# Ac Not Doing It!!



## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Had the trailer since the end of October and have been on the road. We are in San Diego and have had to use the ac for the first time. Seemed to do ok until it got to around 88 outside. The AC then just could not keep up and the temp inside started creeping up into the 80's.

I am guessing (hoping !!! ) that the refrigerant is low but have never looked or played with one of these AC units before has anyone had any experience with this.....

many thanks
Dave


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

The condenser unit on the roof might just need cleaning. There's directions on the net that I have seen before. Mine last year started kicking out when it was hot and the sun was shining directly on it. That's one of the things to check that's on my list this spring.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Since it was running but just not seeming to cool it could be the coil is frozen. The most common cause of this is the freeze sensor coming out of the fins so the compressor does not cycle. To check it pull the inside cover off the AC and look up at the coil, you should see a probe that looks like it is jammed into the cooling coil fins. Let us know if it is there or not and we can think of some other things to check.


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Lmbevard said:


> The condenser unit on the roof might just need cleaning. There's directions on the net that I have seen before. Mine last year started kicking out when it was hot and the sun was shining directly on it. That's one of the things to check that's on my list this spring.


When you say kicking out do you mean that it stop working and cur out altogether??


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

CamperAndy said:


> Since it was running but just not seeming to cool it could be the coil is frozen. The most common cause of this is the freeze sensor coming out of the fins so the compressor does not cycle. To check it pull the inside cover off the AC and look up at the coil, you should see a probe that looks like it is jammed into the cooling coil fins. Let us know if it is there or not and we can think of some other things to check.


The sensor is still in the fins. Towards the bottom but its in there....?

Now the coil you can only see from the roof right?, I will get the ladders out and see if I can see that to see if its freezing....

thanks for the help...


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## Scottps (Jan 21, 2010)

What campground are you at? Do you hear the A/C compressor kicking on and off or is it constantly on?


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## 2lman (Nov 24, 2008)

I'm so sick of winter, if it was 88 here, I think I'd sit there and sweat just for the fun of it.

I shouldn't complain it is 62 here in NW Ohio but they are talking snow for Monday.


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Scottps said:


> What campground are you at? Do you hear the A/C compressor kicking on and off or is it constantly on?


Santee Lakes nice camp ground...
As for the compress or I think it just on all the time. I have the setting set so when it reaches temp the ac will shut off......has not shut off yet... Have not been outside yet though to get the ladder out.


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

2lman said:


> I'm so sick of winter, if it was 88 here, I think I'd sit there and sweat just for the fun of it.
> 
> I shouldn't complain it is 62 here in NW Ohio but they are talking snow for Monday.


I was expecting a lot of back chat for this post just surprised it took this long!!!! ha ha I am actually stuck in the trailer working if that makes you feel better....probably not!!!!!


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## Scottps (Jan 21, 2010)

BritsOnTour said:


> What campground are you at? Do you hear the A/C compressor kicking on and off or is it constantly on?


Santee Lakes nice camp ground...
As for the compress or I think it just on all the time. I have the setting set so when it reaches temp the ac will shut off......has not shut off yet... Have not been outside yet though to get the ladder out.
[/quote]

I'm the one who recommend camping at "Santee Lakes"! Glad you like it. If you go to the beginning of the fifth lake and look at the homes on the west side, that's where I live! I'm at work now but if you need any tools let me know and maybe I can help you out. How long are you going to be there?


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

There are two available sizes...15000btu and 13500btu...If it is the 13500 then it probably just cant handle the higher temps...The units can be easily swapped out...Try using the quick cool vent instead of the ducts if it is ducted and it may help to cool it a bit better...I can get you a 15K unit if this is the case....


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Scottps said:


> What campground are you at? Do you hear the A/C compressor kicking on and off or is it constantly on?


