Dear Dave,
The outside fans for my RV’s refrigerator stopped working. Why? —Ray, 2021 Palomino Columbus fifth wheel
Dear Ray,
According to the spec sheet, the Columbus was available with an 8 cu. ft. absorption refrigerator, with an option for an 18 cu. ft. absorption or a 20 cu. ft. residential refrigerator. Since you did not specify a model, I’ll assume you have the 18 cu. ft. absorption fridge.
It looks like the refrigerator is a Norcold model. When you state “outside fans,” I assume you are referring to the upper mounted cooling unit fans. It seems there is a single lower fan and two upper fans, which I am trying to verify. They are both powered by 12-volt power and come on with a temperature switch.
My first question is, did you pull the rear outside vent to verify the fans were not running? Also, have you tried running on 120-volt power and then LP to see if the issue is on both modes? What is the inside temperature of the freezer and refrigerator? Also, what is the ambient temperature outside? What is the temperature in the back compartment of the refrigerator cavity?
What to check on RV’s refrigerator
First, check the wires that go directly to the fans to ensure they are securely connected. There should be a thermal switch on the upper cooling fin that goes directly to the fans on the top. Verify it is not tripped and the wire is connected. You might need to remove the upper vent cover and screen if the refrigerator is not in a slide room. If it is, you will be able to remove the upper vent on the sidewall.
Keep in mind the fans are not designed to run all the time, just when it hits a certain temperature. That is why I asked the question of ambient temperature and temperature inside the back of the refrigerator. You can use an infrared thermometer to find the inside temperature.
How to test
If the temperature is high, the thermal switch creates a closed connection which allows 12-volt power to pass through and power the fans. To test this, you would need to test for 12-volt power to the switch first, and then when the temperature exceeds 150 degrees, test power to the fans. You could also jump or cross the leads on the switch to test the fans. If the temperature is that high and the fans are not working, you should see an increase in the temperature inside the refrigerator/freezer.
Most of the time it is a wiring issue going to the fans in the rats’ nest of bundles found behind the refrigerator, which is not easy to access without removing the refrigerator to get to the back.
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My RV’s refrigerator works fine until 9 a.m. then inside temp spikes. Why?
Dear Dave,
Another refrigerator question. I have a Norcold 2118 fridge that gives me fits. My rig is level and currently stationary, hooked up to my sticks-and-bricks power. I tried adding one of the fancy ARP controllers, but could not get the thermistor positioned. So I just wired the two inside fans and the two outside fans that came with the kit to a manual switch. For the outside fans I placed one low, sucking in air, and the other on the upper vent blowing out the hot air. I still have problems keeping the fridge cool when the weather gets warm….
Read the rest of Greg’s question and Dave’s answer.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”
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I had a double-door Norcold 1201 for several years. I noticed after a recall that the two upper stack fans were not running in hot weather, and found the service tech had hooked them up backwards … 12v items normally do not work on reversed polarity.