WITHOUT FRIDGE DEFEND YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED
Dometic & Norcold reliability and fire safety, can you live without it?
WITHOUT FRIDGE DEFEND YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED
Dometic & Norcold reliability and fire safety, can you live without it?
If you do not have the ARP Control you are not protected. This page shows how to install the ARP Control and gives service manual specifications for troubleshooting and repair of Norcold 2117 PolarMax fridges.
REQUIRED TO DOWNLOAD INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS - WEB PAGES ARE SUPPLEMENTAL - EACH VERSION OF CONTROL HAS INTRICACIES REQUIRING THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS.
Instructions: Subjects are listed on left. Click the link to the right to go directly to the subject matter on this page.
As seen in the photo below, the Norcold 2117 has 3 electric heating elements. There is no way to tell if one element fails other than the fact that the boiler overheats when the cooling unit does not get enough heat to drive the cooling cycle. Click here to see what happens when one heater fails.
Ultimately the fridge can overheat and rupture if a heater fails, thus it is just a good safety improvement to install the ARP Control on these fridges.
The following shows how to wire the ARP Control to a Norcold 2117 PolarMax fridge that has electric defrost heaters. The ARP can not pass the current needed to power the electric defrosters, thus the following instructions must be followed.
(1) Drawing item 1 is the RV power supply to the fridge.
(2) The terminals on the Norcold control box are numbered above the connections on the control box in the wiring diagram. Please wire according to the following instructions:
Terminal 1: This is the ground coming from terminal 3.
Terminal 2: Before installing the ARP, terminal 2 is jumped to terminal 6 to supply power to the Norcold fridge control. Remove the jumper wire and connect the ARP yellow wire here.
Terminal 3: Ground connected to terminal 1.
Terminal 4: This is where the RV power supply (1) ground is plugged in. Note that this is the best place to put the ARP green wire (ground).
Terminal 5: This is where the RV power supply (1) +12VDC is connected to the Norcold control.
Terminal 6: As stated for terminal 2. the factory jumper is removed between terminals 2 and 6. Connect the ARP red wire to terminal 6.
(3) The ARP Control is wired between the Norcold defrost board and the Norcold control board.
(4) Note that the Norcold 2117 boiler has three heaters. The only way to know if one heater fails is if you have the ARP Control. If a heater fails the boiler will overheat and trip the ARP. Please make sure that all recall devices are functioning when completing your install of the ARP. Please see following pages for ARP temperature sensor install:
| FAULT CODE | MEANING | POSSIBLE SOLUTION |
|---|---|---|
| No Display | No 12VDC to Fridge. |
Make sure fridge is on.
Check power and ground at Norcold Control board. ARP Control detected an overheat situation, check ARP display to see if a count down period tells when control will turn back on fridge. Check under control board cover Fuse F1. Check Norcold recall, if LED on, click here for reset. |
| L1 oP | High Temperature Limit Switch | If ARP Control installed on this circuit,
check ARP to see if display is showing count down period
until fridge restarts automatically.
Check Norcold recall, if LED on, click here for reset. |
| Flashing Temp Setting | Thermistor Fault. | Click here for thermistor test. |
| AC HE | AC Heater failure. |
Both AC heaters failed.
Click here for improved AC heater safety. Click here for AC heater troubleshooting. |
| no AC | No AC voltage at power board. |
Check power cord for shore power and at fridge.
Click here for AC safety and GFI receptacle. Fuse F2 under Norcold control box cover blown, click here for fuse type. |
| AC LO | Low AC voltage at fridge. |
Check with DMM to see that AC voltage is in range at fridge.
Click here to check AC heater. |
| dc LO | Low DC voltage at fridge, less than 10.5 volts. | Check with DMM to see that DC voltage is in range at fridge. |
| dc HI | High DC voltage at fridge, greater than 15.4 volts. | Check with DMM to see that DC voltage is in range at fridge control board. |
| no co | The fridge started, but did not cool within 2 hours. |
If the fridge has an ARP Control, this message should not appear.
Fridge thermistor has failed. Click here to check thermistor. Click here to reset 'NO CO' fault. |
| dr | Fridge door is ajar or open for more than 2 minutes | Shut the door :) |
| AC rE | Norcold control board AC relay stuck closed. |
Try powering on and then off the fridge a few times.
Remove Norcold control cover, try tapping on the relay while preforming the above procedure. |
| dc rE | Norcold states that "this is a fault within the controls" | We assume this is a fault with the DC relay circuit? It is possible that this means that the DC relay is stuck? We at ARP Control want to help everyone with a Norcold fridge. If a solution to this issue is found please share with us so we can post it to share the joy. |
| AC HE | Norcold states that "this is a fault within the controls" | Fault with the AC Heater circuit.
Click here to check AC heater. |
| FL -- | Flame present with LP gas off (LP should not be on). | Turn off fridge and restart.
Check for power at LP solenoid valve when gas is off, if so relay on control board stuck. Click here to check LP burner. The manual turn off on the LP solenoid valve can be used to turn off the burner. |
| Sr | Flame sense circuit failure | Turn off fridge and restart.
Check LP Gas pressure and electrode gap. Click here for gas valve and igniter check. |
Please note that all of the following specifications are believed to be accurate. If any errors are found, please bring them to our attention as soon as possible. For critical specification please contact Norcold as they make changes to their specifications without notice.
| Item | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ARP Control Boiler Temperature | See Note 1 Below | |
| 2117 Total Volume | 17 | cu. ft |
| 2117 Freezer Volume | 5.3 | cu. ft |
| Off-Level Operating Limit | See Note 2 Below | |
| Temp Setting Range | 1 - 9 | 9 = Coldest | See Note 3 Below |
Fuses
| Item | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Board 12V Fuse | 5A | Amp |
| 120VAC | See Note 4 Below | Amp |
DC Power
| Item | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Defrost, Flaper and Divider Heaters | 15.55 | Amp |
| Interior Light | 0.5 | Amp |
| Gas Valve | 0.146 | Amp |
| Ice Maker Heaters | 1.875 | Amp |
| Fans | 1.9 | Amp |
| Total Amp Draw | 19.825 | Amp |
AC Power
| Item | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Range | 108 - 132 | VAC |
| AC Heaters (total of 3) | 187 / 1.6 | Watts / Amps (per heater) |
| AC Heaters | 77 | Ohms (per heater) |
| Measurement Conditions | 120 | VAC |
LP Gas
| Item | Value | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Gas Pressure | 10.5 - 11.5 | inch w.c. |
| Heat Input | 3200 | BTU/hour |
| Gas Jet | LP22 | |
| Burner | 8-slot | |
| Electrode to Burner Gap | 1/8" to 3/16" | inch |
2117 NOTES
Note 1: 185-195°C - 365-383°F
Note 2: Dependent on ambient and ARP boiler temp.
Note 3: Also see thermistor location, second fin from right at this link:
Thermistor Troubleshooting
The only thermistor specfication for this fridge is give as between 1.35 kOhms to 250 kOhms.
Note 4: AGC Series, 8A, Fast Acting.
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