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07-06-2011, 08:05 PM
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#1
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 489
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Winnebago Owners/Norcold Fix
I know there are a lot of Winnebago Owners with the same old Norcold fridge problems and recall fixes that I was facing. I finally got tired of all the recall fixes and refixes that could possibly leave me stranded somewhere with a dead refrigerator. Also the thought of having a potential fire while traveling with my family was just not an option.
Therefore I thought my only option would be to remove the existing Norcold Cooling Unit and replace it with an Amish Built Cooling Unit and Fire Extinguisher System.
I'm posting this video here on the Winnebago Forum so that some of my friends might be able to find this and hopefully learn from my experiance.
Thanks, Sammie
__________________
2015 Tiffin Bus 37AP
2016 Ford Explorer
"A Job Begun is Half Done"
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07-07-2011, 05:38 AM
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#2
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Warren County, NJ
Posts: 300
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What a awesome job with the documentation and video...
My question is ... is it OK to have the head of the halon system discharge above the cooling fans? What is the fans were running? Would the fire suppressant by blown away from the fire possibly?
Again.. don't know just asking..
Again great job.. it looks more then professional.
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07-07-2011, 06:14 AM
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Varies Depending on The Weather
Posts: 196
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Great job on the installation of your Amish cooling unit. You most likely will not ever need the SS-30 Halon unit due to the heavier built tubing and super structure of the Amish unit you have now.
However, for people that may be installing the Halon SS-30 into their existing Norcold cavity, I would recommend installing it below the fans. It is simply easier than pulling out the frig to place it above the fans. 99% of all Norcold fires have started around the 120 volt AC electrical heaters. Those are located above the LPG burner and close to where the 900F sensor has been installed that came with the second Norcold recall in conjunction with the remote shut-off control box. It is directly to the right of the large absorption accumulator tank. I would recommend installing the head of the SS-30 directly next to the 120 Volt AC heaters.
I would not worry about the fans exhausting the Halon if a fire were to occur because once the Halon head goes off, there will be plenty of Halon in the rear cavity to fill up 20 Norcold cavities. And it does it instantaneously.
Dr4Film ----- Richard.
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07-07-2011, 06:18 AM
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#4
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Winnebago Camper
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: McKinney, TX...For Now
Posts: 14
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I fixed mine by tossing it out the front door and replacing it with a residential unit.
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07-07-2011, 03:42 PM
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#5
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 489
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr4Film
Great job on the installation of your Amish cooling unit. You most likely will not ever need the SS-30 Halon unit due to the heavier built tubing and super structure of the Amish unit you have now.
However, for people that may be installing the Halon SS-30 into their existing Norcold cavity, I would recommend installing it below the fans. It is simply easier than pulling out the frig to place it above the fans. 99% of all Norcold fires have started around the 120 volt AC electrical heaters. Those are located above the LPG burner and close to where the 900F sensor has been installed that came with the second Norcold recall in conjunction with the remote shut-off control box. It is directly to the right of the large absorption accumulator tank. I would recommend installing the head of the SS-30 directly next to the 120 Volt AC heaters.
I would not worry about the fans exhausting the Halon if a fire were to occur because once the Halon head goes off, there will be plenty of Halon in the rear cavity to fill up 20 Norcold cavities. And it does it instantaneously.
Dr4Film ----- Richard.
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Thank You Richard, I just finally got tired of hearing about all the recalls and the problems associated with the so called fixes. The Amish Built Cooling Unit is a well built product and wasn't really that difficult to install. It's been operating for close to a week now and holding a constant temperature of 34 degrees on a setting of #4 with an outside temperature of 90 degrees. In my opinion the Halon sprinkler head which has a 165 degree trigger needed to be closer to the top of the fridge because heat rises in the event of a fire. The Halon gas when discharged (like you said) will more than fill the space behind the fridge and snuff out the fire.
Anyone with any questions, please feel free to ask as this is a project that can be accomplished by just about any backyard mechanics like me.
Thank You, Sammie
__________________
2015 Tiffin Bus 37AP
2016 Ford Explorer
"A Job Begun is Half Done"
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07-07-2011, 07:58 PM
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#6
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Warren County, NJ
Posts: 300
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I just looked at the video again... What a great, great job.
It is 1,000 times better then what a "professional" could have done.
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07-07-2011, 08:06 PM
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#7
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 489
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bug512
I just looked at the video again... What a great, great job.
It is 1,000 times better then what a "professional" could have done.
