How to Replace Norcold Cooling Units

If you have a rv refrigerator repair that is not cooling, has yellow residue behind the refrigerator and a strong ammonia smell, the cooling unit has failed and needs to be replaced. The number one reason that Norcold refrigerators fail is due to rusting out of the evaporator coils. Also, if the cooling unit has been run off-level, a blockage will form inside the coils and prevent proper circulation of the charge solution.

Rebuilding an RV Refrigerator Cooling Unit

Ozark RV provides top quality remanufactured Dometic and Norcold RV refrigerator cooling units that are built to last longer than the original equipment, because of our unique rebuilding process. We use heavier wall seamless tubing and a boiler design that won’t fracture under thermal stress. This is why our remanufactured cooling units are so much more durable than OEM or other Aftermarket replacements, and why they don’t create the tell-tale tube fracture that causes the leaking yellow residue and ammonia smell.

How to Replace a Norcold Refrigerator’s Cooling Unit

Replacing an RV refrigerator’s cooling unit is a fairly simple process when you understand the basic steps involved. However, if you aren’t familiar with the process, we recommend hiring an RV technician to assist in the installation.

First, remove the fridge from its cabinet and set it on a flat surface. This will make it easier to work on the cooling unit. Once the refrigerator is off the ground, it is easiest to access the rear mounting screws that hold the cooling unit evaporator to the freezer and refrigerated parts of the refrigerator.

Once you have accessed the rear screws, it is important to insert them into the evaporator foam pack. Using Blue Loctite Threadlocker, reinstall the screws in their proper locations. Some refrigerators have different length screws in different areas of the evaporator; these screws need to go back into the same location on the evaporator.

Next, place the evaporator foam pack into the evaporator pocket. Depending on the size of the evaporator foam pack, you may want to run tape around the outer perimeter of the pocket and around the bottom of the evaporator foam pack. This is done so that the evaporator foam pack will not slip when you are setting it into the refrigeration cabinet.

Afterwards, apply a thick layer of Thermo-Mastic over the tubes on the evaporator foam pack. This will help keep the cooling fluids in the evaporator pack and seal the evaporator to the refrigerator.

Finally, spray the outside edge of the evaporator pocket with low-expansion spray foam to seal the joint between the evaporator foam pack and the sealing surface. This will help prevent any moisture from entering the evaporator pack and damaging it.