When your Norcold cooling unit fails it can put a damper on your camping trip. Whether you are a weekend warrior or full timer the cooling unit is one of the most important parts of your refrigerator. When it fails the boiler overheats and your refrigerator warms instead of cools. This is very dangerous for your RV and can result in a deadly fire. It is therefore extremely important that you understand how to replace a norcold cooling unit. Even if you are hiring someone to do the job it is best for you to have at least an understanding of how it is done.
The most common cause of a failing norcold cooling unit is an internal leak of the sodium chromate system. This is caused by slightly porous welds and will occur over a long period of time. Once the system leaks it creates hydrogen gas and displaces oxygen in the lower portion of the system, causing the boiler to overheat and burn out the cooling fins. This problem is very dangerous and is usually the reason for the cooling unit being replaced in the first place.
Another problem is the failure of the thermostatic switch. The thermostatic switch regulates the temperature of the Norcold boiler system and if the cooling unit is overheating it can damage the thermostatic switch and possibly a cylinder seal. The JC Refrigeration thermostatic switch is located on the back side of the cooling unit and is very close to the fans that help move heat out of the freezer. The new JC Refrigeration fans are smaller and turn on much sooner, creating the needed draft in the freezer to reduce food loss. norcold cooling units