Carrier Air-V A/C Help

[OcalaPop-UP]

I have a 2000 Coleman/Fleetwood SantaFe. We are getting ready to leave on a trip for 2 weeks this Friday. When I was in the pop-up this weekend getting it ready...I noticed that the A/C wasn

[calstate360]

I have a 2000 Coleman/Fleetwood SantaFe. We are getting ready to leave on a trip for 2 weeks this Friday. When I was in the pop-up this weekend getting it ready...I noticed that the A/C wasn

[mike4947]

FYI that 20 degrees is just the inlet to outlet temperature differnece. Since the unit recycles the air in the camper you can drop the temp down to freezing if you don't have a thermal load (sun, etc) reheating the air.

In a lot of cases it's just a need to have the filters cleaned off. They do get dirty and do decrease the efficency of the AC.
As for recharging, the units are designed to be sealed for life and do not have recharging ports or a dryer like you'd find on an auto AC.
They have to braze on charging ports to recharge the unit and since there is no dryer any moisture that gets in the system while it's open to add the ports stays in and corrodes the parts.
We've found that recharging usually buys you an extra season at most.

[OcalaPop-UP]

I just got off the phone with several repair shops and they said the same thing you did. The unit is sealed for life. I thought the problem might be a power one. I plug it into a dedicated circuit in the garage...but it is not 30amp. I think we will be ok. We are heading to Cosby, TN just out side of Gatlinburg. Jellystone campground and the weather should be OK without the A/C....but you never know.

Thanks again...

Glad to be back on the board

[tlhdoc]

Welcome back.  You can plug the AC unit into a 20 amp outlet.  You don't have to have a 30 amp outlet to test it.

[Johnowolf]

Welcome back. You can plug the AC unit into a 20 amp outlet. You don't have to have a 30 amp outlet to test it.

The key in what tlhdoc is saying is to plug the AC unit in by itself, not through the PUs standard electrical system. On most PUs that have been factory wired with AC, the AC cord ends in a standard 3-prong plug that plugs into a dedicated outlet on the converter. The outlet is run from the 20A AC breaker. If you haven't tried it already, try unplugging the AC from it's dedicated plug and plug it in DIRECTLY to a 20A outlet in your home.
 
This is also what you want to do if you are at a site that doesn't have a 30A plug in the electrical hookups. At some parks (especially older or not well-maintained ones) you may find only 20A plugs and no 30A. It's a good idea to plug the AC in by itself rather than trying to run everything from a 30A/20A adapter. While you can do it, if you are running AC you are probably going to overload something, and you're pretty much guaranteed to not have adequate supply for your AC to function correctly. Overloading a power supply, or not running with an adequate supply, is also a darned good way to wear out a Converter.

[OcalaPop-UP]

Overloading a power supply, or not running with an adequate supply, is also a darned good way to wear out a Converter.

Thanks John,

So it all makes sense now. Two years ago I had the pup-up in the back yard and was doing some repairs and camping with my daughters in the back yard. I had the pop-up plugged into a standard outlet (with the converter thingy on the end).  It was up for about 3 weeks.  The air wasn

[hoppy]

When you say the out coming air is not cold, can you hear the compressor on?

 If the compressor is running, then I agree that you may have lost the gas charge out of the system. Check the filters also.

 If the compressor is not switching on, it may only have a defective thermostat, (make sure it is pegged to the coldest point)  starting capacitor might be bad, or you have low voltage to the compressor. Must be at least 108 volts on that line for the AC to run correctly....methinks.

 Hope this helps, and good luck.

[sohosam]

The typical rooftop RV Air Conditioner, just like your typical home refrigerator, has a sealed coolant/Freon/refrigerant system that never needs recharging unless you have physical damage. Automobile AC and some home units have service valves that can leak.

The electronic refrigerant leak detectors thay use when assembling the cooling system will find any existing leak.  They can detect a leak as small 1/2 ounce a year and these systems have about 14 ounces in them.  Your local AC repairman has a leak detector that is just as sensitive. They can find a leak best when the wind is not blowing.

If the fan is working, the filter is clean and you think the cooling can be better try using a long handle nylon dishwashing brush to clean the evaporator coil. First turning off the circuit breaker for the unit and test that it is off. Remove the bottom cover and use a flashlight to examine the fins on the evaporator. Brush in a downward motion to clean.

If the refrigerant really is low a serviceman can either braze a filter/dryer with access valve in the suction pipe of the AC. A better choice might be a clamp on self-piercing valve. The self piercing valve does not add the contaminants of brazing including air and moisture.

Small, sealed AC systems have such a small amount refrigerant that it is usually best not to just add refrigerant. The best soultion is to evacuate the system and recharge using a scale to weigh the refrigerant.  Too much refrigerant and the suction line gets very cold or frost forms.  Too little refrigerant and the suction line is hot!  

Of course you have to weigh the expense of a service call versus the age of the Air Conditioner and the ~$500 cost of a new RV Air Conditioner.