Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Jun 26, 2017 10:54:50 GMT -6
by ADMIN in Want some help?
Post by ADMIN on Jun 26, 2017 10:54:50 GMT -6
This thread was transferred from the old forum
Posted by: newbold1 On: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:43 pm
Post subject: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:43 pm
I just returned from a long trip out west to visit the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. During this trip I learned something about RV refrigerators.
My RV has a Norcold refrigerator that runs on propane or A/C power when connected to shore power. When we travel with our RV we usually stock up the refrigerator and let it run on propane until we get where we are going. We have done this traveling to Myrtle Beach and Florida on numerous occasions. This trip we did the same but we ran into trouble. When we stopped for the night in Cheyenne, WY the propane warning light was flashing on the refrigerator. Sure enough, the refrigerator was not running and the propane pilot was out. I checked and the tank was still quite full of propane. I tried restarting it several times and it just kept flaming out. I checked the flue and cleaned it as best as I could but that didn't help anything. We still had the better part of a day's drive to get to our destination and we ended up losing about $200 worth of groceries because the refrigerator got too warm. Once we
arrived in the Grand Tetons I tried working on the refrigerator some more but nothing worked. Switched to A/C power and it was fine. We bought groceries again and all was okay for our week long stay. I figured that when we returned to Tennessee I would have to schedule a repair. But, when we were back home the propane setting on the refrigerator worked perfectly fine again. I shut it down and restarted it several other times during the day and it continued to work without issue.
Okay... at this point I started doing some searching on the Internet to see if I could figure out what might be going on. I was unable to do this during the trip because cell signal is nearly zero in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I discovered that it is a known issue that all models of Norcold refrigerators have problems running on propane at elevations above 5,500 feet. Cheyenne is upwards of 6,000 feet and the Tetons where we stayed is also well above that threshold too. It turns out that my refrigerator is working within the limits of its design. It sort of annoys me that my brand of refrigerator has this issue but on the other hand it will be a rare thing for me to be in elevations over 5,500 feet. I did find out that if you set the thermostat of the refrigerator to the coldest setting this might keep the propane burner going and since it never cuts off it doesn't flame out at higher elevat
ions... or at least might not. But, once it does go out it is nearly impossible to get it going again unless you get down to that 5,500 foot or below elevation.
I thought this might be good information to share. I was going crazy trying to fix this during our trip only to find that there was really nothing to fix after all. Every time I think I am beginning to know just about everything I need to know about RVs... I learn something new again.
Posted by: tnchuck100 On: Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:19 am
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Welcome home!
Good information to have. I don't recall reading anywhere of this kind of issue. It is usually people having generator issues at higher altitudes.
Posted by: Sledgehammer On: Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:32 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Hope you had a good trip,Newbold!
Just like generators, and all carbureted engines actually, the propane fridge would have to be "tuned" to operate at higher elevations. The higher you go, the less oxygen is available and the atmospheric pressure changes a bit too. If they were made to work good at 6000+ feet, they wouldn't work good near sea level either....without an adjustment of some sort.
I hope you got a few pictures to post!
....and you better get to posting, or Ima get ahead of you :lol: :lol: :lol: less than 10 behind now. :mrgreen: .
Posted by: newbold1 On: Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:08 pm
What really threw me on this was that my stove and water heater worked fine on propane the entire time. It was only the refrigerator that had issues which made me think that something was broken with regard to the refrigerator specifically. I know now that nothing was actually broken at all. Wish I had known this before the trip but it just didn't occur to me until after we lost all that food we had bought for the trip. Live and learn I suppose.
Posted by: Sledgehammer On: Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:47 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
It is kinda odd that the fridge was the only issue then...I woulda been thrown too.
Just guessing here, but I'd think that the hot water heater and stove would require more gas (bigger flame) than the fridge. Maybe the elevation effect on those bigger hotter flames isnt as noticeable as the smaller stuff?
Posted by: newbold1 On: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:37 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:37 pm
That's what I figure as well but I really don't know. I do know that Norcold in particular seems to have this problem reported quite a bit and the elevation above 5,500 feet issue is in their literature. But I don't know anyone who has actually read the manual on their RV refrigerator to have seen this in advance of a trip such as mine. In the future, I'll be better prepared should I head to high elevations again.
Posted by: misty37723 On: Sun Dec 06, 2015 1:12 am
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
I hated to hear about your problem but I hope you enjoyed your trip. I know how it issues unexpected things happen when you go camping. We had worse luck. First, our refrigerator quit which was electric, we bought another electric at our walmart at 1:00 am. The next two days were better and then our water heater busted and burned our pump up. But we came home and with our limited income its hard to save money and buy equipment that busts or go out. Hopefully my disability will be approved within the next year and things will be better. I hope you have a better trip the next time. Hopefully when things work out we will be able to camp with everyone. Thanks
Posted by: newbold1 On: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:43 pm
Post subject: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2015 9:43 pm
I just returned from a long trip out west to visit the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. During this trip I learned something about RV refrigerators.
