Electrical Components; Examine The 120 Volts Ac Supply; Examine The 12 Volts Dc Supply (3-Way Models); Controls - Norcold N300 Service Manual

Electrical Components

This refrigerator operates on these electrical sources.
AC Operation 120 volts AC voltage
(108 volts min. - 132 volts max.)
DC Operation 14 volts DC voltage
(3-way models) (13.5 volts min. - 15.4 volts max.)
Operation out of these limits may damage the refrigerator's
electrical circuit parts and will void the warranty.

Examine the 120 volts AC supply:

WARNING:
Connect the AC power cord only to a
grounded three-prong receptacle. Do not remove the
round ground prong from the power cord. Do not use a
two-prong adapter or an extension cord. Operation of
the refrigerator without a correct ground could cause
dangerous electrical shock or death if you are touching
the metal parts of the refrigerator or the vehicle.
- Make sure the AC power cord is in a grounded three-
prong receptacle.
- Make sure the receptacle is within easy reach of the
lower intake vent.
- Make sure the power cord does not touch the burner
cover, the flue pipe, or any hot component that could
damage the insulation of the power cord.
Examine the 12 volt DC supply (3-way models ):
The refrigerator gets power from the 12 volt system of the
vehicle; either from the battery or from an auxiliary (house)
battery. The battery system not only supplies DC power to
the refrigerator, but also to other components of the vehicle.
The DC heating element, which supplies power for cooling
during DC operation, has a high current draw and can cause
rapid battery drain.
Make sure the 12 volt DC supply is connected correctly:
- Make sure the DC negative wire from the battery is
connected to the black DC wire on the terminal block of
the refrigerator.
- Make sure the DC positive wire from the battery is
connected to the red DC wire on the terminal block of the
refrigerator.
- Make sure an in-line fuse is installed on the DC positive
wire, as near the battery as possible, between the battery
and the terminal block of the refrigerator.
NOTE: This in-line fuse is necessary for added safety,
even though the refrigerator has a DC fuse in the
control assembly.

Controls

The thermostat [1] changes the amount of propane gas that
goes to the burner (See Art00976). This acts as the tem-
perature control of the refrigerator. Number 5 is the coldest
temperature setting.
NOTE: The thermostat is not an automatic gas control. It
does not automatically change the flame from
high fire to low fire as do other RV refrigerators.
If the cooling load changes, you must manually
change the gas control to maintain the same
temperature inside the refrigerator.
When the outside air temperature is less than 50° F, the
refrigerator may have a tendency to freeze food at the colder
temperature settings. To reduce the tendency to freeze food:
- Turn the thermostat to a warmer temperature setting.
- Keep the refrigerator full.
- Put foods that are more likely to freeze on the upper
shelf.
The selector switch [2] changes the energy source of the
refrigerator between propane gas (
and DC electric ( ) and shuts down the refrigerator at the
OFF ( ) position.
The gas safety valve [3] is built into the control panel. As long
as a flame is present, the valve is open and allows propane
gas to flow into the burner. Any loss of flame (empty propane
gas tank, blow out, etc.) closes the valve and stops the flow of
propane gas.
The igniter [4] makes a spark which ignites the flame in the
burner.
The flame meter [5] shows if a flame is present in the burner.
), AC electric (
Service Manual N300 Models - 5
),