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Old 10-08-2019, 08:13 AM   #1
Mick 1836
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Norcold 2118 Fridge / Freezer

Our 2018 Keystone Alpine 3500 RL came fitted with a Norcold 2118 18.3 cu ft fridge is struggling.
Our Alpine is out in Spain, in July we shut down the fridge / freezer and flew home to the UK until yesterday.
Turned fridge on using mains electric, freezer cools but not fridge, switched to propane, fridge slightly cooled any ideas????
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Old 10-08-2019, 11:51 AM   #2
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The very first thing to check is the Door Flap on that model. I also have the same model Norcold and a very, very common problem is that the door flap, on the left door hangs up and doesn't close completely. When this happens, there is now a gap between the left door and the right door and the refrigerator compartment will not cool down as it should. The next thing to check is the Thermistor in the frig compartment. If you look inside, the cooling find at the back wall will have a small metal device with a white wire coming off of it. The clip that holds the Thermistor should be on the second fin from the right, and the top of the clip should be 3/ -1/2 inch from the top of THAT fin. Check out those two things and give it a try.....and let us know. After I fixed the door flap issue on mine, it will keep the frig compartment in the mid 30s Fahrenheit, with the temperature control set on either 3 or 4.
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Old 10-08-2019, 12:32 PM   #3
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Hi Xrated, first thank you for your reply and your suggestions, both left door flap and the thermistor are closing and on the correct fin and location.


The fridge / freezer worked okay prior to it been switched off in July which is what is puzzling
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Old 10-08-2019, 02:28 PM   #4
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I’m not sure how to help here but just to be clear I got this message from Norcold about thermistor position.

“The thermistor should be connected to the 2nd fin from the right and should be 2” from the top.”

Thank you,
Customer Service
Thetford Corp. / Norcold Inc.
1 (800) 543-1219 Opt. 1
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Old 10-08-2019, 03:50 PM   #5
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I need to make a correction......I was on my tablet when I posted above. The correct position of the thermistor clip, according the manual that came with mine is.........3/8" - 1/2" from the top of the second fin from the right....my numbers didn't come out correctly in my first post.

PS......I've not heard about the 2" position. In fact, the further you move it down from the top, the warmer the refrigerator will get if everything stays the same....outside temperature, same setting on the control, etc.
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Old 10-08-2019, 03:56 PM   #6
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Make sure the fans at the top of the fridge in the back are coming on. You should be able to hear them once the top of the cooling unit reaches the proper temp, don’t recall right now but if they aren’t coming on your issue is common.
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Old 10-08-2019, 11:06 PM   #7
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Morning Guy's, on going to the fridge this morning found it working again, I did move the thermistor slightly on the 2nd fin so presume that had some effect, thank you all for your help and advice
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Old 10-09-2019, 04:39 AM   #8
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mine takes 2 days to achieve proper temp. added an outside fan and we are good to go no matter how hot it gets outside
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Old 10-09-2019, 08:24 AM   #9
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Adding the battery powered fridge fan inside on a bottom shelf also helps tremendously. The batteries last almost 2 months, fan cost about $12 (10+ years ago) & probably spent $100+ on D batteries in that 10+ years, but never had a fridge issue in 3 RVs in that time either, all worked great, both Dometic & Norcold. It also seemed to slow the frost buildup in the freezer, how I don't know, but DW only had to defrost about once a year while full-timing.
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Old 05-13-2020, 06:34 PM   #10
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2118 that runs what seems to be all the time