Santee Lakes nice camp ground...
As for the compress or I think it just on all the time. I have the setting set so when it reaches temp the ac will shut off......has not shut off yet... Have not been outside yet though to get the ladder out.
[/quote]

I'm the one who recommend camping at "Santee Lakes"! Glad you like it. If you go to the beginning of the fifth lake and look at the homes on the west side, that's where I live! I'm at work now but if you need any tools let me know and maybe I can help you out. How long are you going to be there?
[/quote]

Its really nice round here you must love having these hills on your back door step. Do you mt biker or hike??

We are here till Saturday so you will have to come over and say hello...We have been here since Sunday, we stay most plays a week so I do not have to take time off to travel...


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

funtimerv said:


> There are two available sizes...15000btu and 13500btu...If it is the 13500 then it probably just cant handle the higher temps...The units can be easily swapped out...Try using the quick cool vent instead of the ducts if it is ducted and it may help to cool it a bit better...I can get you a 15K unit if this is the case....


This is my fear, its doing better today but its only 86 outside and in side its keeping it at around 76. How can you tell the size of the unit?? Is it possible to check the freon levels??
How easy is it to change one of these things out, I presume they are self contained and its just a case of hooking the power up?? 
How much does a 15k unit cost...
Questions questions questions.....
thanks alot for you help


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Are you getting any water dripping off the roof? If not, the coil is probably frozen as mentioned before. Turn it off for a while and let it thaw out. If you are getting condensation dripping off the roof then you have something else going on. Have you checked the foam filter on the intake vent? It may be clogged up or maybe something came loose and is stopping the air flow.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

BritsOnTour said:


> There are two available sizes...15000btu and 13500btu...If it is the 13500 then it probably just cant handle the higher temps...The units can be easily swapped out...Try using the quick cool vent instead of the ducts if it is ducted and it may help to cool it a bit better...I can get you a 15K unit if this is the case....


This is my fear, its doing better today but its only 86 outside and in side its keeping it at around 76. How can you tell the size of the unit?? Is it possible to check the freon levels??
How easy is it to change one of these things out, I presume they are self contained and its just a case of hooking the power up?? 
How much does a 15k unit cost...
Questions questions questions.....
thanks alot for you help
[/quote]

Your trailer will have a 15,000 btu.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

BritsOnTour said:


> Since it was running but just not seeming to cool it could be the coil is frozen. The most common cause of this is the freeze sensor coming out of the fins so the compressor does not cycle. To check it pull the inside cover off the AC and look up at the coil, you should see a probe that looks like it is jammed into the cooling coil fins. Let us know if it is there or not and we can think of some other things to check.


The sensor is still in the fins. Towards the bottom but its in there....?

Now the coil you can only see from the roof right?, I will get the ladders out and see if I can see that to see if its freezing....

thanks for the help...
[/quote]

Another issue is open duct work. They were not always good about sealing the ducts. Pull the covers off all the outlets and the main AC cover in the trailer. Check to make sure the are not any openings that just go off into the ceiling. Use the metal backed duct tape to seal. Use a mirror and flash light to check the ducts for obstructions.


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

Camper Andy is probably right.... most models come with a 15K...I will say that some models that are sold in Canada and in the Northern US may have 13.5's...It is very easy to upgrade to a 15 as they just switch right out...I dont know what most places will charge but we charge 400.00 for next size upgrade...Unfortunately we are in Texas..The freon on the units can be serviced but would need to be done by a professional...


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

So how to you tell the unit size??


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

I can only tell by looking...If you post a pic of the unit from inside the coach I could tell you by looking...They wont look anything alike...


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

You mean like this...


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I'm not so sure on the 15k A/C. The OB brochure clearly states 13.5. Also, I think you bought it in MI, right? Most rigs around here have 13.5k A/c (heck our 5'er has one). When you go south or west the 15k units become a lot more common...


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Nathan said:


> I'm not so sure on the 15k A/C. The OB brochure clearly states 13.5. Also, I think you bought it in MI, right? Most rigs around here have 13.5k A/c (heck our 5'er has one). When you go south or west the 15k units become a lot more common...


Well it is SOB









The 301BH could be a 13.5K as that is the size listed for all Outbacks in 2010 but at that size of trailer my gut said 15K. My 08 31RQS came with a 15k so I may have assumed and you know what that means.

