A/C acting up and not sure what it is. Since we have just finished day 3 of some 67 days I will have to do something but are on the move daily right now so looking for any advice I can get in the meantime.It was not pulling down temps of around 92-94; maybe a few degrees. I kept setting the them lower and lower and then it would run a while and just shut down. Even though it was high 80's in here and I had it set down to as low as 70.And same thing over and over.That was for two days. Today it was only in the 80's as we are headed north. It has run constantly but the temp coming out seems just kinda cool; certainly not cold enuf to do anything.I have checked the unit on the roof and it is all clean inside.Have tried to contact a couple of guys and since probably weekend or whatever they do not even return the calls. And not many choices.Any and all thoughts would be appreciated. The dog would be most grateful!Thanks.

Try this...Check and clean the foam filter inside. pull down the cover on the ceiling, take out the black sponge/foam filter, wash it carefully and dry it.This:

"I have checked the unit on the roof and it is all clean inside."Did you remove BOTH covers.......the outside shroud (gets you access to fan motor/condenser coil) AND the sealed cover over the evap coil.Return air filter needs to be clean AND the evap coil needs to be clean (as does the condenser coil).The evap coil cools the air that blows into RVThe condenser coil cools the coolant so evap coil can cool the airThe air filter helps keeps the evap coil clean.

If the temps coming out of your vents are somewhat cooler, it telling me either the compressor is low on charge or the valves on the compressor are failing.Is this is especially true if the supply air temps have slowly regressed warmer.I Think the best bet would get someone qualified to look at it.Good luckMike

When was the last time you cleaned the return air filters? If you pull them, you can take a flash light and look up into the unit and see the evaporator coil. If then are not bright aluminum, they need to be cleaned.Next, run your fan(s) on high only. Summer heat in AZ needs 2 A/C units to cool the trailer. With the unit running on high for at least 10 minutes, take an inlet temp reating for the air at the unit and then one at the closest outlet. Use a thermometer and not an infrared temp gun. It will not measure air temperature, but will read the closest hard surface. You want the air temps.The outlet air should be 18 to 20 degF lower than the inlet temp. If you are in this range, the unit is doing all it was designed to do.Next, setting the thermostat lower and lower will do nothing to get the unit to cool more or faster. Set the thermostat for about 75 degF and leave it there.Keep windows and shades closed. Start cooling the trailer early in the morning before you need it.If you have been on the road, all day in high temperatures, you not oly have to cool the air in the trailer, but also, the walls and furniture. That is a huge heat load and it may take until late in the evening to get the RV cooled down.The post from mdcamping is not correct.The least likely problem with the unit is low on charge. Also, with the age of the trailer, it most likely has a compliant scroll compressor and it does not have valves like a piston compressor. 90% of the RV A/C problems are generally related t low or poor air flow.Ken

TXiceman wrote:When was the last time you cleaned the return air filters? If you pull them, you can take a flash light and look up into the unit and see the evaporator coil. If then are not bright aluminum, they need to be cleaned.Next, run your fan(s) on high only. Summer heat in AZ needs 2 A/C units to cool the trailer. With the unit running on high for at least 10 minutes, take an inlet temp reating for the air at the unit and then one at the closest outlet. Use a thermometer and not an infrared temp gun. It will not measure air temperature, but will read the closest hard surface. You want the air temps.The outlet air should be 18 to 20 degF lower than the inlet temp. If you are in this range, the unit is doing all it was designed to do.Next, setting the thermostat lower and lower will do nothing to get the unit to cool more or faster. Set the thermostat for about 75 degF and leave it there.Keep windows and shades closed. Start cooling the trailer early in the morning before you need it.If you have been on the road, all day in high temperatures, you not oly have to cool the air in the trailer, but also, the walls and furniture. That is a huge heat load and it may take until late in the evening to get the RV cooled down.The post from mdcamping is not correct.The least likely problem with the unit is low on charge. Also, with the age of the trailer, it most likely has a compliant scroll compressor and it does not have valves like a piston compressor. 90% of the RV A/C problems are generally related t low or poor air flow.KenThe op said the out door unit is clean, "I'm going on that info". Reed valves or scroll, compressors fail and systems loose charge, especially when a/c equipment are subject to harsh conditions. I've worked on enough of them.Sorry you are incorrectMike

"Kinda" Air Conditioing | Good Sam Community

TXiceman
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2014
Duplicate post
mdcamping
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Sometimes the leaks will be inside the runs on the coils or the coil elbows, exposure & time copper gets pitted/pourous. Sometime the leaks are tough to find. I have pulled out old coils and leak checked with nitigron under water.... seen the leaks coming right out of the bare copper.

Wish the teck put on a $15 tap a line and some charge and you would be good to go for a while at least.