My RV has a Norcold refrigerator that runs on propane or A/C power when connected to shore power. When we travel with our RV we usually stock up the refrigerator and let it run on propane until we get where we are going. We have done this traveling to Myrtle Beach and Florida on numerous occasions. This trip we did the same but we ran into trouble. When we stopped for the night in Cheyenne, WY the propane warning light was flashing on the refrigerator. Sure enough, the refrigerator was not running and the propane pilot was out. I checked and the tank was still quite full of propane. I tried restarting it several times and it just kept flaming out. I checked the flue and cleaned it as best as I could but that didn't help anything. We still had the better part of a day's drive to get to our destination and we ended up losing about $200 worth of groceries because the refrigerator got too warm. Once we
arrived in the Grand Tetons I tried working on the refrigerator some more but nothing worked. Switched to A/C power and it was fine. We bought groceries again and all was okay for our week long stay. I figured that when we returned to Tennessee I would have to schedule a repair. But, when we were back home the propane setting on the refrigerator worked perfectly fine again. I shut it down and restarted it several other times during the day and it continued to work without issue.
Okay... at this point I started doing some searching on the Internet to see if I could figure out what might be going on. I was unable to do this during the trip because cell signal is nearly zero in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I discovered that it is a known issue that all models of Norcold refrigerators have problems running on propane at elevations above 5,500 feet. Cheyenne is upwards of 6,000 feet and the Tetons where we stayed is also well above that threshold too. It turns out that my refrigerator is working within the limits of its design. It sort of annoys me that my brand of refrigerator has this issue but on the other hand it will be a rare thing for me to be in elevations over 5,500 feet. I did find out that if you set the thermostat of the refrigerator to the coldest setting this might keep the propane burner going and since it never cuts off it doesn't flame out at higher elevat
ions... or at least might not. But, once it does go out it is nearly impossible to get it going again unless you get down to that 5,500 foot or below elevation.
I thought this might be good information to share. I was going crazy trying to fix this during our trip only to find that there was really nothing to fix after all. Every time I think I am beginning to know just about everything I need to know about RVs... I learn something new again.
Posted by: tnchuck100 On: Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:19 am
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Welcome home!
Good information to have. I don't recall reading anywhere of this kind of issue. It is usually people having generator issues at higher altitudes.
Posted by: Sledgehammer On: Wed Jul 15, 2015 5:32 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Hope you had a good trip,Newbold!
Just like generators, and all carbureted engines actually, the propane fridge would have to be "tuned" to operate at higher elevations. The higher you go, the less oxygen is available and the atmospheric pressure changes a bit too. If they were made to work good at 6000+ feet, they wouldn't work good near sea level either....without an adjustment of some sort.
I hope you got a few pictures to post!
....and you better get to posting, or Ima get ahead of you :lol: :lol: :lol: less than 10 behind now. :mrgreen: .
Posted by: newbold1 On: Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2015 10:08 pm
What really threw me on this was that my stove and water heater worked fine on propane the entire time. It was only the refrigerator that had issues which made me think that something was broken with regard to the refrigerator specifically. I know now that nothing was actually broken at all. Wish I had known this before the trip but it just didn't occur to me until after we lost all that food we had bought for the trip. Live and learn I suppose.
Posted by: Sledgehammer On: Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:47 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
It is kinda odd that the fridge was the only issue then...I woulda been thrown too.
Just guessing here, but I'd think that the hot water heater and stove would require more gas (bigger flame) than the fridge. Maybe the elevation effect on those bigger hotter flames isnt as noticeable as the smaller stuff?
Posted by: newbold1 On: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:37 pm
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High ElevationsPostPosted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:37 pm
That's what I figure as well but I really don't know. I do know that Norcold in particular seems to have this problem reported quite a bit and the elevation above 5,500 feet issue is in their literature. But I don't know anyone who has actually read the manual on their RV refrigerator to have seen this in advance of a trip such as mine. In the future, I'll be better prepared should I head to high elevations again.
Posted by: misty37723 On: Sun Dec 06, 2015 1:12 am
Post subject: Re: Norcold Refrigerator - Propane at High Elevations
I hated to hear about your problem but I hope you enjoyed your trip. I know how it issues unexpected things happen when you go camping. We had worse luck. First, our refrigerator quit which was electric, we bought another electric at our walmart at 1:00 am. The next two days were better and then our water heater busted and burned our pump up. But we came home and with our limited income its hard to save money and buy equipment that busts or go out. Hopefully my disability will be approved within the next year and things will be better. I hope you have a better trip the next time. Hopefully when things work out we will be able to camp with everyone. Thanks