Dometic Penguin with Mechanical Thermostat

My current 5 button setup always makes me wait what seems like 3 minutes. It doesn't matter if the compressor hasn't been run in a week.

So the new one will know if the compressor has been off for a long time and shorten the start time? 10 seconds is way better than almost 3 minutes when you're roasting inside of a hot RV.

vacuumbed wrote:
Thanks for all your help Doug. One last thing, is there any way to remove the delay from the air conditioner startup?

NO and WHY? That delay is to prevent short cycling to prevent 20 amp breaker trip or the Compressor overload trip. It is no more than 2 minutes 45 second delay. The delay is NEVER always 2-45. It depends on where the electronic timer is in the countdown. Sometimes it will be 10 seconds if the unit has NOT been run. Doug

Thanks for all your help Doug. One last thing, is there any way to remove the delay from the air conditioner startup?

vacuumbed wrote:
Retrofit kit? Dometic says I have to buy a new unit to upgrade the thermostat.

For the past 4 years ALL Penguins come with the 12 button CCC Tstat control board. If you buy a NEW Penguin and want to use the Old 5 button CCC Tstat you have to purchase a 12 button to 5 button upper control board kit. The 5 button upper board will not communicate with a 12 button wall tstat. The 12 button upper control board that comes with the New Penguin's will not communicate with a older 5 button CCC wall tstat. So, for the same amount of money you can purchase a 12 button Tstat to go with the NEW Penguin for about the same money to buy the 12 to 5 retrofit kit. The reason they make the 12 to 5 kit is if you have more than 1 roof air (Penguin) and you do not want to replace BOTH upper units AND buy a new Tstat. Also, the NEW 12 button HP Penguins have 3 fan speeds and the old 5 button only had 2 fan speeds. By upgrading to the new Penguin HP and 12 button tstat, you get 3 fan speeds. Doug

Retrofit kit? Dometic says I have to buy a new unit to upgrade the thermostat.

vacuumbed wrote:
It has a phone cable now. The coach is a 2005 Chinook Concourse, they all have Penguins to keep the overall height low.

Why is the Mechanical tstat so important? You can use the existing 5 button tstat, but you have to purchase a 12 to 5 button retrofit kit. Better to spend that money on the new 12 button tstat. You purchase the new Penguin and the 12 button tstat and it is plug and play. The 12 button has all the feature of a home type programmable tstat. Doug

It has a phone cable now. The coach is a 2005 Chinook Concourse, they all have Penguins to keep the overall height low.

OK, ALL Penguins come with a 12 button CCC control board that requires the Phone type communication cable. Why would you want to spend money on a 20 year old used Penguin? Do you have the old style Flat Ribbon cable now or the Phone type cable? The problem is, there is NO room to wire and install the Dometic Analog control board you need for your mechanical controller. Is there a reason you need a Penguin? You could install a Brisk Air model and purchase the Analog control kit to used with your mechanical tstat. NO RVP or Dometic upper unit comes with a control kit other than the Penguin. Doug