Refrigerator "No LP" Reading

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Sun May 04, 2008 7:47 am

I turned on my Norcold refrigerator and set it to propane (LP) a couple of dalys ago in preparation for a trip. Twice it has shut down and read "No LP" on the door display. There is plenty of propane in the tank. The first time probably 12 hours or so elapsed between start-up and the display. The second time more than 24 hours. Has anyone had the problem and solved it?

2002 Born Free 24' RB · Sun May 04, 2008 8:46 am

There may be no propane in your line to the refrigerator only air. Before I start my refrigerator on LP, I will lite my two burner stove to be sure that there is propane in the lines to the stove and refrigerator. I usually have to turn the refrigerator on and off a couple of times before it lites. I hope this helps.

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Sun May 04, 2008 10:28 am

It starts -propane ignites because I open the outside access door and visually check - but it shuts off with the message "no LP" hours later. If it shuts down again I'll light the stove burners first, but I don't think initial air in the lines is the problem.

Leonard Wood · Post by **Leonard Wood** » Sun May 04, 2008 10:59 am

The refrigerator is very sensitive to low voltage conditions which may be intermittent. I had a similar problem that was solved by cleaning and tightening the coach battery terminals. Worth a try.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Sun May 04, 2008 6:57 pm

Sam Ryan wrote:[I had this particular situation you described; and what I started doing was opening up to high, one of the stove burners, but not lighting it. I would turn on the shower air exhaust fan to pull the fumes out the rear of the coach. I would do this for about 30 seconds, turn the stove burner off, then light the refrigerator successfully.

Unlike natural gas, LPG is heavier than air and will settle near the floor. No amount of exhausting with a roof vent will get rid of it.

Bill

Dallas Baillio · Post by **Dallas Baillio** » Sun May 04, 2008 7:31 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions. I failed to mention that I checked the owner's manual for the Norcold Model 641 that I have and found the fault codes. However, none indicated "no LP." There is a "no FL" meaning no flame which is about the same. The manual gives no suggestions on what to do than to take it to a repair facility. The flame is a nice blue. I vacuumed out the "rust" that falls from the flue this last time I got a "no LP" reading and so far it has not shut off again. However, since it is so eratic, it could shut down at any time.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:52 pm

Don't know if it is any help, but here is a link to the online Service Manual for your refrigerator:

http://www.landonedwards.com/carter/fil ... 6-N8SM.pdf

Bill

Barbara & Ken · Post by **Barbara & Ken** » Tue May 06, 2008 11:43 am

We had a similar problem last summer. After a service tech check out the problem, he discovered that we had accidentally turned off the LP detector.

Unfortunately, our many efforts to re-ignite the flame really messed up the refrigerator's main circuit board, and we ended up having to replace it, which was an expensive repair caused by our mistake.

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Tue May 06, 2008 11:59 am

Barbara and Ken,

If you are talking about the LP detector located generally low in the stair well of the coach, shutting off that detector should have no effect on the operation of your refrigerator.

Barbara & Ken · Post by **Barbara & Ken** » Tue May 06, 2008 12:05 pm

Our LP detector has a safety feature that keeps the LP from "flowing" if the detector is turned off. And "we did not know that" before this situation happened.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Tue May 06, 2008 2:45 pm

Barbara & Ken wrote:Our LP detector has a safety feature that keeps the LP from "flowing" if the detector is turned off. And "we did not know that" before this situation happened.

Makes sense. Is this a "feature" on all BF coaches equipped with the OEM LP detector?

Bill

Barbara & Ken · Post by **Barbara & Ken** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:53 pm

To be honest, I don't know. Because of Bill Hemme's response, it might not be the case for Born Free's LP detectors. We now have a Country Coach, and it is a standard feature. It's a good safety feature, but since "we did not know that," we really messed up the refrigerator circuit board with all our attempts to get it to ignite. Embarrassing and expensive lesson learned.

jobrien · Post by **jobrien** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:15 pm

Not sure with the Born Free, but on my previous Bounder and Allegro, if the LP detector was turned off, no LP appliances would work.

In both those rigs, the LP detector had it's own shutoff switch and did not shut off with the 12 volt disconnect.

Someone has to know how the Born Free is wired

John

whemme · Post by **whemme** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:55 pm

Well I can tell you that in my 2002 Born Free 26' RSB coach, when the house battery disconnect switch is OFF, the LP gas detector is also shut off. Maybe the factory changed that in newer models.

bcope01 · Post by **bcope01** » Tue May 06, 2008 9:04 pm

jobrien wrote:Someone has to know how the Born Free is wired

I'd like to know.

Bill