AC Not Working

[apackof2]

Of course I am in Tucson and its 81 degrees to day!

However.....I have always had a problem with my AC. When I first got my rig I had a capacitor replaced for $400

The problem has been it works, blows cool air about every other time I turn it on? The fan always works. And I keep the filter clean.

But you can not call repair when its working.

So I suppose when it does come back I want to believe its ok

It isn't :-(

Its non-ducted in my T-1950

Any suggestions for trouble shooting?

 

[JohnGB]

Joan,

Here is a basic trouble shooting part that you can do.

When the Ac unit runs there are 2 things that run.

1. The fan

2. The compressor.

The fan just moves the air, it is the noise you hear the most. The compressor, when it runs it compresses the gas in the system to create cold for the fan to blow into the camper.

If you listen real hard, you can hear or feel a small vibration of the compressor running over top of the fan. It might be faint, but you should be able to tell the difference. Your model may have a fan only mode, run the fan and listen for that fan only sound. Then go to cooling and listen to when the AC works you should be hearing the compressor run and the sound is different. The compressor may cycle on and off sometimes.

During the times of no cooling, does the fan run? I'm assuming yes but please confrim.

If you have no cooling, listen for the compressor running, if you have no compressor, that is problem 1.

A few other questions, is it humid where you are?

Do you notice any water dripping "inside" the camper from the AC unit?

 

[apackof2]

I am in Tucson Arizona it's dry. I have tried to hear the compressor over the fan but so far no luck. There is a seperate option for fan only

AND it's working now! Am I crazy? I know the difference between cold air and just air! When it works cold air blows immediately

I tried turning it on/off. Letting it run awhile, changing from low to high temps and nothing. It was about 2 hours or so when I turned it on again and it immediately blew cold air

Is there a temp switch??

 

[JohnGB]

Joan,

The temp switch, is the thermostat. If the fan is set to auto, the AC unit gets the same signal to turn on the fan and the compressor. It does not know the difference. The fan only, is a bypass option to just turn the fan on.

It "sounds" like you are not getting the signal to start the compressor.

This gets more complex to trouble shoot unless you are fully electrically handy. It could be the control board, the frost control, even the wiring harness. I start at the control board to see if the power relay is passing voltage/current to the compressor. If I get past this, then up to the roof I go.

I cannot think of anything simple right now to help point you too. This one you really need to know electricity well to trouble shoot.

Maybe another member may have something. If I can think up something I will post back.

Sorry on this one.

John

PS, Does lo or high make any difference?

 

[apackof2]

Hi John,

I agree that is an electrical/ control problem that
is causing the problem. Unfortunately, it is an intermittent
one as sometimes it works and sometimes it does not

And it's something I can not trouble shoot. I have called a repair man for a Monday or Tuesday appt. However, if it's working when
he comes I am not sure he can pinpoint the cause

And THAT is the road block to getting it fixed! Frustrating!

However, I appreciate your help and I will update the post
when the problem can be diagnosed and fixed

Thanks!

Joan,

The temp switch, is the thermostat. If the fan is set to auto, the AC unit gets the same signal to turn on the fan and the compressor. It does not know the difference. The fan only, is a bypass option to just turn the fan on.

It "sounds" like you are not getting the signal to start the compressor.

This gets more complex to trouble shoot unless you are fully electrically handy. It could be the control board, the frost control, even the wiring harness. I start at the control board to see if the power relay is passing voltage/current to the compressor. If I get past this, then up to the roof I go.

I cannot think of anything simple right now to help point you too. This one you really need to know electricity well to trouble shoot.

Maybe another member may have something. If I can think up something I will post back.

Sorry on this one.

John

PS, Does lo or high make any difference?

 

[apackof2]

Ooops, It doesn't make a difference on high or low

 

[Gene-SUN]

I am a little late here but maybe this will help.

If it is the overhead Dometic "Brisk Air" like mine, the knob on the right is the thermostat. There is a mechanical contact that you can hear click when you turn from full counter-clockwise (warmest) to full clockwise (coldest). When you turn it clockwise and hear a click the compressor should turn on and it should blow cold. The fan stays on all the time, that is controlled by the switch on the left. The contact may just need to be excercised a bit. That contact is really a little electric switch that operates the compressor when the dial on the left is set to cool but does nothing it the left dial is fan only.

 

[mainah-SUN]

I don't think all this AC talk is very nice, we have not seen temps above freezing since December it's 9* right now and -20 last night right now it is snowing HARD AGAIN!
In all actuality I don't mind it just got back from a very nice snowmobile ride.