Mike
TXiceman
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2014
You said "looked at it yesterday". Typically a leak will have a small amount of oil seep out with the refrigerant, so you can see a dirty, oily spot at the leak. But it still needs a proper leak check with a refrigerant leak detector.

Good luck on your trip.

Ken
Lauren
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Guy that looked at it a yesterday said that, yes, it could be recharged but he said that would most likely be good for just another couple of years. He recommended that the unit be replaced. Now, here is a guy that could have made money doing the re-charging but also knew he would not get the new unit sale - and he said I should get a new unit.

Yes, the filters in here were not bad but I did clean them again.
TXiceman
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2014
Jan 1, 2020 is the final phase out date for all production of R22. Jan 1 2010 was the date that new equipment could no longer be produced to use R22.

Lauren, a quick and cheap fix would be to put a saddle or clamping valve on a line and charge some R22 into the system. It would get the unit cooling.

How did they determine the unit was leaking? Did they use an electronic refrigerant detector and did the guy know how to use it?

Ken
sayoung
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
sayoung wrote:
TXiceman wrote:
Nope, the filters are on the inside unit. Living in the RV full time, I find that the filters need cleaning about every 14 days of use.

As for the R22 ban, the production of refrigerant is cut each year and a federal tax is added which drives the price up. There is still R22 available for service of existing equipment. New equipment using R22 was banned. New R22 production is to stop totally in 2020.

So an existing unit can still be recharged with R22. Eventually the supply will dry up.

The new units are R410, R407 or R404. Or what ever new blend has been concocted.

Ken

Ken is spot on.r22 will be here until jan 1,2010.
What I want to know is where is the leak?if repairable the small amount of refrigerant to recharge & labor to repair should be way cheaper than CW installing a new unit.but I make it point to not work on rv units in my service company so don't have a clue to pricing rv AC work.I might be missing a "golden goose"

No valves....closed system.....so would need the valving installed and then recharged. Price just went up with parts/labor to do that job......that's why they are just 'throw away' units.

And yes....filter is inside RV on ceiling grill

The clamping style addon service port is cheeeeeeeap,I however only use the braze-on style in the few instances that we need them.either way you have to add one or there isn't a way to do a thouroh diagnosis(easily) which is why a lot of AC systems get replaced that could have been repaired,IMHO
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2014
sayoung wrote:
TXiceman wrote:
Nope, the filters are on the inside unit. Living in the RV full time, I find that the filters need cleaning about every 14 days of use.

As for the R22 ban, the production of refrigerant is cut each year and a federal tax is added which drives the price up. There is still R22 available for service of existing equipment. New equipment using R22 was banned. New R22 production is to stop totally in 2020.

So an existing unit can still be recharged with R22. Eventually the supply will dry up.

The new units are R410, R407 or R404. Or what ever new blend has been concocted.

Ken

Ken is spot on.r22 will be here until jan 1,2010.
What I want to know is where is the leak?if repairable the small amount of refrigerant to recharge & labor to repair should be way cheaper than CW installing a new unit.but I make it point to not work on rv units in my service company so don't have a clue to pricing rv AC work.I might be missing a "golden goose"

No valves....closed system.....so would need the valving installed and then recharged. Price just went up with parts/labor to do that job......that's why they are just 'throw away' units.

And yes....filter is inside RV on ceiling grill
sayoung
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
TXiceman wrote:
Nope, the filters are on the inside unit. Living in the RV full time, I find that the filters need cleaning about every 14 days of use.

As for the R22 ban, the production of refrigerant is cut each year and a federal tax is added which drives the price up. There is still R22 available for service of existing equipment. New equipment using R22 was banned. New R22 production is to stop totally in 2020.

So an existing unit can still be recharged with R22. Eventually the supply will dry up.

The new units are R410, R407 or R404. Or what ever new blend has been concocted.

Ken

Ken is spot on.r22 will be here until jan 1,2010.
What I want to know is where is the leak?if repairable the small amount of refrigerant to recharge & labor to repair should be way cheaper than CW installing a new unit.but I make it point to not work on rv units in my service company so don't have a clue to pricing rv AC work.I might be missing a "golden goose"
TXiceman
Explorer II
Aug 06, 2014
Nope, the filters are on the inside unit. Living in the RV full time, I find that the filters need cleaning about every 14 days of use.

As for the R22 ban, the production of refrigerant is cut each year and a federal tax is added which drives the price up. There is still R22 available for service of existing equipment. New equipment using R22 was banned. New R22 production is to stop totally in 2020.

So an existing unit can still be recharged with R22. Eventually the supply will dry up.

The new units are R410, R407 or R404. Or what ever new blend has been concocted.

Ken
Lauren
Explorer
Aug 06, 2014
Incidentally, there are no filters in the topside unit.

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