Norcold Refridgerator - Is this operating correctly?

**NFurno** · 08-05-2019, 12:48 PM

I don't believe my Norcold 2118 is operating properly. The latest example I have follows.

I did a bunch of cooking and was in and out of the refrigerator in the process. As expected, the temperature inside went up. The highest was about 50 degF. To check the temp I'm using a digital thermometer that is accurate to +/- 2 degs, an analog thermometer in a glass of water and another free standing analog thermometer. Occasionally using a digital thermometer I use to check the temperature of meat I'm cooking. I believe it's very accurate and measures instantly. I let the cooked food sit out to cool as long as I could before placing it in the refrigerator. I closed the doors and let it be until the next morning, approximately 12 hours later. When I checked the temperature it was 42 degF. It is set to the coldest setting of 9 and I don't believe that it performed a defrost as the latest defrosting has scheduled during the day.

From reading posts on this site I've learned that evaporating (?) refrigerators aren't the best but I think it should cool better than it does. On days when the outside temp is in the mid to upper 80's the temperature in the refrigerator barely stays at 40 degrees.

I'm really frustrated with this as I'm full-timing and need to prepare my own food for health reasons.

PS - the freezer seems to operate nominally between 5 and 20 deg. Oh, and I get the same performance on propane.

Thanks,
Wayne

**BC315RLTS** · 08-05-2019, 01:37 PM

I'm not sure in your situation, but I've learned to get everything out a once so I'm not opening and closing the door more then needed. I also try not to cook so much food that I need to put warm items back in the fridge. Both of these things will definitely make the temperature go up.

50 deg is not acceptable and anything in a fridge at that temp should be discarded as bacteria will start to grow.

**DougW9876** · 08-05-2019, 03:48 PM

Our Norcold cools better than that, keeping the refrigerator compartment in the low 30’s with the control set to 6.

Have you seen the posts about the door flap and checked to sure it is closing properly? Many of us have had to take corrective steps on them.

**xrated** · 08-05-2019, 05:40 PM

The door flap on the left side door is the very first place to check. I wish I had a dollar for every post I've read both on here and the Facebook G.D. pages with the 2118 not cooling properly. Many times the door flap will hang up on the bottom of the inside of the refrigerator and not completely close....allowing the cold air to escape similar to just leaving the door partially open. There are write ups about the solutions, but in an emergency and until you can get it fixed properly, but open the right side door, then close the left door....making sure that the flap is completely in position....then close the right hand door and it should be sealed. You will have to do this every single time the left door is opened until you get it resolved. I had that issue on mine and was having to put the setting at 8 or 9 to get the frig section into the upper 30s temperature wise. After I fixed the flap, I can no put the setting on 3 or 4...depending how hot and humid it is outside, and I get frig temps in the low to mid 30s. Hope this helps.

**NFurno** · 08-06-2019, 04:30 AM

Thanks for the feedback. I should have included that I did have to fix the door flap and I've gotten in the habit of making sure that it is completely forward so that the best seal possible is made. It's good to hear the fridge should be able to maintain low 30's on a mid-range setting, 4-6. Customer service at Norcold has me doubting that it is possible. I've seen the trouble shooting manual for the 121X, I believe. Does anyone have a copy of the trouble shooting manual for the 2118?

**JCR GD** · 08-06-2019, 07:14 AM

Be sure the sensor (thermistor) on the fins in the upper right of the refrigerator interior is on the 2nd fin from the right. Some dealers (and owners) have moved it believing it works like the older refers to adjust temps. According to Norcold on model 2118 it needs to be on 2nd fin from the right for electronic controls to work properly.

**NFurno** · 08-06-2019, 08:22 AM

Thanks Jim. Norcold customer service sent me a new thermistor to replace the orginial. I made sure it was located on the second fin from the right. The trailer goes in to the dealer in a couple of weeks to have solar panels and an inverter installed. I'll have them run diagnostics and will post the results. Also, I've taken pictures of the back of the refrigerator. I will add comments to them and post. They show things like the baffle, condenser, and location of the fans. I'm especially interested in comments on the location of the fans. Only one fan forces air directly on the condenser. The other fan just moves air out of the back of the slide from behind the refrig.

**boyscout** · 08-06-2019, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by NFurno

Thanks Jim. Norcold customer service sent me a new thermistor to replace the orginial. I made sure it was located on the second fin from the right. The trailer goes in to the dealer in a couple of weeks to have solar panels and an inverter installed. I'll have them run diagnostics and will post the results. Also, I've taken pictures of the back of the refrigerator. I will add comments to them and post. They show things like the baffle, condenser, and location of the fans. I'm especially interested in comments on the location of the fans. Only one fan forces air directly on the condenser. The other fan just moves air out of the back of the slide from behind the refrig.

In case it's helpful in your discussions with Norcold / dealer, I'll echo what a few others have said above.

Our first fridge had to be replaced but our second one - after developing the flap problem which I repaired - keeps food in the 30s on setting 5 in 80-degree temps.

Good luck.

**NFurno** · 01-04-2020, 08:49 AM

After months of dealing with Norcold and Grand Design the cooling unit and the control board were replaced. I also requested that the dealer make sure the insulation was properly installed. I really think this was the problem. I still have to increase the cooling to 7 or 8 on an 80 degree day.

**KamFlyer** · 01-05-2020, 08:20 AM

We have the same fridge and had the door flapper issue initially. Got that fixed and now the fridge cools OK; 34 or so for the fridge and mid single digits for the freezer. This is with a setting of 3 or 4. Our issue though is the amount of propane we go through. The thing seems to run almost constantly! I timed it the other day and the burner was running for close to two hours before shutting off and then lit again after only 15 minutes or so. Ambient temps here are in the 70's. I also checked the vents and baffles and they all seem fine.
Personally I think the 2118 is just a pi** poor design!