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TxBeerman's avatar
TxBeerman
Explorer
Aug 30, 2019

Penguin 2 multi zone setup help

I’m having issues getting my front unit to work. The original front unit had one 6 wire pigtail that plugged into the zone control board. The new unit has 2, one being a standard 110v (blk,wht, gnd) and the other a 6 wire harness (red, blk, blu,blu,yel,yel ) with no end on it. I’ve looked over the manual numerous times and can not get it to work. The furthest I’ve gotten it is for the compressor to turn on but no fan and the stat won’t recognize it on the display. Does anyone have any experience with these? Dometic has been zero help because I’m not a rv shop and don’t have an account. The local shop said three weeks to look at it... it is way too hot here in texas to wait that long!

Brandon
  • txbeerman, I feel your pain..... everybody I spoke to said, 'oh, its easy, the toughest part is getting the ac on the roof'. That was the easiest part, I have wires dangling from the front and rear ac's,1/2 a dozen parts I was told I needed and didn't, and waiting on parts I needed but didn't get....AAAAAARRRRGGGG!

    Had to vent.
  • Ok they are both up and running. When I bought these the parts supplier said I had to run the 3312020 controller because of the two zones... so that’s where the issue was the entire time. I was trying to wire in that controller but in my defense I was told it must be used. Sad thing is when I called Dometic all they had to say was I didn’t need that and wire it direct. I appreciate everyone’s help and hopefully this saves some other DIYer a headache in the future. Also didn’t help that the fan motor chassis bolts were loose from the factory!
  • Need more info.
    1. Are the NEW AC and the REAR AC NEW?
    2. Is the rear AC still the original with the original control box?
    3. The hanging colored wires. Black is ground to control BOTH AC control boards. RED is Positive to control BOTH AC control boards. Yellows are not used as they are for a EMS control system you do not have. Blues go to the LP Furnace. The rear AC does NOT utilize these wires as long as the front AC has the Red and Black and Blues connected.
    4. You HAD to have replaced the wall tstat as the original Tstat was the LED 4 or 5 button wall CCC Dometic tstat.
    5. The ORIGINAL control boards will NOT work with a 10 button tstat
    6. The 10 button Tstat will NOT work with a OLD 4/5 button control board
    7. Zone 1 is the front AC and Zone 2 is the rear AC. So, the rear AC has to be set for Zone 2.
    8. The model you purchased should have ONBOARD Circuit control module. Did you purchase a NEW module with the Penguin? Unless Dometic has changed in the past 6 months ALL Penguins come with the On board 10 button circuit board. Have you verified there is not a circuit board on your new model? IF you had the colored wires AND the Phone type modular connectors hanging down by the evaporator you have a onboard Circuit board
    9. When you replaced the front AC and go to a 10 button, you have to replace the Rear AC control board to match the new front one.
    10. On a unit 20 years old, and the AC units are more than 10 years old, and you have Penguin's, I always advise customers to replace BOTH Penguin units and just buy the new 10 button CCC tstat. More cost effective and it is all plug and play. Doug
  • A1RVTraveler wrote:
    Did you hook up ALL the phone (communication cables). One AC will have two communication cables (Probably Zone 1) and the second AC will have one communication cable (Probably Zone 2). Are the dip switches set on both control boxes? Did you do a thermostat reset. What did you do with the (Red, Black, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Yellow) wires?


    Currently I have the 110v wired and the 4 wire comm hooked to the front unit, fan does not turn on, compressor hums when I plugged the comm cable in. There is only one controller for this setup that is supposed to work zones. Dip switches are set. Reset has been done numerous times. Those wires are not hooked up.
  • Did you hook up ALL the phone (communication cables). One AC will have two communication cables (Probably Zone 1) and the second AC will have one communication cable (Probably Zone 2). Are the dip switches set on both control boxes? Did you do a thermostat reset. What did you do with the (Red, Black, Blue, Blue, Yellow, Yellow) wires?
  • Thanks

    I was advised to just replace them both, these are non HP 15k units. I mean in “theory” everything meshes together but it’s probably something small that I just can’t wrap my head around that is keeping the front unit from working.
  • Txbeerman, welcome to the site. Its a great source for help.

    I am at this very moment in the throes of the very same quandary as you, although I have been able to get part numbers from dometic, it just takes forever on the phone.

    here is what I have.....2 dometic duotherm ac's on the roof, model 630035331....both have heat pumps...both 14 years old....13.5K
    a duotherm 5 button thermostat
    the same identical control box on both of my ac's as you, 3109226.005

    I replaced the front ac with ac model 651816c, 15k. (IM assuming yours is 13.5)

    My difficulty was I also bought a control box to 'smarten up' my old ac to be recognized by the new 10 button thermostat.My new ac worked no problem with the new setup, but my old ac, cannot and will not, under any circumstance, according to dometic, be compatible with the 10 button new thermostat. I am right now in the midst of having ordered a control box for my new a/c, model 3313107.107, to dumb down my new ac, to work my new ac, on the old duotherm 5 button, unless I want to run with 2 thermostats and then have to play with the toggle switch settings. As far as what wires connect to what wires, I'm electrically illiterate, but had a buddy do that end of the project for me.

    Im going to hold on to my new 10 button, and ultimately, when I have to replace my back a/c, ill be able to run both off the 1 tstat, and remove the control box from the front a/c.....

    Hope that makes some sort of sense, if not, feel free to PM me, and ill try to take pictures, and send them....

    Best of luck, and again, welcome.
  • My apologies
    2001 Monaco diplomat
    Original Dometic 630035.321
    Old ceiling control # 3109226.005
    New Dometic 641816c
    New ceiling control 3312020.000
    New 10 button stat. Rear ac works fine (both are same units). Rear only has 110v and a 4 wire data cable that runs it.
  • You just joined. To get correct help Post
    Year, Brand, Model of RV
    Brand, MODEL of OLD AC and Brand/Model of New AC Dometic makes quite a few control boards and connections on their various models of AC's. The NEW Style Penguin has a built in control board and will ONLY work with a 10 button Dometic wall Tstat. If you have the old 4 or 5 button Dometic wall Tstat, THAT is your first problem. Doug

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