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Old 07-23-2016, 11:58 AM   #1
rosede
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Air conditioner woe's

Out for the first time this year. Temp's are in the upper 90's to 100 degrees.

We arrived at the campground last night, plugged in and turned on the AC. The AC runs, but doesn't put out much cold air. It was cooler outside than in the camper. It wasn't until a small front came through during the night that it cooled off enough for the AC to cool down the camper.

This morning the AC kicked off and it's still running, but the camper isn't cooling down.

I don't know off hand what AC unit I have, or the size, but I have a 2012 Outback 272RS.

Any suggestions? I would like to be able to sleep tonight and not sweet to death.

Daryl

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Old 07-23-2016, 01:02 PM   #2
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When you say the AC runs, do you mean you can hear the compressor kick on?

Do you have a meter to check campground line voltage?
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Old 07-23-2016, 01:26 PM   #3
rosede
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Yes, I can here the compressor running. I might be able to borrow a meter.

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Old 07-23-2016, 02:16 PM   #4
bill-e
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I cant tell you how to fix it but meter might tell you if the campground power is the issue.

Personally until I know that the power was high enough I would just run it on fan so as not to overheat it.
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Old 07-23-2016, 02:35 PM   #5
rosede
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Been at the daughters house all day. Just got back, and the camper is nearly 100 degrees.

My son-in-law is an electrician. I'm sure that he'll have a meter that I can borrow.

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Old 07-23-2016, 04:34 PM   #6
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Ours was doing the same prior to the beginning of this season. Not even a year old Dometic. Compressor kicked on but no cold air. Dealer replaced the whole unit under warranty. Said it was a bad compressor. Hoping yours is something more simple.
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Old 07-23-2016, 09:26 PM   #7
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We had our front unit do the same thing three years ago, blowing air, but not cooling. CW near Boise, ID found compressor oil all over under the cover, and just happened to have a replacement on their shelf. It was replaced under the Dometic warranty within 2 hours, and we were on our way.
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Old 07-24-2016, 04:25 AM   #8
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Does anyone know what kind of warranty these units have? My camper is 4 years old next month.

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Old 07-24-2016, 06:50 AM   #9
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Dometic have 2 yr warranty.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rosede View Post
Does anyone know what kind of warranty these units have? My camper is 4 years old next month.

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Old 07-24-2016, 07:10 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosede View Post
Out for the first time this year. Temp's are in the upper 90's to 100 degrees.

We arrived at the campground last night, plugged in and turned on the AC. The AC runs, but doesn't put out much cold air. It was cooler outside than in the camper. It wasn't until a small front came through during the night that it cooled off enough for the AC to cool down the camper.

This morning the AC kicked off and it's still running, but the camper isn't cooling down.

I don't know off hand what AC unit I have, or the size, but I have a 2012 Outback 272RS.

Any suggestions? I would like to be able to sleep tonight and not sweet to death.

Daryl

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This is purely speculation based on what you've told us, but my guess is that you've "burned up" your compressor. I'd suspect that if it's as hot as you say, everyone in the campground is running their A/C, probably putting a significant load on the campground electrical system and causing a "brown-out" (low voltage condition). Almost always, running your A/C on an electrical source that's lower than about 105 VAC will cause the compressor to overheat. Continued operation will damage the compressor and "burn up" your A/C.

I can't say for sure that is what happened to us 2 years ago, but when we noticed the trailer getting "warmer", I checked the voltage meter that I keep plugged into an outlet and it was 95 VAC. We had the A/C replaced the following week, it never worked again after that campground. I suppose this event is a "testament" to having a voltage/surge monitor, something more and more of us are realizing is a "necessary evil" with the technology and "sensitive electronics" installed in today's trailers.

My guess is that if you take it to an RV service center, they will recommend that you replace the A/C. With a 2 year warranty and the cause probably being "low voltage", the replacement will likely be your responsibility. If you're handy, you can buy a replacement "upper unit" for about $500. If you'd rather not climb, lift, work, then you're probably looking at about $800 to $1000 "out of pocket" to have a "cool RV" again.

Good Luck,
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Old 07-24-2016, 10:18 AM   #11
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The bill to place a new AC on our unit was $950.
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Old 07-25-2016, 04:22 AM   #12
rosede
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Finally made it back home. This weekend trip was miserable, but we survived. Now that we are home, and the camper is back in storage, I'll be able to work with it to see what is going on. I'll take the generator over, and test it on something that I know has enough power to run the AC. I'm also going to see if it might be plugged up or something. Perhaps a clogged filter or its low on Freon. Does anyone know if these AC units use the new type of Freon, or the old R12? My AC unit if four years old.

Thank you.

