Norcold N811 Problem

[Ray-IN]

This is the message I received from the Dinosaur tech:

The light your seeing is a no cooling light saying the cooling unit took too long to hit temp and something is going on because the board saw power to the AC heater, or a flame present for a full four hours and it didn't cool in the last hour. Try cleaning your flue tube.

While flue cleaning is part of the maintenance procedure, It requires removing the fridge from its location and removing the metal spiral inside the flue.
Your idea of using a different LP source and different LP regulator is a logical step, but will do nothing to correct low LP pressure, which should be 11" water column while the fridge is running.

 

[rjay]

I am simply trying to eliminate any supply problem from the RV side like maybe the RV regulator. I also took the gas valve apart and cleaned it even though it looked fine. I have a new burner ordered.

 

[Kirk]

Let us know what happens.

 

[rjay]

I got it cold on AC over night and switched over to the standalone propane bottle this morning. So far it is maintaining 38 degrees in the refrigerator compartment.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

it actually cools on propane but at some point the burner goes off and Gets the 5 blink fault. So I'm trying to cover everything involving the gas side

The 5-blink "No cooling" fault will result in the circuit board shutting the burner off - a safety measure to prevent an overheated boiler. But you say it is in fact cooling. I don't know how the N811 determines there is "no cooling", but that's what I would be investigating.

 

[rjay]

Hard to tell but it seems like the flame is better using the standalone bottle. I don't have the new burner yet but thoroughly cleaned the old one.

Yes when it gets the 5 blink fault it does not try to re-ignite the burner so that's why the gas check light does not blink.

 

[rjay]

It has always been cooling on gas but maybe not like it should. I have no way to know what temperature the controller thinks is too warm.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It has always been cooling on gas but maybe not like it should. I have no way to know what temperature the controller thinks is too warm.

Typically a Norcold fridge senses the boiler temperature to determine that, but I don't know if the N811 uses that or something else. Normal operating temperature at the boiler is about 350 F. but other Norcold models don't signal a possible overheat condition until 2x that.

 

[rjay]

Checked it this morning frig temp at 35. So it has ran on gas for 24 hours Only things I have done is clean the gas valve, burner, blew out flue with compressed air ( best I can do for now) and using a stand alone bottle/regulator and replaced the igniter. I'm gonna switch back to the RV supply and see what happens.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Thanks for the update.

 

[rjay]

Yes sir. So far it's been running okay today on the RV supply so I'm not sure what actually may have helped it.

 

[Kirk]

I have seen dirt & rust in the flue of an absorption refrigerator cause it to have poor cooling. That is part of the recommended annual service listed in most owner's manuals.

 

[rjay]

I may try to look into that when I get time. Looks like might have to pull the frig out to get to it and remove the baffle

 

[rjay]

Even though it has been working on gas a few days I finally got a chance to install the new burner today. The flame is noticeably better with the new burner.