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« on: May 20, 2019, 03:51:46 pm »
Doug,
Yes, it has been bad from the start which is why we detoured to Elkhart on the way home from the Duluth rally last summer.
At first the best I could get was about 40-42° when first chilling it at home before a trip. We went to central FL in June so it was hot outside, and also went to Duluth with night temps in the 50's. The temp inside the fridge yo-yo'ed regardless of ambient exterior temps. We never put anything in the fridge part was not pre-chilled or in the freezer without being already frozen.
I installed a second exhaust fan at the upper vent that was wired to work with the lower fan. That did help a bit. The Norcold rep met us at the PC factory and said the original installation was incomplete. There was no insulation installed in the enclosure above the fridge, so this void filled with hot air. He stuffed it with insulation and also installed a baffle to direct the rising hot air off the boiler tubes and fins to the side vent. He liked my fan installation also. Again this helped a bit more. We could now get 37° in the fridge compartment yet it would not hold it. I keep a thermometer inside and I would get 50° with never having the door open. The boiler tubes were cold when they should be hot. I powered off the unit, then turned it back on. The boiler kicked on immediately and began cooling. Same results whether on electric or LP.
So more googling and I found the article on the thermistor that the factory rep said he checked. The new part is due for delivery in two days; I'll update the results. My brother-in-law's 2007 PC with Norcold has given him great performance; keeping ice cream rock hard. I hope ours will do the same soon.
Bottom line:
-PC did not install the Norcold properly by failing to properly insulate.
-Norcold rep did not check the thermistor though he did complete the installation. Knowing that we were mid-trip I would have expected a more thorough inspection on a warranty work call. I would also expect a follow-up from PC to ensure I was satisfied with the results. That did not happen.
RV's are tiny little towns with one resident supporting the appliance store, the sanitary sewer system, the power grid, the water company, motor pool, handyman service, and communications network. They will never be perfect when delivered. I have fixed a leaking water valve, covered bolt threads and smoothed fiberglass penetrations to prevent chafed wiring. re-routed battery cables, installed a steering stabilizer and removed the bathroom sliding door that was pulling away from the ceiling. These little challenges are fun to resolve.
We love our 2552 and feel the PC is the best buy on the market.