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fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 09:06

pzerkel

Messages: 212
Registered: September 2007
Location: Salisbury, IL

Karma: 0

Senior Member

I am troubleshooting an electrical issue and would like to unplug the fridge. Can I do that without removing it from the cabinet? Where is the outlet?

I have (what I believe to be) the original 2-way AC/DC Norcold... and a 78 with no outside fridge access door (only a louvered vent). There is a duplex outlet under the fridge, but it appears the only thing plugged in there is the derelict central vac.

If it is necessary to remove the fridge in order to unplug it, then my next questions will deal with how to remove it.

Thanks,

Paul Zerkel
'78 Eleganza II
Salisbury IL (near Springfield)

[Updated on: Mon, 16 August 2010 09:14]

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96017 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 09:34

hertfordnc

Messages: 1164
Registered: September 2009
Location: East NC

Karma: 0

Senior Member

If you just want ot remove the load form the electrical crcuit I think behind the vent you'll find some connections you can easily pull.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but that compressor runs on a 24 volts, It steps down the AC through a transformer and steps up the 12vdc when you run on battery.

i removed that fridge from a 74 (the fridge was much newer but it sounds like the one you have- it had been hard-wired somewhere behind the bath.

It's not rocket science, you could just cut the AC wire behind the fridge and install a plug.

dave

Dave & Ellen Silva Hertford, NC 76 Birchaven, 1-ton and other stuff Currently planning the Great american Road Trip Summer 2021 It's gonna take a lot of Adderall to get this thing right.

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96019 is a reply to message #96017]

Mon, 16 August 2010 10:02

pzerkel

Messages: 212
Registered: September 2007
Location: Salisbury, IL

Karma: 0

Senior Member

hertfordnc wrote on Mon, 16 August 2010 09:34

Thanks, my dilemma is I do not really have a fridge "vent", at least not one that can be opened from the outside. Thus, how to get access to the rear of the fridge?

John Sharpe's coach is much better looking than mine, but this photo does show you the type of vents that I have on the 78.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=18932&cat=4607

Paul Zerkel
'78 Eleganza II
Salisbury IL (near Springfield)

[Updated on: Mon, 16 August 2010 10:10]

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96022 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 10:43

RF_Burns

Messages: 2277
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada

Karma: 3

Senior Member

Mine is a 77PB.

The outlet for the fridge is on the bath side of the fridge at the back. It is the orginal NorCold compressor style, electric only.

A PO has installed a removable vent so its easy to get at, lots of storage back there too.

The inverter was toast so I designed a new inverter and computer temperature control with LCD display... just because I can.

Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that

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Re: [GMCnet] fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96025 is a reply to message #96019]

Mon, 16 August 2010 10:57

emerystora

Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004

Karma: 13

Senior Member

On Aug 16, 2010, at 9:02 AM, Paul Zerkel wrote:

>
>
> Thanks, my dilemma is I do not really have a fridge "vent", at least not one that can be opened form the outside. Thus, how to get access to the rear of the fridge?
>
There are some screws in the front edge of the refrigerator. Probably three on each side. When you remove the screws the refrigerator will slide right out of the opening.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM

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Re: [GMCnet] fridge -unplug form AC? [message #96026 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 10:56

emerystora

Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004

Karma: 13

Senior Member

On Aug 16, 2010, at 8:06 AM, Paul Zerkel wrote:

>
>
> I am troubleshooting an electrical issue and would like to unplug the fridge. Can I do that without removing it from the cabinet? Where is the outlet?
>
> I have (what I believe to be) the original 2-way AC/DC Norcold... and a 78 with no outside fridge access door (only a louvered vent). There is a duplex outlet under the fridge, but it appears the only thing plugged in there is the derelict central vac.
>
> If it is necessary to remove the fridge in order to unplug it, then my next questions will deal with how to remove it.
>
> Thanks,
> --
> Paul Zerkel
> '78 Eleganza II
> Salisbury IL (near Springfield)
>
There is a receptacle down at the floor level right behind the refrigerator. You probably could reach it if you remove the vent behind the refrigerator ( if its low enough to the bottom of the refrigerator. In addition to the plug there is a 12 volt wire that also must be disconnected.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96031 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 11:09

RF_Burns

Messages: 2277
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada

Karma: 3

Senior Member

You can disconnect the power from the fridge from below the fridge door, if its the same Norcold as mine.

