Refrigerator repair/replace help

[Yankee802]

It's me again, and yes, I'm an idiot, apparently. I was trying to defrost my Norcold DE-728 refrigerator by using an ice pick. I'm sure you already figured out what I did, punctured the ridge that carried the freon. So my question is, is it repairable? I'm guessing no, but hope for the best. In the event it's not, does anyone have any recommendations on it's replacement? (refrigerator and/or installer) I would LOVE to find something identical in size, and I pray I don't have to remove the windshield to swap them, or have the cabinetry (or whatever we call the housing of the frige) modified.

Geoff

[Joe Cannarozzi]

It is now probably junk.

If you remove the door and its hardware it will go out the door of the bus.

Replacement cost is around 1000 to 1200. Any good RV supply should tune you up.

It is not freon but an ammonia mixture.

It is not a hard swap you should be able to do it with a little help.

[Yankee802]

It is not freon but an ammonia mixture.

It sprayed me in the face and flooded the coach, and I aired out the coach as fast as I could, if I breathed some in should I worry? :confused:

Geoff

[garyde]

Hi Geoff. I'm assuming you rinsed your eyes and face. If you can still type your probably going to live. I've done work in Amonia based refrigerant plants for many years and been exposed to it, no long term issues as long as you get fresh air.

[Yankee802]

I did, I imediatly closed the frige door, opened the windows and stuck my head out. Guess I'll be fine, I have never (to my knowledge) been exposed to freon or amonia, so I had to ask.

Think I may have lucked out, I Googled Norcold DE-728 and found this:

http://chico.kijiji.com/c-Cars-vehicles-Trailers-RVs-RV-refridgerator-Norcold-12-volt-DC-or-110-volt-AC-W0QQAdIdZ87151724

I just called the guy and he still has it. Now I have to find out about shipping. Oh, any idea about it's weight?

I found the size online of:

Norcold DE-728 51 7/8" x 23 7/8"

Anyone think I'll be able to get it in through the door? I REALLY don't want to remove my windshield!

Geoff

[Petervs]

Geoff, sorry to report, you are going to die. we are all going to die. At least you have the pleasure and joy of owning a Prevost for a while before you die. Most folk can not say the same.

Just a comment, removing and replacing a windshield is really no big deal. If it comes to that, don't worry. You are likely to chip or crack one sooner or later anyway. There are more important things to worry about, like not overheating your 8V92.....

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Our propane fridge went out the door.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I removed and replaced a Norcold on my first coach. Went out through the door.

I did remove the passenger front seat to give a little more room but other than that I did nothing else.

[merle&louise]

Is it true that gas refrigerators can only cool down to around 50 degrees below the ambient temperature? I had one in my first Newell and during the height of the summer it would only go down to 50 degrees. Also, it would take forever to recover from the door being opened. In the winter, it would work fine.

[Yankee802]

Thankfully, my coach is all electric, so I have no idea about propane anything. Glad to hear you guys were able to get the frige through the door, I feel better about that.

Has anyone any experiance with the Vitrifrigo DP 2600iAc?
http://www.vfsales.net/images/Spec_sheet_-_2_door.pdf

It's going to cost me at least $400 to have the used Norcold in California shipped here, so I'm looking at the above mentioned frige.

Geoff

Nevermind, just called Vitrifrigo and the frige is $1800! I'll get the used one, even with the shipping it's 1/3 the cost.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Don't feel too bad Geoff about poking your freezer coil. :o

I did the same STUPID thing to a smaller refer/freezer in one of my stores several years ago. Although I was only using a butter knife to chip away at the ice, Not an Icepick, the results were the same.

Had to buy a new unit. :mad: :eek:

Isn't life fun ! :)

Gary S.

[sawdust_128]

It's one of the standard sub-titlements of Murphy's Law.

The pointed object will always find a critical component while being used to chip ice in a mechanical system.

Caveat: Probabilty of impact and severity of damage are directly proportional to replacement cost.

See, it's not your fault. You just underestimated Mother Murphy's temper.

[merle&louise]

In the future a hot air hair dryer works great to defrost a freezer.

[Will Garner]

Tuga,

Take a look at Jeff's photo. I doubt he has a hair dryer! So my question is, when he acquires one, does it go in the bathroom or in the tool box in the underbay?

Just kidding Jeff. We lost our refrigerator last year. It blew a hole in the coils all by itself, no sharp pointed object required. We were going down the road and Carole was back at the table. She asked what was that horrible smell. What smell I asked (and they say your eyesight goes first).

My unit was a Dometic. It would not go throught the front door. However, instead of doing the front windshield, it did go out and an exact replacement (less ice maker) came back in through the curbside bedroom window. From the photo of your coach it looks like we likely have the same bedroom window. So if you have a problem with the front door check the dimensions on the bedroom window.

[Yankee802]

LOL, no hair drier here. Wife doesn't even have one, but even if she did, she's in the middle of the ocean somewhere with 5000 other squids, so it wouldn't be here.

I may have found a replacement locally through Craigslist. It's not an exact fit, a Norcold DE-561. The chart I found shows it 3/4" taller and about 1" narrower. I hope it will fit.

Geoff

[flyu2there]

A small word of caution. Norcold has a number of re-calls out their on refers, something about the ammonia tanks doings and possible fire. Whislt Craigs List is a decent resource, it is also filled with scoundrels-----make certain that someone is not selling you one of the bad units that has been recalled.
Check the Norcold Web site.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

For the effort required to remove and replace one, and the life span of the amonia system taken into consderation, and especially the potential for someone with a bad one to pawn it off on someone else, I would just head up to Camping World and get a new one.

Unless you are into pain.

[tdelorme]

You can check the recall SN's here.

http://www.norcold.com/HOME/CUSTOMERSUPPORT/RecallInfo/tabid/264/Default.aspx

[Ray Davis]

A small word of caution. Norcold has a number of re-calls out their on refers, something about the ammonia tanks doings and possible fire.

Yeah, if you want evidence, ask Mike Simmons (Buster) or myself about even parking in the same building with a Norcold refer.

Ray

[mike kerley]

If your coach is all electric, why put in a Norcold. Build in a home unit!

Mike

[Yankee802]

Well, as it happens, I found a unit on Craigslist for $200. It's a DE-561 and the manual doesn't state anything about amonia, and my big nose never detected any. ( I can smell gear oil, amonia, licorice or any other offensive odor 100' away) It wasn't exactly a fun time swapping the refrigerators, but it could have been much worse! I thank GOD I didn't have to remove the windshield! I did have to trim 1/2" off the top of the cabinet, and I can only screw down on side of the unit to the cabinet due to it being 1" narrower than the one I killed.

Geoff