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Rmack1's avatar
Rmack1
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013

Air conditioner running slow

I had my RV air conditioner act up on my last trip. I turned it on, and even on 'High Cool' it was barely blowing any air. I don't think it was very cool air, either. This was a big issue, as where we were near Big Bear, CA, where it stayed in the high 80's most days.

I cleaned the filters, turned it on, and a few minutes later, it just started working normally.

My manual mentioned something about an automatic shut-off function if the filters get too clogged. My filters were not that dirty, and cleaning them off didn't seem to help at first. And it didn't shut completely off, it just had a big reduction in the air flow.

We stayed another week, and never experienced it again, but it was worrisome. Anyone have an idea what happened?

The day before this, I had a weird problem with my shore power. It just shut off, and no circuit breakers where tripped. I wound up removing the cover on the female, trailer end of the power cord. It looked fine, but when I put it back together and plugged it in, it started working! The air conditioner was on at the time this happened, but I turned it off before restoring power.
Seeking Advice

12 Replies

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  • bukhrn's avatar
    bukhrn
    Explorer III
    Jul 14, 2013
    Cobra21 wrote:
    Also you want to make sure that you have enough electric power.
    Maybe you had low voltage at that site.

    Brian
    I can't believe this post is this far down, 'cause this is the first thing I thought of.
  • DiskDoctr's avatar
    DiskDoctr
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    If your AC has knobs on it, always be sure to turn it to "High Fan" and let the fan run up to speed, then switch to "High Cool"

    This reduces the startup load and is easier on the motors.

    Are you connecting to 30 amp service without adapters, or using the 15/20 amp adapter for a standard household receptacle?

    It is possible you are drawing too many amps. If turning the fan on first, then the cool helps, it is possible your solenoid is failing. I believe the term to search here would be "Soft start solenoid" or something similar.

    If so, a pretty simple fix. If that is the problem, it could explain why you tripped the pedestal power, too.

    Oh- and check that your batteries are okay and not boiling off, which can cause a substantial power drain. And the electric hot water heater switch, if you have one.

    You could also have a piece of foam or something in your AC fan. Sometimes the foam used in the filters comes loose and can interfere with the fan. Might even find a squirrel or mouse nest ;)
  • rockhillmanor's avatar
    rockhillmanor
    Explorer II
    Jul 14, 2013
    Rmack1 wrote:
    Thanks everyone.

    My AC manual claims that the only maintenance the owner needs to do is clean the filters. It specifically says this in a way that makes you think it's an improved feature of this model. I forget the company name, and my manual is in the unit over at the storage lot. Airtel, Airtex? No, but something like that.

    I still want to climb up on my roof and take the ac cover off and inspect it. It's just an ordeal as I have no attached ladder. Is it worth it?


    I'm from the Midwest. Did all my RV'ing in the Midwest. NEVER cleaned or even thought about coils.......UNTIL I went to Florida! :R

    First month down there my AC froze up thought it was time for a new one. Mobile RV repair came out, I got read the riot act about cleaning the coils routinely and doing it if I planned on staying in Florida. He cleaned them and air was ice cold and good to go. This mold, algae, gunk, cr@p whatever you want to call it sticks to the coils because of the heavy humidity. It's now just another thing on my maintenance list.

    Do a search there are plenty of good informative threads here on HOW to clean them. I just call the mobile RV guy. The guy I use has a home make thing he places in/around it so water doesn't go inside my MH when he power washes it from above. Others DIY their RV's from the inside of the RV. Good Luck, I'll take dirty coils over replacing an entire AC unit any day! :B
  • mr__ed's avatar
    mr__ed
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    Cobra21 wrote:
    Also you want to make sure that you have enough electric power.
    Maybe you had low voltage at that site.

    Brian


    X2. Possibly a temporary "brownout" at the time. Prolonged use at very low voltage can be damaging to electric motors. However, the other respondents make a valid point about icing in very humid weather.
  • Cobra21's avatar
    Cobra21
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    Also you want to make sure that you have enough electric power.
    Maybe you had low voltage at that site.

    Brian
  • Rmack1's avatar
    Rmack1
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    Thanks everyone.

    My AC manual claims that the only maintenance the owner needs to do is clean the filters. It specifically says this in a way that makes you think it's an improved feature of this model. I forget the company name, and my manual is in the unit over at the storage lot. Airtel, Airtex? No, but something like that.

    I still want to climb up on my roof and take the ac cover off and inspect it. It's just an ordeal as I have no attached ladder. Is it worth it?
  • noe-place's avatar
    noe-place
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    I'm with rock on this. I take the cover off and clean everything each spring before we start out.
  • sch911's avatar
    sch911
    Explorer
    Jul 14, 2013
    Classic freeze up symptoms. Check to make sure the freeze sensor is clipped to the evaporator fins correctly. Try to run it on high blower all the time in high humidity conditions.

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