Nova Kool Refrigerator: Service Manual

Start Up:

• The unit is ready to run as shipped. After following the electrical installation information found in this manual, turn the power on and set the thermostat between 3 and 4. You can make further adjustments to suit your personal requirements after the box has cooled down. Allow the refrigerator to come down to temperature before loading with product. Setting the thermostat to a higher setting i.e. 7, will not decrease the time required for the unit to cool down to its normal operating temperature. AC/DC units cool at the same rate on DC as on AC.

Defrost & Cleaning:

• The frequency of defrost is dependant on the number of door openings, the ambient temperature and the humidity level. Typically, it is a good practice to defrost once there is ¼” of frost buildup on either side of the evaporator (cold plate). When defrosting, the unit is shut off at either the breaker panel or by turning the thermostat counterclockwise to the OFF (0) position. Prop the door open. We suggest placing a towel in the bottom of the refrigerator to catch excess moisture. Speeding up the process with a knife or scraper is strongly discouraged due to the likelihood of rupturing the refrigerant circuit; in the event this happens give us a call 604-523- 6515 ext.104.
• Now that the unit has been defrosted, the interior can be clean with a non-abrasive cleaner. Do not use “brilo” or “sos” type brasive pads, as they will score the surfaces. Baking soda is recommended.

Ventilation:

Ventilation should be one of your first major installation considerations. All refrigerators, regardless of make, are heat transfer machines which transfer heat from the inside of the box thru the evaporator, compressor and refrigerant to the condenser on the outside of the box, to be dissipated to the air. The cavity where the condenser is located MUST be adequately ventilated.

• Single door units Require 30 sq.in. INLET and 30 sq.in. OUTLET
• Double door units Require 60 sq.in. INLET and 60 sq.in. OUTLET

(With the exception of the RFU9000, and the RFU8220 which has all of the required ventilation built into the front of the flange)

The INLET should be below the level of the condenser and the OUTLET should be above. This type of ventilation is ideal and will allow natural convection to take place, drawing cool air in low through the INLET, drawing off the heat from the condenser, and allowing the hot air to escape thru the OUTLET. This is how a chimney on a fireplace works.

When using grilles or registers please consider the “free” area as some grilles can be quite large and still be very restrictive. For those inevitable applications that are “hard” to ventilate completely, provisions have been made on the electronic module to accept an auxiliary fan. Please note adequate ventilation is the responsibility of the installer/customer.

Electrical:

When fitted with the optional AC/DC module, both AC & DC power can be connected to the module at the same time. The unit will always run on AC when AC is available. Should the AC be disconnected there is a 1-minute time delay before the unit continues running on DC. If AC power is reestablished there is no delay, and the unit will immediately resume running on AC.

The DC models are 12 & 24 VDC (the only consideration is the models supplied with an interior light, either 12VDC OR 24 VDC). The AC/DC models work on both 12 & 24 VDC as well as from 100-240 VAC 50/60hz. (The interior light on the AC/DC models is always 12vdc regardless of the DC supply voltage). Both modules “auto” sense the supply voltages, so no wiring adjustments are necessary other than following the guidelines for DC fuse sizing;

1. DC breaker & fuse sizing

• 20-amp breaker (main switch) for both 12 & 24VDC applications
• 15 Amp fuse for 12VDC
• 7.5 Amp fuse for 24VDC

2. AC (optional) breaker and fuse sizing (100-240VAC 50/60 Hz)

• 6 Amp breaker (main switch)
• 4 Amp fuse (included with unit)

DC Wire Sizing:

Ensuring the correct wire sizing will eliminate premature shut down due to low DC voltage at the refrigerator. Please follow these guidelines.

Nova Kool products are designed to stop running at 10.6 vdc and cut back in at 11.7 vdc, to protect your batteries.

Compressor Speed:

All Nova Kool units are supplied with the quiet and efficient BD series variable speed compressors from Danfoss. Nova Kool has supplied your unit preset at the optimum speed for most “normal” applications. The speed is controlled by a resistor in the thermostat circuit. 0 ohms (no resistor) runs the compressor on its slowest speed, a 1523-ohm resistor will provide you with the fastest speed. The slower the speed, the lower the amp draw, and the lower the capacity. The chart provides four examples; the resistance must be between 0 ohms and 1523ohms.

Wiring diagram:

• AC/DC Wiring Daigram

• DC only Wiring Diagram 

Installation into the Cabinet:

Nova Kool publishes its cut out dimensions so that the unit will slide easily into the hole. The dimensions allow a little extra space so that the unit can be shimmied into place as well as providing extra air space behind where required. On most models, the mounting screws are installed and covered by supplied frame plugs (see bag with owners manual, ice cube tray & frame plugs). Flush mount frames and frame kits do not use screw covers. Please ensure that you are using the correct cut out dimensions that relate to the type of mounting flange you have ordered (flush mounting flanges require an additional 2.25” for the depth and 1”for both the height and the width than the standard units)

Door Swing:

Most models are shipped standard with the door hung on the right. The door swing can easily be reversed by simply removing the hinge pins and latches and installing them on the opposite side. All of the required hardware is supplied. Units can be factory ordered with the correct door swing (standard is right hinge: i.e. door swings from left to right).

Door panel:

The decorative door panels can easily be changed to match your interior by first removing the upper hinge pin, then pulling the door out and up. The door should pull off the lower hinge pin easily. Once removed, turn the door upside down and remove the two Phillips head screws. Then, roll the bottom extrusion towards the door gasket, careful so as not to dislodge the door gasket. You will see a ¼” channel where you can slide in your panel material. (Thin door extrusion has a 1/16 channel.)