Back to the question at hand. Take a thermometer and place it in the vent outlets. If the outlet air is 60 degrees F then it is doing all it can do. Let us know what it reads. Also are you in full sun or is there some shade?


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

I will definitely try the thermostat trick tomorrow and see what its kicking out. I did find a serial model number 8333E8564 which from everything I have found looks to be a 13,500 unit. A Coleman MACH 3+ EZ A/C, so it looks as thought there may be an upgrade in my future.....

Any recommendations on a 15k unit???

thanks for all the help and advice by the way...
Dave


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## BritsOnTour (Sep 15, 2006)

Nathan said:


> I'm not so sure on the 15k A/C. The OB brochure clearly states 13.5. Also, I think you bought it in MI, right? Most rigs around here have 13.5k A/c (heck our 5'er has one). When you go south or west the 15k units become a lot more common...


We ended up getting it from Baltimore as it worked with the tight time lines we had with our travels to switch it out. We did us MI as a price comparison which really worked so ended getting a very good price...I think we do have a 13.5k unit so a upgrade may be in our future. With all the kids and the computers I have running it can get a little tooo hot!!


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

Hey Dave,

You may want to look into a Fantastic fan for maybe the bathroom vent as well. They really help to draw the heat out, and could help the A/C work less by drawing some hot air out rather than through the A/C air return. We all know hot air rises!!

Steve


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

CamperAndy said:


> Another issue is open duct work. They were not always good about sealing the ducts. Pull the covers off all the outlets and the main AC cover in the trailer. Check to make sure the are not any openings that just go off into the ceiling. Use the metal backed duct tape to seal. Use a mirror and flash light to check the ducts for obstructions.


When I fixed this on my trailer it made a HUGE difference on the cooling capability. I'll say easily a 25% increase.

They may have Gilligan out of that department now, but they used to slap these things in there so quick that half the airflow would be going up into the ceiling. Pull the main inside cover off the unit and see how it looks. I made some cardboard panels and used duct tape to block everything off around the unit.


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## funtownrv (Feb 13, 2010)

That is a 13.5 unit.......Easily switched at your local rv parts store...If you have someone who will price match just let me know and I will give you a lowball price to use....


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

CamperAndy said:


> I'm not so sure on the 15k A/C. The OB brochure clearly states 13.5. Also, I think you bought it in MI, right? Most rigs around here have 13.5k A/c (heck our 5'er has one). When you go south or west the 15k units become a lot more common...


Well it is SOB









......
[/quote]









Ok, I guess I asked for that one.









Hey Dave, there's another solution. Just hitch up and drive North until the A/C is sufficient again!


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## outback loft (Sep 22, 2008)

The 15k btu unit will definitely take care of your cooling needs. I actually have a 15k combo AC/heat pump in mine. I am not sure how I ended up with that but it was a nice surprise. In the summer I can actually cool the inside of the trailer down to 65 degrees when it is 85 outside no problem. The heat pump works great but the only catch is that it blows out of the AC duct which are in the ceiling, and heat rises so I just have to set the temperature a little higher to accommodate for that.

I had a 13.5k in my last trailer and it did work work, but as it got hotter the longer the unit would run. I was able to keep 68 in the last trailer; but it was smaller, didn't have as tall a ceiling, and was not ducted.

As other people have suggested, check the ducting, also remove the cover where the AC unit is and check that the holes for the ducts are not covered over. Mine were covered over with the foil tape that they use to seal the joints in the ducting. Once I removed that I could cool the inside down in about 10 minutes.


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## SouthLa26RS (Jul 10, 2006)

Being your RV is a 2010 the condenser should not need to be cleaned. I second to check the duct work, there may be gaps where the cold air is blowing between the ceiling and roof.


