Dometic Penguin II - cools, but compressor cuts on and off
I have a 4 year old Dometic Penguin II air conditioner (non-heatpump unit) as the rear unit in a 2003 Newmar Dutchstar that is acting strange.
The unit in Fan Auto mode comes on when the thermostat is set below the set point as expected. But it will cut off (fan and compressor) briefly (5 seconds) and it has not yet reached the setpoint temp. Then it will come back on and continue to cool again. This unit has been doing this for several weeks while we have been on vacation. But now the unit is doing something slightly different now. It will come on, cool (45-49 degrees coming out of vents, 68-69 degrees on the intake vents) but will only cool for approximately 7-10 minutes and then the compressor cuts off, fan continues to run. Then the fan will continue to run for approx 10 minutes without compressor. Compressor will kick on and only run 3-5 minutes, and then cutoff again. This operating cycle continues until it eventually reaches the setpoint temp and finally the fan and compressor will turn off. This causes it to take a long time to cool off, and at times we will wake up hot in the middle of the night to find the fan on, but the compressor is not, and yet it has not reached the setpoint temp. In the Fan ON mode, basically the same thing happens. The unit will come on and cool, but then after 10 minutes or so the compressor disengages and only the fan runs but the setpoint temp has not yet been reached . I don't think this is normal behavior and I am unsure what the problem is.
The unit in Fan Auto mode comes on when the thermostat is set below the set point as expected. But it will cut off (fan and compressor) briefly (5 seconds) and it has not yet reached the setpoint temp. Then it will come back on and continue to cool again. This unit has been doing this for several weeks while we have been on vacation. But now the unit is doing something slightly different now. It will come on, cool (45-49 degrees coming out of vents, 68-69 degrees on the intake vents) but will only cool for approximately 7-10 minutes and then the compressor cuts off, fan continues to run. Then the fan will continue to run for approx 10 minutes without compressor. Compressor will kick on and only run 3-5 minutes, and then cutoff again. This operating cycle continues until it eventually reaches the setpoint temp and finally the fan and compressor will turn off. This causes it to take a long time to cool off, and at times we will wake up hot in the middle of the night to find the fan on, but the compressor is not, and yet it has not reached the setpoint temp. In the Fan ON mode, basically the same thing happens. The unit will come on and cool, but then after 10 minutes or so the compressor disengages and only the fan runs but the setpoint temp has not yet been reached . I don't think this is normal behavior and I am unsure what the problem is.
