Rooftop Air-conditioner dripping then pouring water...help

[bout2buy]

Can anyone help me troubleshoot? Dealer can't get us in for 2 weeks.

The A/C was running on max because it's been in the 90s and humid here, and started dripping quite a bit of water. So I turned it off, and BOOM! Water poured out! :E

I googled to see potential culprits and the consensus seemed to be a clogged drain, so I sent my hubby on the rooftop to see if there was a drain and if it was clogged. He said he couldn't even find a drain. LOL Neither of us is too mechanically inclined.

So, is there anything else anyone can suggest, bearing in mind that I don't want to attempt anything that could result in us getting electrocuted! 😄 Thanks!

[path1]

Don't worry about 4 bolts, you're OK. And don't think about your hood that has only 2 hinges and one movable latch and it's in front of you going down the road.

[bout2buy]

Oh no, haddy1, I get the sandwich concept, I was just thinking there should be more than 4 bolts!!!

But, I guess it's a tried and true method since the 70s. Just seems like a lot of turbulence and torque could happen rattling down the road, I'd think additional bolts might help stabilize something so big and heavy. That's all.

[Old-Biscuit]

Up on roof....remove outer cover (shroud) then remove metal cover over evap cooler. Drip pan is under evap cooler. You may need to slightly shift evap cooler to get to drip pan drain holes.

When holes get plugged the drip pan will fill up and then overflow....the water gets pulled by fan blower into discharge plenum and will leak out of ceiling grill into inside of RV.
Clean evap cooler while up there.



The 4 hold down bolts can be accessed by removing ceiling grill assembly and then tighten them just snug...don't overtighten or you will crush roof gasket which can cause A/C unit to sit to close to roof and that can block the drip pan drain holes also.

[haddy1]

bout2buy wrote:
So is it seriously just bolted on to the ceiling/roof with 4 bolts over a gasket seal? That does not seem right...

You apparently don't quite get it. Think of the assembly as a sandwich with the AC as the bread and the roof as the meat.

I don't know if they have always been that way, but I bought my first one in 1977 and that's how it was made.

[GrumpyandGrandm]

bout2buy wrote:
So is it seriously just bolted on to the ceiling/roof with 4 bolts over a gasket seal? That does not seem right...

Been that way since the beginning of RV roof AC's.

[bout2buy]

So is it seriously just bolted on to the ceiling/roof with 4 bolts over a gasket seal? That does not seem right...

[haddy1]

The first thing that I would check is the bolts that secure it to the roof. If they are not tightened properly, the gasket will not be compressed and water can get inside. I just read on another forum where this happened on a brand new MH.

[bout2buy]

Yes, dripping into the coach.

Thanks for the additional ideas and the nifty diagram! YOu guys are great. It very well could have frozen. It's been off a while now.

The coach is new, we've used it a total of 4 or 5 times so far (had it a few months). We just love it! 🙂 Even with this issue! LOL

[WMMitchell81554]

my wife is a mobile dog groomer with a Dodge Sprinter van. When her roof air-conditioner leaks, the first thing I do is check her air filter, then I remove the AC cover on the roof, remove the evaporator cover and blow out the evaporator.it is always clogged and wet with condensate. While I’m on the roof with the cover off I clean the condensate drip holes. I need to do this twice a year with all the dog hair flying around. Hope this helps

[2oldman]

bout2buy wrote:
, and started dripping quite a bit of water. So I turned it off, and BOOM! Water poured out!

Into the coach?

[RoyB]

Here is a neat pictorial that might help...


When it is very humid these air conditioners will tend to freeze up...

Roy Ken

[SooperDaddy]

If the water from the roof A/C is dripping INTO your rig..in addition to uncloging the drain holes,or enlarging them...you may be in need of a new A/C to Roof foam gasket replacement.

Here are DIY instructions...

[Mocoondo]

Send hubby back up on the roof.

He has to unscrew the cover off the RTAC. At the rear of the RTAC he will find a drip pan. It is usually white in color and has a couple holes in the bottom. Trouble is, the holes are usually pretty small and can get plugged up by the least little bit. I personally recommend that you drill those holes larger, but in the short term, unclog the holes, check for any adjacent debris, and then reinstall. This should solve your water in the coach problem until the next time the holes plug up again.

[winnietrey]

Could it have just iced up? Does it work fine now?