Anyone removed the Norcold 1200 series?

[SCVJeff]

I want to install a thermal/ acoustic blanket in the fridge cavity and am struggling over getting this thing out. I have all of the trim/ seal pieces out, and all the upper and lower screws, but it won't budge.

It appears from scanning the various manuals that I should be good to go, but she ain't movin'. Am I missing an anchor somewhere?

Thanks, Jeff

[SCVJeff]

I want to install a thermal/ acoustic blanket in the fridge cavity and am struggling over getting this thing out. I have all of the trim/ seal pieces out, and all the upper and lower screws, but it won't budge.

It appears from scanning the various manuals that I should be good to go, but she ain't movin'. Am I missing an anchor somewhere?

Thanks, Jeff

[KIX]

Jeff, I can't help with any info to get the Norcold out but just wondering why you're installing a thermal/acoustic blanket.

["007"]

All the screws out on rear deck in vent opening? Why the thermal blanket?
Have had big problems keeping the refer cool in back where the coils are.

[SCVJeff]

I need to get in there for 2 reasons:

1- To the right of the fridge in a siding door. There is supposed to be an air-tight seal between the rear fridge cavity and the inside of the coach. If I close all the doors and turn on the exhaust fan there is a serious breeze coming from the sliders cavity. I went in and sealed it with non-expanding foam (a lot), but it's still leaking. I need to get at the area from the fridge cavity side and seal that correctly.

2- To the left of the fridge there is an overhead cabinet with aprox 2" space between the internal cabinet wall, and the 1/4" ply of the fridge cavity. Within that little dead space I bring in my coax and power for the router. Anyway, the last time we were out I noticed quite a bit of heat on the inside cabinet wall, so I removed the panel where I stash all my router wiring. In there it was really warm! That's right next to the burner flue and I get a significant amount of heat transfer into the coach that I don't want. So I have a roll of 3/8" foil faced thermal blanket coming that I somehow need to get in there. This shouldn't have any affect on the cooling on the unit, although I have considered lining the outside wall as well since this seems to be a problem when this wall is in the sun (from what I've read). Also on top of the 2 factory fans, I have an additional 2 vent fans driven off of my abandoned 15W solar panel, so they turn anytime the sun is up and the clickswitch is tripped from flue heat. But even this additional venting doesn't appear to remove enough heat to keep it from heat soaking the cavity walls.

[SCVJeff]

YAY! It just came free!


(Later)
If anyone attempts this, make sure you have carpet scraps, furniture blankets, good gloves, and strong help. Fortunately I had all of this. The dinette needed to come out as well to get it out of the hallway. Great Fun!

The combustion side of the compartment (the fridge is separated by a rubber seal about ½ way back) had a gaping hole leaking into the cabin through the slider cavity that I had missed the 1st time I sealed it (I should have taken it back to the dealer for this).

The other thing I noticed was that the 1" fiberglass insulation wrapped around the flue was falling off since it was never taped shut around the flue chimney causing excessive heat leakage in the cabinet rather than at the top and into the exhaust vent. This was Norcold's fault from the factory and something that no one would notice unless one is crazy enough to pull the unit. Sealing this will most likely reduce my heat soak problem, but since it's out I'm going to fit the blanket in there anyway. Either way I'm sure the cooling efficiency will have improved.

[KIX]

jeff,
while you have the refer out pull the flue baffle and clean it and the flue.

[SCVJeff]

Good point! I pulled it and it looks like new. I spent quite a bit of time aluminum taping up the seams of the insulation of the chimney the way it should have been in the 1st place. It h a s to perform better now (as soon as I get it back in).

I took before and after pics that I'm going to share with Norcold to see why they would assemble a hi-end unit that way.

[John_Canfield]

[SCVJeff]

Before, as it came out of the wall. Wonder where my heat issues were? (the factory was not happy about this pic)


After

["007"]

Jeff did you install that 12v fan at bottom of refer or was it part of Norcold installation?
by the way if you did the Norcold needs all the help it can get. The Dometic's are finding this out also.

[SCVJeff]

These are the stock fans on the back of the fridge:


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These are the two I installed and are running off of the abandoned 15W solar panel:



They're really not blocked as it looks. There is at least 6" above that bracket, and the fans are almost flush with the top of the vent.

["007"]

Thanks for the pics Jeff will be useful. The fans you installed in vent opening someone else did and water from weather destroyed his and he moved them down to bottom vent of refer.
The thermal switch for stock fans where is it located at top of refer box??

[arkaussie]

The thermal switch is at the top on the right. I used this to activate a relay to operate 2 muffin fans I installed in the top opening which is on the wall as my fridge is in a slideout.

I had my scorching repaired by Winne after I showed them some pictures of the problem.

If you do some research on fans and placement they recommend the fans be at the top, not at the bottom. Seems fans pull much better than they push. I really believe the 2 fans I installed have helped with my fridge cooling on hot days. The MH was 2 years old when we bought it and I did not notice if the scorching was there when I put the fans in soon after we got it. We workamp so the fridge is mostly on electric.

[SCVJeff]

Take a look at the lousy factory install of the insulation and you'll see I was most likely on the way to a scorching of my own..

["007"]

Thanks arkaussie, is your frige a Norcold or SOB?
Just read this POST of a fire in Meridan.
You have taken care of two problems Jeff
Will try and see what my side walls look like now.

[SCVJeff]

Let me add that I just realized that the foam padded ceiling extends all the way in to the outer "combustion" cavity (see my pic). Wonder what it's flame rating is?
I think that will be trimmed out before the box is reinstalled.

[arkaussie]

007,

Yes, my fridge is the same Norcold 1200 4 door. I only discovered the scorching after reading about it in one of the forums or chat groups.