NorCold SCQT-4407

[Keith13315]

Below is an email I set to Thetford Contact Us on their web site They said call a service guy. Can anyone else offer a suggestion?

I bought a SCQT-4407 from West Marine a little over a year ago. I installed it in a Hunter 31 so it is being used as reccommended. However it never shuts off by itself. Even when I set the thermostat manually to a warmer setting it shuts off for only 1-2 minutes then turns back on. It seems like it should cycle but it nevre really has. Yes even when the outside temp is 50 degrees F it still runs and runs. It is supposed to do that? The compressor and coils never ices up. The cooling unit in the refrigerator does we defrost about once a month. So is there a proble with it, or is it supposed to run all the time? Thanks Keith

 

[alexco38]

Low refrigerant level.
http://www.redtekstore.com/

 

[Keith13315]

It has done it since it was new and it is only the second season. I am not sure there is a place to add refrigerant to the unit. I will look for some valves.

 

[zds]

You know, I may have the same problem on my Hunter 34. Installed the 4407 a few months ago, and it seems to run constantly (cycles off for a short time, but then right back on). The box gets nice and cold, but it's a real battery killer.

I've always considered it to be an insulation problem, even though I was always impressed with the box when cooling with ice... this post makes me think I might have a refrigerant problem.

These Norcold systems are closed, with quick-connect fittings. I always figured that the fittings were single-use, but some research makes me feel differently (i.e., they can be removed for recharging, then reconnected).

Can anyone confirm this? More importantly, can anyone speak intelligently about recharging these systems (cause I sure can't)? Most importantly, can anyone recommend a good service guy to call in Eastern NC, if these systems are serviceable?

Thanks

 

[Joe Mullee]

Gents,

I have the exact same problem. I installed the system in May, 2011. At first I was only getting temps around 44-45 degrees while the thermostat was turned to its' coldest setting of 5 and the unit cycled 100% of the time (it may also be important to note that I have never had the box more than 1/3 filled). I thought it was an insulation issue so at the end of July I did my best to add more. I drilled holes and found other openings and filled them all with the canned foam insulation. That and a small fan placed inside the box did help lower the temps to around 36-38 degrees but the unit still was running 100% of the time if I had the thermostat on the coldest set. This past weekend I moved the thermostat to the mid-range setting (3) and noticed that the unit did shut off. I didn't get a chance to time the cycles of on and off or check the temps but will try to do that this week. Possibly between the addition of the fan, the added insulation, and the cooler weather I'll get some relief on the batteries.

I don't know if this makes any difference also but I recall the unit is designed for a 4 to 6 cubic foot box and I think the box in the H34 is about 6.4 cf. Maybe I'm pushing the unit to it's outer limits. Just a thought.

Joe Mullee

 

[Jeff B.]

If you say that the plate in your fridge box ices up, then I doubt it's a problem with the refrigerant. My guess would be that you simply don't have enough insulation or that you've got a poor seal in the door or where your fridge copper/control lines come into the icebox. I have a Norcold myself, and I'm afraid that what you're experiencing makes a kind of sense if the box doesn't stay cold once made cold.

If it were me, I'd buy a cheap thermometer (I use one of those remote radio link ones so I can monitor my fridge temp from the cabin, though admittedly you can get cheaper). See what the fridge temp gets to when the compressor stops, and how long it stays at that temp. If the box itself doesn't stay cold for long, the options are:

1. improve/replace your seals around any fridge doors/hatches
2. Add additional insulation inside the box (I used insulating foam from Home Depot and it worked pretty well)
3. Keep ice in the fridge when you're out and about to provide additional temperature buffer -- essentially have a hybrid fridge/icebox
4. Buy a bigger battery

Good luck!

 

[Stu Jackson]

We successfully used the "freeze water in a couple of gallon milk jugs" idea on our last cruise last month. After a week, one of the two was still half frozen. No additional insulation in our 1986 ice box with an Adler Barbour.

Good advice from Jeff.