Forum Discussion

alexhill2000's avatar
alexhill2000
Explorer
May 29, 2018

Dometic AC with Heat Pump Upgrade

Have an older 97 Holiday Rambler Endeavor LE with two dometic low profile ac units with heat pumps. The old units have a little trouble keeping up in hotter temps so I am looking to upgrade them both. That being said I want to see if anybody on here has gone before me and can offer any advice. I have the older 4 button comfort control thermostat which I am sure will also need to be replaced with something more modern. Looking in to getting two new penguin 13.5 units and a new thermostat to control them. Where my worry comes in is that the existing furnace won't respond to the new thermostat. Again....any advice anybody can throw my way would be helpful.
Class A
  • DownTheAvenue's avatar
    DownTheAvenue
    Explorer
    May 29, 2018
    I would leave well enough alone. Unless the A/C units are icing up or short cycling which is an indication of a low Freon charge, they are likely producing as much cooling as any new unit.
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    May 29, 2018
    You will have no problem. It is ALL plug and play. I would get the 15k(HE) Penguin Heat Pumps. You will need the 10 button CCC tstat and the existing wiring is identical for connections at each HP and at the Wall tstat. ALL you have to do, is set to Zone 2 on the rear HP and set the Furnace on the Zone 1 HP control board. EACH Penguin comes with the control board(10 button) already installed. Doug
  • TechWriter's avatar
    TechWriter
    Explorer
    May 30, 2018
    Yeah, after 21 years I think you're doing the right thing.

    Several years ago I upgraded my 2001 Newmar Mountainaire's aging ACs to the new Penguin IIs with heat pumps. One of my better decisions.

    My two, 13.5s work great and the digital 10-button thermostat (CCC2) is like having a real home unit. BTW, my furnace works fine with the CCC2.
  • FLmedic41's avatar
    FLmedic41
    Explorer
    May 30, 2018
    My coach is currently in the repair shop getting a new rear AC unit installed. 13.5 Penguin. Front was replaced last year by the prior owner and they upgraded the thermostat. He told me they had to purchase a control board for the new ac to talk with the other one and the thermostat. New AC is a 13.5 penguin and the shop is telling me I need another control board??
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    May 30, 2018
    FLmedic41 wrote:
    My coach is currently in the repair shop getting a new rear AC unit installed. 13.5 Penguin. Front was replaced last year by the prior owner and they upgraded the thermostat. He told me they had to purchase a control board for the new ac to talk with the other one and the thermostat. New AC is a 13.5 penguin and the shop is telling me I need another control board??


    NO, ALL Penguins come with the 10 button control board. When the previous Penguin was replaced, your Rear Penguin DID have to have a 5 to 10 button retrofit kit installed to operate with the new control system. 5 and 10 button control boards cannot talk to each other. Doug
  • alexhill2000's avatar
    alexhill2000
    Explorer
    May 30, 2018
    I am not dead against not having low profile ac units if there is something else plug and play that makes sense. Thanks for all the helpful input thus far
  • FLmedic41's avatar
    FLmedic41
    Explorer
    May 30, 2018
    dougrainer wrote:
    FLmedic41 wrote:
    My coach is currently in the repair shop getting a new rear AC unit installed. 13.5 Penguin. Front was replaced last year by the prior owner and they upgraded the thermostat. He told me they had to purchase a control board for the new ac to talk with the other one and the thermostat. New AC is a 13.5 penguin and the shop is telling me I need another control board??


    NO, ALL Penguins come with the 10 button control board. When the previous Penguin was replaced, your Rear Penguin DID have to have a 5 to 10 button retrofit kit installed to operate with the new control system. 5 and 10 button control boards cannot talk to each other. Doug


    Thanks. That's what I was thinking. I will see if they end up using it and charging me for it. I told them I didn't think they needed it and he said they would rather have it here just in case. I'll push back for sure.
  • gfs1943's avatar
    gfs1943
    Explorer
    May 30, 2018
    dougrainer wrote:
    You will have no problem. It is ALL plug and play. I would get the 15k(HE) Penguin Heat Pumps. You will need the 10 button CCC tstat and the existing wiring is identical for connections at each HP and at the Wall tstat. ALL you have to do, is set to Zone 2 on the rear HP and set the Furnace on the Zone 1 HP control board. EACH Penguin comes with the control board(10 button) already installed. Doug


    Doug, is there any problem replacing existing 13.5k with 15k units? My coach has two 13.5 units, and I haven't had any issues with them, but with temperatures getting hotter than normal, I wonder if 15k units would be better? Thanks.
  • dougrainer's avatar
    dougrainer
    Nomad
    May 30, 2018
    Mile High wrote:
    Do you have to stick with low profile?


    It is better because the Penguin has the electronic control board installed. Going to a brisk air would require buying a separate control package for each AC unit. Doug

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