Honestly, how long continuously, can A/C run in hot wx?

Devocamper wrote:

cruiserjs wrote:
But - it will "freeze" up and not work until ice is gone!!

only if it is low on gas,

IF it is low on Freon, then the odds are it will NOT freeze up much longer. They only hold 16oz of GAS. So if low, you have a leak and after time, that leak will leak enough to render the unit not able to cool much less freeze. A mechanical controlled AC tstat will freeze on LO/COOL setting with a properly charged unit. Wall tstat type units have freeze controls and if functioning the unit will not freeze at all. Doug

Devocamper wrote:

cruiserjs wrote:
But - it will "freeze" up and not work until ice is gone!!

only if it is low on gas,

Or if the freeze sensor falls away from the evaporator.

DutchmenSport wrote:
... what is "wx"?

I'd never seen that either. Wikipedia says it came from Morse code shorthand for weather.

cruiserjs wrote:
But - it will "freeze" up and not work until ice is gone!!

only if it is low on gas,

We have had ours running for two weeks straight in extremely hot weather one trip to Florida it ran night and day for two weeks , not a problem .

But - it will "freeze" up and not work until ice is gone!!

Is this at home or a CG and is it a one time situation or do you plan to travel around to different CGs? Low voltage is a common problem especially in hot weather in a CG with everyone running AC units.

Sometimes it's just low because of outdated wiring. Besides low voltage being bad for an AC unit (below approx. 105 volts), it causes the current to increase (unlike just about everything else) and you could find that you end up tripping a breaker. Damage from low voltage is cumulative and can happen over time. For max. life of the AC unit, ensure the voltage is not too low.

If you find you're tripping a breaker, try turning off everything else inside. Also ensure the plug blades are clean and the receptacle you're plugged into is't old and tired and in poor shape. A voltmeter is a good tool to own and a plug-in type inside is good to keep an eye on voltage. Another thing that works sometimes is using a 50 to 30 amp adapter and plugging into a 50 amp pedestal. Otherwise the only fix is an autoformer (Hughes for ex.). An EMS is a great thing to have and will automatically shut you down on low volts.

Always make sure you turn the power off before plugging in otherwise the plug blades and the inside of a receptacle get pitted due to the converter inrush current and over time causes a poor connection and heat and eventually a possible meltdown. Ensure your plug blades are kept clean & shiny. Sometimes an AC won't start due to it's high inrush current and a hard start capacitor may help. If at home, use a quality min. #12 gauge extension cord but #10 would be better.

Funny, the lowest voltage I've seen so far is at 2 CGs in Oregon. Last year one was 106 before turning anything on and when we did, our EMS disconnected us. We recently bought an autoformer to be able to keep running for the next time voltage is low.

Good answers.

But as several have suggested, routine maintenance WILL extend the life. Clean evaporator and condenser. Oil fan motor if it has the capability to be oiled. Open and CAREFULLY clean the dirt, insect nests, etc from the electrical compartment (separate cover under roof-top cover) and make sure the capacitors have not leaked oil or are deformed.

I agree with the 100 percent duty cycle will not kill an RV air conditioner. However, like most RV components, their life design is based on occasional use. Most RV's are only used a few times a year. Friends who stay in South Texas through the summers spend a lot of money replacing their units.

Thank you for all those excellent replies!