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Thank You Bug512, Not to bad for an old fart Actually this was my first time at making a video and posting it to YouTube. Who says "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"
Thanks, Sammie
__________________
2015 Tiffin Bus 37AP
2016 Ford Explorer
"A Job Begun is Half Done"
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07-08-2011, 04:14 AM
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Varies Depending on The Weather
Posts: 196
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sammie
Thank You Richard, I just finally got tired of hearing about all the recalls and the problems associated with the so called fixes. The Amish Built Cooling Unit is a well built product and wasn't really that difficult to install. It's been operating for close to a week now and holding a constant temperature of 34 degrees on a setting of #4 with an outside temperature of 90 degrees. In my opinion the Halon sprinkler head which has a 165 degree trigger needed to be closer to the top of the fridge because heat rises in the event of a fire. The Halon gas when discharged (like you said) will more than fill the space behind the fridge and snuff out the fire.
Anyone with any questions, please feel free to ask as this is a project that can be accomplished by just about any backyard mechanics like me.
Thank You, Sammie
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I have been in touch with David Force in regards to having him do my cooling unit change-out next April. I haven't made a decision yet and will postpone it until that time unless my Norcold decides for me. It presently is doing a great job for a 10 year old unit with freezer temps from 1F-5F and frig temps from 29F-32F at setting 6. What disturbs me the most is the Norcold deicing cycle, the freezer temps can reach 20F-22F and the frig temps will go to 40F-42F. Those are way too high for me. I usually end up turning the frig off for a second and then back on when I get temps like that. It's not every deicing cycle but it does happen way too often for me.
Sammie, do you experience deicing cycles like that also?
David's place will be on the way for my trip from Florida to Alaska starting next April. He told me that it would be a 4 hour job. If I had both the time and had an experience helper, I wouldn't be afraid to tackle it myself however, it's R HOME, and I can't be without a frig too long.
I had been in touch with both Ralph K. from Firefight1 and Mac The Fire Guy regarding the ability of having a SS-30 Halon with two remote heads such that one could be mounted low and one high. They have that now but unfortunately, each head has its own trigger. I wanted sensors that would trigger both heads at the same time to flood the cavity regardless of where the fire started. They said it could be done but it would not be inexpensive. I plan on taking the existing Halon tank I have in the Norcold cavity and install it into my generator compartment or some other strategic location once the Amish cooling unit has been installed. I also have a S-200 AFFF tank in my engine compartment.
By the way, recently, there was a terrible accident at the Firefight1 warehouse in Florida where a tank that Ralph was filling, the schrader valve had failed, which sent the tank into the air like a missile and Ralph was struck by the tank and died from his injuries at the hospital. A tragic accident and a huge loss to a company that he founded.
Dr4Film ----- Richard.
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07-08-2011, 05:30 PM
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#9
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Winnie-Wise
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 489
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr4Film
I have been in touch with David Force in regards to having him do my cooling unit change-out next April. I haven't made a decision yet and will postpone it until that time unless my Norcold decides for me. It presently is doing a great job for a 10 year old unit with freezer temps from 1F-5F and frig temps from 29F-32F at setting 6. What disturbs me the most is the Norcold deicing cycle, the freezer temps can reach 20F-22F and the frig temps will go to 40F-42F. Those are way too high for me. I usually end up turning the frig off for a second and then back on when I get temps like that. It's not every deicing cycle but it does happen way too often for me.
Sammie, do you experience deicing cycles like that also?
David's place will be on the way for my trip from Florida to Alaska starting next April. He told me that it would be a 4 hour job. If I had both the time and had an experience helper, I wouldn't be afraid to tackle it myself however, it's R HOME, and I can't be without a frig too long.
I had been in touch with both Ralph K. from Firefight1 and Mac The Fire Guy regarding the ability of having a SS-30 Halon with two remote heads such that one could be mounted low and one high. They have that now but unfortunately, each head has its own trigger. I wanted sensors that would trigger both heads at the same time to flood the cavity regardless of where the fire started. They said it could be done but it would not be inexpensive. I plan on taking the existing Halon tank I have in the Norcold cavity and install it into my generator compartment or some other strategic location once the Amish cooling unit has been installed. I also have a S-200 AFFF tank in my engine compartment.
By the way, recently, there was a terrible accident at the Firefight1 warehouse in Florida where a tank that Ralph was filling, the schrader valve had failed, which sent the tank into the air like a missile and Ralph was struck by the tank and died from his injuries at the hospital. A tragic accident and a huge loss to a company that he founded.
Dr4Film ----- Richard.
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Hi Richard, I think you have got some good use out of your refer if you live in your coach full time. While I haven't really paid that much attention to the deicing cycle, I have never experienced high enough temperatures to give me concern (except when my ice cream isn't cold enough)
The idea of two remote sprinkler heads is definitely a good one, but in my way of thinking, if a fire starts the heat rises up. This collection of heat near the top of the fridge is whats going to melt the 165 degree fusible link on the sprinkler head and in turn release the Halon gas. I've been told that the amount of gas contained in the SS-30 bottle is more than enough to flood the compartment behind the refrigerator.
My God, I'm so sorry to hear about Ralph at Firefight 1. I can only send a prayer to his family and friends.
Sammie (Steve)
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