How to Diagnose and Replace Norcold Cooling Units

The norcold rv refrigerator RV Refrigerator Company is America’s leading manufacturer of RV refrigerators and freezers. They bring bold product innovations to the recreational industry and are known worldwide for their performance and reliability.

Our top quality Dometic and Norcold RV Refrigerator Replacement Cooling Units are remanufactured by skilled professionals to the highest standards using superior materials, workmanship, and packaging. This results in an RV refrigerator replacement cooling unit that will last longer and perform better than the original equipment it replaces!

How to Diagnose a Failed Norcold Cooling Unit

The first and most common sign that your Norcold RV fridge is having cooling problems is if it does not cool at all or when you turn it on, you can smell ammonia. This can happen if the cooling unit has been overheated by either an electric heating element or a gas flame. This is because of a distillation process that is driven by the heat from either of these sources, which separates the water from the ammonia and turns the ammonia into gas (see video below).

You can tell that the cooling unit has boiled the water in it by looking at the temperature of the water inside the boiler tube. If it is hotter than normal, the boiler is overheating and the heating elements are not able to keep up. This is a sure indication that the cooling unit is failing.

Another indicator that your Norcold RV fridge is having a cooling problem is if you notice a yellow residue around the burner area and/or an ammonia smell when you turn it on. This is also a clear sign that the cooling unit has boiled the water out of the system and needs to be replaced.

How to Replace a Norcold Cooling Unit

The first step to replacing your Norcold RV fridge’s cooling unit is to remove the screws that secure it to the back of the refrigerated cabinet. These can be found on both the evaporator side and the bottom of the refrigerator. Once these are removed, it is necessary to use a piece of cardboard to push them into the refrigerator to maintain their position.

Next, remove the evaporator foam pack by prying it out of its pocket with a 2×4 section. This can be a tricky task. It is best to have someone with you who has experience removing and installing refrigeration units to help you.

Before laying the new Norcold RV fridge’s cooling unit into the refrigerator, it is important to make sure that the evaporator foam pack is going to fit properly into its pocket. The manufacturer recommends that the evaporator be run through a dry-run installation process to assure the correct placement of the foam pack into its pocket before the actual install.