Nor-Lake Recent Questions, Troubleshooting Help & Support

You may not have the filter installed correctly, or installed the correct filter.
If you rotate to lock the filter in place, make sure you rotated the filter completely to lock.
If you had to turn the water off, did you turn it back on?

If you can provide it, then it can be determined and given to you.

Please confirm you have given the complete model number.

If the icemaker has a bail wire to control how much ice is in the bin, there is a fill switch inside the front cover of the ice maker which allows you to increase or decrease the amount of fill.

You may also have a cracked or corroded ice mold. Check by filling the icemaker with water manually, and watching to see if it drips once the initial overfill stops dripping. This would also be indicated by the ice cubes being smaller than usual.

You can normally figure an appliance in several ways by -

1) Calling the manufacturer and giving them the model and serial number
2) Look on various components like switches, compressors, etc., and looking for a date code stamped on them, usually in the format of MM-YY like 09-08 for September, 2008, or WW-YY like 23-98 for 23rd week of 1998.
3. All compressors are date coded for sure. If you provide the manufacturer of the compressor and all the data on the nameplate of the compressor, the date of the compressor manufacture can be found, which will give an approximate date of manufacture of the refrigerator.

The compressor overheated. Unplug the Ref for 20-30 min. to let the compressor cool. Remover the back cover so you can see the compressor, this will help it cool off. A window fan set to blow on the compressor will help.

When the compressor is cool enough to touch plug it back in. It may start and run just fine or if it just clicks and does not run, replace the compressor relay.

First, I think it’s important to know that the Ref side has no cooling coils, it’s basically a box and the cold air in the freezer is blown over by a fan through a channel into the Ref side. This channel has a door which regulates how much cold air goes through. You probably have two control knobs in the Ref side, one controls the temp with numbers 1-9, 9 being the coldest. This temp control tells the compressor how long to run. The other control is for that little door and it may have letters A-E, E being the coldest. If you set it on E (coldest) then this will close that little door and keep most the cold air in the freezer.

Now, why is that cold air not getting over to the Ref side?
1. The little door is not open.
check your control setting. You should be able to feel air coming through the channel on the Ref side.

2. The fan in the freezer is not working.
You can hear this fan running when you open the freezer.

3. The coils on the freezer side are clogged with ice which won't let the fan circulate the air over to the Ref side.
This is a failure of the defrost system.

First, I think it’s important to know that the Ref side has no cooling coils, it’s basically a box and the cold air in the freezer is blown over by a fan through a channel into the Ref side. This channel has a door which regulates how much cold air goes through. You probably have two control knobs in the Ref side, one controls the temp with numbers 1-9, 9 being the coldest. This temp control tells the compressor how long to run. The other control is for that little door and it may have letters A-E, E being the coldest. If you set it on E (coldest) then this will close that little door and keep most the cold air in the freezer.
So, how can the Ref side be cold and the freezer side not freezing?

1. Coolant leak. There is enough coolant to keep the Ref side cool but not enough to freeze on the freezer side.

2. Defrost system failure. The coils on the freezer side are clogged with ice and it's just a matter of time when the Ref side won't cool either. The back wall in the freezer will be covered with ice/frost

Unplug the Ref for 15-20 min. take off the cover so you can see the compressor, then plug it back in and listen for the compressor to start. You should be behind the Ref so you can tell the difference between the fan running or the compressor.

The compressor should start and keep running.

The fan cooling the compressor should be running.

The fan in the freezer should be running.

You should feel cold air coming into the Fridge side from the freezer side.

If your ice maker has stopped producing ice completely, check these, in this order:

• It may be turned off. Look for the wire along the right side of the ice maker that looks a bit like a coat hanger. If the wire is in the raised position, the ice maker is turned off. If so, try one of these:
  
  
  • If your ice maker has a small red plastic lever, lower it to lower the wire.
    
    
  • If there's no plastic lever, simply lower the wire.
    
    
  In either case, the ice maker should begin producing ice again. Also make sure that the temperature is 8 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. If the freezer is too warm, the ice maker won't cycle properly.
  
  
• The ice maker fill tube may be blocked with ice. If so, melt the blockage using a hair dryer-but be careful to not melt any plastic parts! Also replace the water shut-off valve or water-inlet valve, or both, if necessary.
  
  
• The ice maker head assembly may have broken parts. Look to see if the gears are broken. Check to see if the small plastic arms that rest against the ice rake are broken. If the ice maker head assembly is modular and you've found broken parts, you can just replace it.
  

check out the defrost timer it sound like its in defrost. if that is not whats wrong then you can checkout the refrigerant by looking at the sight glass on the liquid line. It dhould not have any boubbles in it and if there is then your low on charge, n if threr isn't then you whille probebly be better off calling a service company out to repair the unit.

Go here an find your model # for manual

http://www.retrevo.com/samples/Norlake-Freezer-manuals.html

Good Luck and Pleaase rate Fixya!

heat in this area is normal especially when just switched on

YES GOOD ADVISE . ALWAYS START WITH THE BASICS. IS EVAPORATOR COIL CLEAN AND CLEAR? ALL EVAP FANS RUNNING? DRAIN PAN CLEAR? IS STAT CALLING FOR COOL? IS OUTDOOR COND COIL CLEAN? IS OUTRDOOR FAN RUNNING WITH NO PLAY IN BUSHING? DO RUN AND START CAPS TEST GOOD? DOES CONTACTOR LOOK GOOD? THEN TRY TO CATCH UNIT WHEN TEMP IS ABOVE DESIRED SETTING. FIRST TEST STAT. IS IT OPEN OR CLOSED? IF BOX IS HOT AND ITS OPEN THEN PROBLEM IS STAT. IF STAT IS CLOSED AND OUTDOOR FAN IS NOT RUNNING THEN COMPRESSOR PROBABLY OVERHEATING WHEN FAN QUITS. CHECK FOR VOLTS TO FAN GOT VOLTS? FAN IS BAD. NO VOLTS? TRACK BACK TO SOURCE OF POWER ( CONTACTOR) AN R22 BOX AT 52 PRESS IS NOT TO BAD ON START UP ON A HOT BOX BUT COULD BE HIGH ON 502 408 OR R12 STUFF TYPE OF REF IS DEFINITELY IMPORTANT. GOOD LUCK

Check the evaporator coil for frost buildup on the back. Check for frost on the suction line, the biggest line returning to the compressor. If frost is evident at these places you have a defrost system problem. These systems have a defrost timer that defrosts the coil at preset times. Check the timer for proper operation by marking the position of the dial and check back to see if it changes. If it does not change position the timer motor is most likely bad. If the dial is not rotating automatically you can manually turn the dial in the direction of the arrow and put it through a defrost cycle.

If your products are already in the frozen state the answer is yes, you can make an immediate transfer. Normally a couple of hours run to allow the temperatures to stabilize is sufficient. The cool down run time also insures the the unit is functioning properly. If you plug it in and transfer the products right away make frequent checks to insure proper operation.