 

[apackof2]

Hi Gene,

Yes its like yours. (Picture below) so it operates just as you say here however....sometimes I hear a click and the compressor comes on and other times, (like today when its 81 degrees, it does not)

So I think its the switch. I had an RV repairmen out her and he thought it was the thermostat thingie (copper wire with thin oblong thingie on the end) He ordered one for me and its on back order I found out after I called him back. I want him to come back and test the switch but so far I have not heard back sooo I guess I need to call again Monday.

It's a mom/pop outfit and Tucson is very busy this time of year

I am a little late here but maybe this will help.

If it is the overhead Dometic "Brisk Air" like mine, the knob on the right is the thermostat. There is a mechanical contact that you can hear click when you turn from full counter-clockwise (warmest) to full clockwise (coldest). When you turn it clockwise and hear a click the compressor should turn on and it should blow cold. The fan stays on all the time, that is controlled by the switch on the left. The contact may just need to be excercised a bit. That contact is really a little electric switch that operates the compressor when the dial on the left is set to cool but does nothing it the left dial is fan only.

 

[apackof2]

Don't be cranky or else I won't invite you to the pool party

I don't think all this AC talk is very nice, we have not seen temps above freezing since December it's 9* right now and -20 last night right now it is snowing HARD AGAIN!
In all actuality I don't mind it just got back from a very nice snowmobile ride.

 

[Gene-SUN]

Don't be cranky or else I won't invite you to the pool party

Maybe you could fill that pool with hot water for us up in the Northeast.


Quite probably the repairman is correct with the "thermostat thingie". I haven't looked at the mechanical details of the dial on the right but it may be all one piece like the bi-metalic strip on an old house type heating thermostat. It wouldn't hurt to try to excercise that dial with the main switch (on the left) turned off. There should be an audible click turning the dial up and down. The click is the electric contacts of the mechanical thermostat opening and closing.

Oh, and when you get it working, could you point the hot exhaust toward New England?

 

[apackof2]

Oh Gene the water was hot about 30 minutes after I filled it

Great idea to "exercise that dial with the main switch (on the left) turned off."

I did and it definitely clicks so I have "switched" my opinion. It probably is the copper thingie that helps regulate thermostat by sensing temperature

And yes when I finally get it working ALL the time, I will send ALL the hot exhaust your way!

BTW here is my little Sunny in her desert home, just at twilight

Maybe you could fill that pool with hot water for us up in the Northeast.


Quite probably the repairman is correct with the "thermostat thingie". I haven't looked at the mechanical details of the dial on the right but it may be all one piece like the bi-metalic strip on an old house type heating thermostat. It wouldn't hurt to try to exercise that dial with the main switch (on the left) turned off. There should be an audible click turning the dial up and down. The click is the electric contacts of the mechanical thermostat opening and closing.

Oh, and when you get it working, could you point the hot exhaust toward New England?

 

[Gene-SUN]

aaaaaahhhhhhhh, that looks so nice.

 

[Allen Smith]

You sounds like that there is no problem and still you are reconsidering it.But if there is a problem as you enlisted, i think it is with your electric system or thermostat.I am not a AC repair guy who can tell you but i think you can get it repaired from a mechanic or repair itself if you are good with electric systems.Most of the time this type of behavior of AC unit is accounted when there is a problem with the electrical systems.

 

[Allen Smith]

I don't think all this AC talk is very nice, we have not seen temps above freezing since December it's 9* right now and -20 last night right now it is snowing HARD AGAIN!
In all actuality I don't mind it just got back from a very nice snowmobile ride.

But it is going to help us now.You see when AC creates problem in the summer it is very hard to live without AC in that rising temp.Then we have to call on the AC repair companies to take care of faulty AC unit.

 

[mainah-SUN]

I hear you, frankly I hate hot weather and start using my truck ac at about 70* Up here thankfully it does cool off at night and fans usually are enough.

 

[apackof2]

Yup it was the thermostat. Got it replaced about a month ago. I proactively called and found and bought the part myself from Lazy Daze RV Dealership in Tucson via their parts dept. All my mobile repair guy had to do was replace the bad one with the new. Works great now. Oh and the knob that control temp was backwards so that was fixed too

You sounds like that there is no problem and still you are reconsidering it.But if there is a problem as you enlisted, i think it is with your electric system or thermostat.I am not a AC repair guy who can tell you but i think you can get it repaired from a mechanic or repair itself if you are good with electric systems.Most of the time this type of behavior of AC unit is accounted when there is a problem with the electrical systems.