New 2019 Montana 3790RK. On Shoreline. Temp set to 9 for diagnostic purposes. Outside temps not getting above 20C and only that high later in the afternoon. Trailer is levhel. Fridge and Freezer are about 25% loaded. The unit has temps of -11C Freezer and +3C in Fridge. It has not been opened for more than 48 hrs. The L door flapper is in the correct 90 degree position. The fridge seems to run continuously or at least 15 hrs in a 24 hr day. Set at 9 this unit should be almost at O or below in the fridge and the freezer should be lower than -15. My fear is that as the daytime temps begin to creep up this unit is demonstrating that it is struggling to maintain normal temps at moderate day time temps. What is going to happen when summer comes? The net is filled with posts complaining of the same thing. My temps are the same when I had set to 1. Nothing seems to make any difference. I have a friend with a new Grand Design with the same fridge and his runs the far too much as well. I suspect Norcold built a fridge that is too large and the cooling capacity is too small to cool that much volumetric area.
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Old 05-14-2020, 07:22 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EMTPRescue View Post
New 2019 Montana 3790RK. On Shoreline. Temp set to 9 for diagnostic purposes. Outside temps not getting above 20C and only that high later in the afternoon. Trailer is levhel. Fridge and Freezer are about 25% loaded. The unit has temps of -11C Freezer and +3C in Fridge. It has not been opened for more than 48 hrs. The L door flapper is in the correct 90 degree position. The fridge seems to run continuously or at least 15 hrs in a 24 hr day. Set at 9 this unit should be almost at O or below in the fridge and the freezer should be lower than -15. My fear is that as the daytime temps begin to creep up this unit is demonstrating that it is struggling to maintain normal temps at moderate day time temps. What is going to happen when summer comes? The net is filled with posts complaining of the same thing. My temps are the same when I had set to 1. Nothing seems to make any difference. I have a friend with a new Grand Design with the same fridge and his runs the far too much as well. I suspect Norcold built a fridge that is too large and the cooling capacity is too small to cool that much volumetric area.
Something you need to consider is the ambient temperature during your refrigerator run tests.

There is a "small LPG flame" (or an electric element) to heat the ammonia refrigerant. The "operating outdoor temperature range" is critical to successful refrigerator operation. If it's "too cold around the back of the refrigerator" there can be a problem with "enough heat from that little flame/heat element" to boil the refrigerant. Just as "the refrigerator has problems cooling when it's over 110F and the fans don't help enough" There is also a problem with getting enough heat to the refrigerator heat stack during extremely cold weather.

Without knowing what the outside temperature was when you were doing those tests, there may not be a problem with your refrigerator. When it's below about 20F here, I have to put a 60 watt bulb on a drop light behind the refrigerator to keep the temperature high enough for the ammonia to "boil" in the heat stack...

Depending on ambient temperature, there may not be anything wrong with your refrigerator.

I'm not suggesting that it's working properly, but there's a "very fine line" between the refrigerator heating system being overwhelmed and operating within the design criteria.

So, how cold was it "outside" when you were doing the tests? That may have at least some impact on how much cooling you see in the freezer/refrigerator compartments.
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Old 05-14-2020, 10:37 AM   #12
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The 2118 is slow to react to changes and cool down. If it cools on Propane but not so much on electric there are (2) TWO electric heaters and one may not be functioning. In Temperatures 30 deg F to 90 deg F, set on 5, ours stays at 10 deg F in the freezer and 35 deg F in the refrigerator, +/- 5 deg. A lot depends on how much you open it /load it/ fill it with warm beer, watermelon, etc. It really likes a lot of stuff in the freezer and make Ice at night. Remember, it has a built in defrost cycle. We have used ours over 500 days and are satisfied with it and would do it again.
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Old 05-17-2020, 07:25 PM   #13
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All the same as my original post. Went out after four day tour of duty and our frideg while set tom 5 and on shorelione was at -12C and +4C. My monitoring system told me that it had got as cold as -16C and +2C over the previous for days. It is the high temp ranges that concern me the freezer had been as high as -8C and the fridge had gone up to +6C. Those temperatures are not conducive to safe food storage. The trailer sits in the samew palce as last three have sat. It is level. Average day time highs were about 24C. That's way above the low F Temperature you had mentioned for having to put a light bulb in the back to warm it up. The fridge doors are shut correctly. It is about 30% full of product. The outside vents are not blocked. The outside cooling fans cycle on. I switched it to gas to see if the performance would improve in the manner that all of the fridges in our last 10 RVs have always done and it got worse with a noteable rise in internal fridge temperatures.
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Old 05-17-2020, 07:38 PM   #14
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Where did you get the information regarding a "Defrost Cycle"? Nothing in the manual about one nor is there anything mentioned on the Norcold website. First I have heard of an RV gas absoption fridge having such a cycle. They are so slow to recover I can"t undestand why they would intentionaly create an event that heats up the fridge. These do not work like residential frost free refrigerators that have a 24hr timer that shuts them down and heats up the walls of the freeezer to melt the frost/ice in that freezer compartment to allow the water to drain. I'm confused!
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Old 05-18-2020, 01:43 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by EMTPRescue View Post
Where did you get the information regarding a "Defrost Cycle"? Nothing in the manual about one nor is there anything mentioned on the Norcold website. First I have heard of an RV gas absoption fridge having such a cycle. They are so slow to recover I can"t undestand why they would intentionaly create an event that heats up the fridge. These do not work like residential frost free refrigerators that have a 24hr timer that shuts them down and heats up the walls of the freeezer to melt the frost/ice in that freezer compartment to allow the water to drain. I'm confused!
https://norcold.com/wp-content/uploa...ers-manual.pdf