Daryl
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Old 07-25-2016, 04:32 AM   #13
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You might try a forum search - but, I think you will find that RV air-conditioners are not serviceable. There is no port through which to add Freon. Sealed unit similar to the refrigerator in your sticks & bricks
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Old 07-25-2016, 06:39 AM   #14
rosede
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsmith948 View Post
You might try a forum search - but, I think you will find that RV air-conditioners are not serviceable. There is no port through which to add Freon. Sealed unit similar to the refrigerator in your sticks & bricks
A co-worker was telling me the same thing this morning. Disappointing, but I'm really hoping that its something simple like being dirty. I did some research this morning on the subject, and I think that I just need to go up on top and open the cover. I'm hoping that its as simple as dirty coils. If not, then I'll have to decide on how to move forward.

Where can a person purchase a replacement unit? Can I find one online?

Thanks

Daryl
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Old 07-25-2016, 07:23 AM   #15
rosede
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jsmith948 View Post
You might try a forum search - but, I think you will find that RV air-conditioners are not serviceable. There is no port through which to add Freon. Sealed unit similar to the refrigerator in your sticks & bricks
I just talked to an AC guy who told me that RV AC units are serviceable.

I work for an IT company that has very large air handling units. This guy maintains all of your units, and we started chit-chatting about my AC unit. He suggested, just as I am thinking, that the coils are plugged and need to be cleaned out. He also said that if it does need to be serviced, that there are service ports on the unit. He recommended that I get a bottle of compressed CO2 and blow it out. He said that its much better than water or compressed air.

I'll keep everyone posted.

Thanks

Daryl
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Old 07-25-2016, 09:04 AM   #16
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I have heard that RV units are not serviceable due to no ports. A tech could install some, but may not be worth while...

In any case, assuming your unit is OK, here are some things to try:

Check condenser. Dirt accumulates often. Just like an outdoor home unit, water-hose off the dirt. You should be able to inspect and clean without removing the shroud.

Inspecting inside the shroud area is recommended due to mud daubers, etc., however this may not affect performance.

Inside the coach, it is a good idea to remove the facia and inspect the supply and return chambers. Seal all "holes" to the roof area. Supply air should only be forced through the ductwork (or out the ac vents). Return air should only be sucked in from the ac intakes. Any holes in the roof/ceiling area move air in unwanted areas which negatively impacts performance. Make sure the return and supply chambers are isolated. Any leaking allows air to short-circuit and bypass the evaporator.

Make sure all foil tape is folded down and taped off good. Hurried installations can degrade performance.

Over time, tape that is half-secured can peel away and degrade performance.

Get a digital thermometer/probe. You can measure the delta (difference) between return intake and supply exhaust temps. 20 degrees or more says your unit is working properly.




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Old 08-12-2016, 06:48 AM   #17
rosede
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Its been a couple of weeks since I initially started this thread. So, I thought that I would post a follow up.

I finally had the chance to take a look at my AC unit a week ago. I was hoping that it was dirty and all that I had to do was to hose it out, and clean it up. However, that was not the case. The unit was very clean. Had some road dust, but other than that, no leaves, cotton or anything else that I was expecting. I powered up the camper, and turned on the AC unit. I tested the output with a thermal thermometer. The outside air temp was about 80 degrees, and that was about what the unit was putting out. It did cool down a bit, but not much. Also, as previously posted here, no service ports. There were two pinched off, soldered ends, but no service ports.

Poking around on line the other day, I found this:



This can be found on Amazon for $5. Line Tap Valve by Sealed Unit

For $5, its worth a try. If it doesn't work, I have nothing to loose.

Thanks

Daryl
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Old 08-12-2016, 07:12 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosede View Post
Its been a couple of weeks since I initially started this thread. So, I thought that I would post a follow up.



I finally had the chance to take a look at my AC unit a week ago. I was hoping that it was dirty and all that I had to do was to hose it out, and clean it up. However, that was not the case. The unit was very clean. Had some road dust, but other than that, no leaves, cotton or anything else that I was expecting. I powered up the camper, and turned on the AC unit. I tested the output with a thermal thermometer. The outside air temp was about 80 degrees, and that was about what the unit was putting out. It did cool down a bit, but not much. Also, as previously posted here, no service ports. There were two pinched off, soldered ends, but no service ports.



Poking around on line the other day, I found this:







This can be found on Amazon for $5. Line Tap Valve by Sealed Unit



For $5, its worth a try. If it doesn't work, I have nothing to loose.



Thanks



Daryl


That is pretty slick!


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Old 08-16-2016, 07:50 AM   #19
rosede
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I see that my AC unit uses R410A refrigerant. I was assuming that it was the same as a car, R134A, but the info panel on the side of the unit clearly shows that its R410A.

After some research, I found this site Refrigerant Guys. They a recharge kit, R410A RECHARGE KIT

I received the saddle valve last night, and I placed an order for the recharge kit this morning. However, I have a follow up question that I'm hoping someone can answer.

Do I want to install the valve on the low side, or high side? All of the research that I've done, it appears to me that I should install the valve on the low side, but the valve manufacture said to install it on the high side.

From the research that I've done, it appears that the low side is on the evaporator side, current? That is where I think that I should install the valve. Any suggestions?

Thank you
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