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## Joe/GA (Aug 14, 2009)

One way to check the operation of an air conditioner is to measure the TD or temperature differential. Get a decent thermometer and measure the temperature of the air entering the return duct and then, measure the temp of the air coming out of the supply duct. If there is at least a 15 degree (F) difference, the unit is probably doing all that it can. If you have a good TD shortly after it starts up and a poor TD much later, the unit is most likely freezing up. Freezing can be caused by low freon pressure or low air flow, among other things. The air flow could be blocked by dirt in the coils or the filter. It could also be caused by a fan that is not running at the proper speed. I once saw an air conditioner that wouldn't cool properly and I found the the coils were partially blocked by cardboard! The cardboard was on the coil to protect it during shipping and should have been removed upon installation. 
Normally, you wouldn't expect to be able to decrease the temperature of the camper more than 20 degrees lower than the outside ambiant temperature. Of course, a lot of factors come into play here. Such as trees vs. direct sun, insulation quality, the capacity of the unit, etc. That said, you should be able to be comfortable in your camper with an outside ambiant of 88 degrees(F).
BTW, be sure to let us know what you find wrong with the unit. 
Good luck!


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## Tangooutback (Apr 16, 2010)

I just had a problem with my a/c (five years old) and came to find out that the low pressure freon line, where you normally go in to fill freon into the system, does not have any valve at all. Obviously the manufacturer (Carrier) design this unit as a disposable. If it leaks or lose freon for any reason, you simply replace it with a brand new unit at the tune of about 1K.

Luckily my buddy who helped me with this issue is an A/C technician. He installed a saddle valve on the freon line and was able to measure the pressure. It was barely 9 psi. There was practically no freon left in the system. He charged it up to 80 psi and now it blows cold air like never before.

Another extra add-on he did was changing out the weeenie factory start capacitor with a hard start capacitor, which has twice the capacitance as the stock one. The a/c surge current is now 14 amps versus 19 amps before the mod.

You may want to look at doing same thing I did.


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## Joe/GA (Aug 14, 2009)

Carrier didn't make your unit a disposable unit. A hermetically sealed unit is less likely to leak if you don't have any valves or connections. And, of course, service valves add cost! If you needed to add freon, that means there is a leak somewhere and you will have to add freon again at some time. Be aware that saddle valves can also leak. The best thing to do is to braze in a proper service valve. That said, your saddle valve may not leak for several years. Did your buddy check for leaks? Depending on where in the system the leak is located, you could also have lost lubricating oil. If you don't have sufficient oil in the system, you will shorten the life of your compressor. The good news is that you would probably see a oil film around the area of the leak, if you were leaking oil. A hard start kit is probably not a bad idea. Especially on older units like mine!


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## Lacy286 (Apr 15, 2010)

Joe/GA said:


> One way to check the operation of an air conditioner is to measure the TD or temperature differential. Get a decent thermometer and measure the temperature of the air entering the return duct and then, measure the temp of the air coming out of the supply duct. If there is at least a 15 degree (F) difference, the unit is probably doing all that it can. If you have a good TD shortly after it starts up and a poor TD much later, the unit is most likely freezing up. Freezing can be caused by low freon pressure or low air flow, among other things. The air flow could be blocked by dirt in the coils or the filter. It could also be caused by a fan that is not running at the proper speed. I once saw an air conditioner that wouldn't cool properly and I found the the coils were partially blocked by cardboard! The cardboard was on the coil to protect it during shipping and should have been removed upon installation.
> Normally, you wouldn't expect to be able to decrease the temperature of the camper more than 20 degrees lower than the outside ambiant temperature. Of course, a lot of factors come into play here. Such as trees vs. direct sun, insulation quality, the capacity of the unit, etc. That said, you should be able to be comfortable in your camper with an outside ambiant of 88 degrees(F).
> BTW, be sure to let us know what you find wrong with the unit.
> Good luck!


I can attest to the 20 degrees............we were camping in a Texas state park last summer at the end of July and it was 100 degrees every day. The a/c ran great but the inside temp would only go down to 80 and as the outdoor temp dropped, the the indoor would drop. And we were in a good shady spot. But, heat is heat. And it was HOT. GOOD THING? We were camping and it was STILL FUN!


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## WWH (May 7, 2010)

As others have stated check the duct work! The factory did a very poor job of sealing mine.


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