Page 7 Temperature Control System

"At regular Intervals, the temperature control system automatically melts most of the frost from the cooling fins."

From personal experience, the above only applies to the refrigerator section, as there is no way to drain the condensate from the freezer. We never used the freezer for long term food preservation as the temperatures did not satisfy the requirements.

We always put 4 or 5 of those portable blue Ice packs in the freezer to provide a cushion for the cyclic events of the unit. Same for the refrigerator section, fill the unused portion with water bottles or Beer.

65 years ago, out in Grandfathers garage were two old "Ice Boxes" and some strange saws along with tongs and picks, he described as Ice Saws. Then came the stories of cutting Ice and storing it for use all summer. Least we forget. Gramps liked his "Buckeyes" cold.
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Old 05-19-2020, 10:49 AM   #16
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Frank thanks for the reference in the owners manual. What is really interesting is that Norcold on their website in the FAQ section of their support catagory answers the same question by stating that the fridge does not have "defrost cycle". In your reply to me you also said that you have never used the freezer compartment for food storage because you did not feel it was condusive to long term storage. I find it very sad that we spend a bucket load of disposable income and then have to make sacrifices because the very expensive equipment will not work the way the manufacturer claims it will. Looking at my internal temp history it appears this fridge has about a 15 - 18 degree C varience between the freezer and the fridge. If of freezer is at -16 our fridge section tends to follow at or around 0C. As the temps increase then they both of course go up but they always seem to have that variece.
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Old 05-19-2020, 10:56 AM   #17
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Are you saying that you put a 4th fan in the back? If so where? Is it thermostatically as well? Are you certain all 3 of your fans provided by Norcold are working correctly? Norcold claims the 2118 comes from the factory with 3. 1 on the bottom of the coil pushing air and the 2 on the top are pulling air.
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Old 05-19-2020, 12:38 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by EMTPRescue View Post
Are you saying that you put a 4th fan in the back? If so where? Is it thermostatically as well? Are you certain all 3 of your fans provided by Norcold are working correctly? Norcold claims the 2118 comes from the factory with 3. 1 on the bottom of the coil pushing air and the 2 on the top are pulling air.
I have the 2118 in my Momentum and there are in fact, three fans on the backside. The one at the bottom that "pushes" air upward is TINY....maybe 2" in diameter....really! The two towards the top are probably 4" ....maybe 4 1/2". I will be installing another set of fans on the upper grill, inside and blowing outward. Here is a link to the ones that I'm getting soon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F2K5GCW...v_ov_lig_dp_it
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Old 05-19-2020, 02:24 PM   #19
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We do store food in the freezer, but not long term. No more than a month. The recommended temperature for long term storage of properly wrapped food is -18 deg C. Our freezer hovers around -12 deg C. This is a personal choice, along with using a vacuum sealer.
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Old 05-19-2020, 07:48 PM   #20
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This is the fan I installed on the upper cover blowing air out.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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