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RDalr's avatar
RDalr
Explorer
Jan 13, 2015

Fithwheel air conditioning problem

Hi, the cool air coming out of my unit seems to be around 64 deg F. It should be colder so it could cool the unit better during the day. I have two questions.
How cold should the air be as it leaves the unit?
Lastly,my unit is 10 years old or so, can we add refrigerant to the 15000 BTU on the rooftop?
Thanks

16 Replies

  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    I don't know how much you've run this A/C or where (dust, etc.) but here is Chris Bryant's How To for cleaning a rooftop A/C. We had a 20+ year-old Coleman Mach that I thought we'd have to replace. Cleaned it Chris' way and it went back to cooling very well.

    The Mach on our current coach isn't as old, but it was used a lot and was a real mess. Cleaned it and it cools like crazy now. On this one, I pulled the blower motor and cleaned the indoor squirrel cage. Its fins were all fouled with greasy dirt.

    I rinse the evaporator (indoor) coil differently than Chris shows. I use a metal deflector (expired license plate) to keep water away from the passage to the coach interior. Then I flush the coil with a spray nozzle on a garden hose. A pressure sprayer for insecticide works well without quite the risk of spraying water inside.

    Both of our Mach units were Ductless. I imagine Ducted would not provide as many degrees of "split" (difference between inlet and discharge air temps) as Ductless does.

    If yours is Ducted, try to check to see how well the Ducting is connected to the machine's Discharge.
  • 20 degree drop is typical. If your space is 84, you'd get 64 (or thereabouts).

    A 10 year old RV rooftop AC is barely worth trying to repair. You can get a tap ($5-$10)to add refrigerant (probably R22 at $10 lb). Problem is if it needs refrigerant, it has a leak somewhere (its a sealed system, and in our lifetime, won't loose enough to matter).

    Finding/fixing the leak requires equipment not many have, and would cost a good portion of the price of a new one, with no guarantee.

    Make sure all the coils are clean and the condenser fan is OK. Condenser coil in a 10 year old unit could easily need cleaning BAD.

    Doug
  • if the temp in the trailer (air going into the ac) is 80 the output of the AC should be 20 degrees cooler or about 60 coming out of the vents