At the bottom front of the fridge there is a grill about 4" high or so. In the center of the grill is a single screw, remove it and the grill comes out.... its friction fit so you will need a knife or screwdriver to remove it.

Behind the grill is the inverter, held in place by 2 (IIRC) screws. Remove the inverter and you will see several connectors on wires going to the back of the fridge. The Orange/Orange with green strip wires are the 120Vac in, unplug that connector... I think the ground goes directly onto a ground screw and not through the connector.

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96045 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 11:37

idrob

Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho

Karma: 0

Senior Member

pzerkel wrote on Mon, 16 August 2010 07:06

I am troubleshooting an electrical issue and would like to unplug the fridge. Can I do that without removing it from the cabinet? Where is the outlet?

Thanks,

If you simply want to shut the 120 volt side of the refrigerator down, find the right circuit breaker and turn it off. If you are looking for electrical issues on that circuit, you may need to remove the refrigerator to unplug it, but as others have said, it might be possible to get at that plug from under the refrigerator itself, by removing the vent.

Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96054 is a reply to message #96045]

Mon, 16 August 2010 12:08

pzerkel

Messages: 212
Registered: September 2007
Location: Salisbury, IL

Karma: 0

Senior Member

Thanks everyone for their input. I feel the need to tell "the rest of the story".

I was in the coach a few days ago and was going to turn on the AC. It did not come on. As I was walking back to check the breakers, I heard a "pop" and saw a puff of smoke from below the fridge.

I switched off the main breakers in the coach breaker box, and unplugged from shore power.

First of all, I knew my power plug was missing a ground pin. I had been putting off replacing the plug. But I did finally replace it. Now I am working through the steps in this document:

http://www.gmceast.com/technical/Hendrickson_House_Electrical_Maint.pdf

Checking resistance hot-neutral I am seeing about 270K ohms when Circuit breaker 3 is on, and infinite resistance when CB3 is off. CB3 is the one with the fridge plus several other circuits, I am judging based on the service manual showing AC wiring.

FWIW, I did turn on the fridge (disconnected from shore power), and I did hear the compressor start. Obviously it had to be running on DC. I did not let it run very long, as I was not sure what else may be wrong.

So now, I am wanting to find out if the problem with that circuit is in the fridge itself, or something else tied into that circuit. I would really like to keep an all electric fridge, and if possible get this one working right again. I can solder new components on a PCB, but first I need to determine what needs replaced.

Paul Zerkel
'78 Eleganza II
Salisbury IL (near Springfield)

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96066 is a reply to message #96015]

Mon, 16 August 2010 12:41

RF_Burns

Messages: 2277
Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada

Karma: 3

Senior Member

Paul,
There is a schematic on-line (but I'm not sure where) for the Norcold fridge and the inverter.

The 120Vac pulls in a 120VDC relay to change over from DC to AC. There is a module labeled as a "Chatter Protector" on the relay to prevent the DC relay from "Buzzing" when AC is applied to it. From what I can see its just a diode (changes AC to pulsing DC) and a capacitor to smooth the pulsing and therefore preventing the "chattering". There is also a surge suppressor in this "module" which maybe what Popped and caused some smoke.

If you take your inverter apart, this module will be a large orange rubber block beside the relay with some orange wires going to it.

If the internal surge suppressor went off, likely you will see a bulge or crack in this module. These "Surge suppressors" can't absorb much of a surge, and will go open or to a high resistance.

The suppressor in mine was blown as seen by the side blown off the rubber module. I'm running my Norcold exclusively on the 12V inverter now so its not an issue to me.

Just my guess.

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Re: fridge -unplug from AC? [message #96073 is a reply to message #96054]

Mon, 16 August 2010 13:23

C Boyd

Messages: 2629
Registered: April 2006

Karma: 18

Senior Member

pzerkel wrote on Mon, 16 August 2010 13:08

Sir: you might find something here..
http://www.bdub.net/manuals/index.html

C. Boyd
76 Crestmont
East Tennessee

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