathering module in more Rvs. I'm going to have one installed on my Norcold and I am extending an invitation from Paul to others on this group who might be interested in doing the same. I think he may be willing to install it even if you don't want to participate in the data gathering, but there would probably be a modest charge for the device.
I have no financial interest in this device but the concept is intriguing to me. Doesn't seem to be any real risk in giving it a try.