AIRCONDITIONER Problem

[Chitown AirStreamers]

I'm new to the AS trailers & I'm still learning about the ins & outs of them. My most recent problem is my AC unit - the fan will run forever but the AC when its on will run for 3-5 mins, then shut off. I'm not blowing fuses-what could it be? The filters are clean on the unit also.

[thenewkid64]

Need a bit more info.............

What brand, is it original, etc. Then we can help. Different brands have diffrent "known troubles" and there are some units that can be serviced instead of having to replace it.

[Chitown AirStreamers]

DUOTHERM

[Chitown AirStreamers]

Duo Therm 600 Penguin

[thenewkid64]

If the compressor is coming on, running for 3-5 min and cuts off, does it come back on after a wait?

Does it blow cold while the compressor is running?

It sounds as if your thermostat is malfunctioning, or that the compressor is struggling and is shutting down to protect it self.

Are you using a 30 amp cord and a 30 amp outlet? Small cords can cause this type of problem due to lower voltage and not being able to pass the AMPS, the unit will shut down the compressor to stop from burning itself up.

[Chitown AirStreamers]

It blows Ice cold air..I'm running it in a 20 amp service , I thought these were either 15 or 20 amp? The compressor does not seem to be struggling.

[overlander64]

Greetings Chitown Airstreamers!

If my experience is any indicator, continued use of your air conditioner under existing conditions will result in the demise of its compressor. I thought that it would be safe to operate my '64 Overlander's Bay Breeze air conditioner on a 20 AMP circuit in my garage that the trailer's cord could reach without any extension cord (the outlet was about 15 to 18 feet from the breaker box in the garage), and there was nothing else on the circuit. I noted the same cycling that you describe - - the end result was a burnt out compressor - - my dealer described the damage (overheating) as the result of the compressor trying to operate on too little available current. After $750 to replace the air conditioner, I have learned my lesson - - before leaving the dealer, I purchased an appropriate RV outlet and box - - then had an electrical contractor install it at a cost of $90.

I know that it is tempting to use an adapter, and operate an RV air conditioner from a 15 or 20 AMP outlet but the result is quite often a burned out compressor - - happened twice to me in the last twenty years (evidently I didn't learn from the first time in 1980 - - the second occurence with the Airstream was in 1995). The cost of a professionally installed 30 AMP RV outlet is small in comparison to the cost of a new air conditioner - - or a new compressor if happens to be a model that is still availalbe.

My suspicion is that you will find that your air conditioner problem will disappear when connected to a 30-AMP dedicated circuit. Hopefully it hasn't cycled frequently enough to burn out the compressor.

Good luck with resolving the issues with your air conditioner!

Kevin

[thenewkid64]

20 amp service should be fine, but it could allow you to damage the AC, as Kevin mentioned above. If you are using the 30 amp to 15 converter, or a smaller cord it can choke the amperage down. Also the requirement is 20 amps is at 115 volts, using anything undersized causes loss . The lower voltage or amperage makes the compresor work harder, so it draws more amperage, until the safties kick in. Either the trailer breaker pops or the interal breaker in the AC does, if it has one, an internal saftey would allow you to not kill it, thereby reducing sales...........

The issue is the compressor, depending on the unit it can take almost 21 amps to run the unit, fan and compressor. Start up load can approach 25 amps to get the compressor going.

If it worked before, but is giving you trouble now the first place I would look is how it is plugged in, and then at the actual voltage at the plug. All theose AC's (Home and RV) running can create quite a load.

[j54mark]

The problem with 20 amp service is that you are using 15 amp plugs. They get hot, burn, and further restrict voltage.

Mark

[john hd]

here is a thread from a while back...

it covers alot of the things already discussed, but has some photo's showing installations of the 30 amp plug.


kevin and brett are correct, the proper plug costs alot less than a new ac unit.

http://www.airforums.com/forum...&threadid=3662

john

[Chuck]

so what amperage should the circuit breaker be for the a/c circuit? the breaker box in my trailer has 2 20 amp circuits...maybe that's part of my problem (?) then again, it seemed to run fine on the 20 amp last year.

I checked the owner's manual, and it says that there are 2 10-amp breakers....I can' t imagine how that can be right.

[thenewkid64]

RV Plug Outlet amperage should be 30 Amp. The 20 amp breakers are the max that the wiring in the trailer per circuit can handle. The AC will be on a 20 amp, and not trip a breaker even if it goes over for a second on startup. The breakers will blow if the draw is over the max for longer than a moment, or if there is a quick spike like a shorted wire.

The 30 amp is so you have 20 amp available for the AC and 10 amps left for everything else.

[Chitown AirStreamers]

I will go get the dedicated 30 amp outlet from somewhere...what about my cord-do I just get a new one with the funny looking three prong plug? & do all campgrounds use these plugs for their outlets? You know what I mean!

[thenewkid64]

When you go into Home depot, go to the electrical section where the wall switches and new outlets are. There are 50 amp connectors and dryer connectors. You may need to search a bit but they will have the RV outlet as a product. Be sure it is the RV one and not a dryer outlet, they look alike. It runs less than 10 bucks in most cases.

This outlet should be attached to a dedicated 30 amp breaker in the main power panel of your home or garage with proper gauge wire. The outlet will have a maximum wire size printed on the back. I would use what it says. I can't remember the AWG number off the top of my head. The back is also labled with wire color. Follow the labels and that end will be right.

If you wire it into a panel you will need the proper brand of single pole 30 AMP breaker and an empty slot, as well as some conduit, or at the least romex clamps for the main panel and the box that the outlet installs in. Run the wire into the panel, attach the black wire from the outlet to the new breaker, white to the neutral bus and green to the ground bus.

Snap out the knockout on the cover and replace the it, and you are ready to turn back on the main. Plug in and you are good to go!

Here is a picture of my outside outlet, I have one inside on another breaker for friends who drop by.

[overlander64]

Greetings Chitown Airstreamers!

what about my cord-do I just get a new one with the funny looking three prong plug?

I am rather surprised that you '66 Caravel doesn't already have the 30 AMP cord and plug as my '64 Overlander has had the 30 AMP setup for as long as I can remember. The 30 AMP plug is the older industry standard and is typically supported by most campgrounds. Many of the current upscale RVs have a 50 AMP plug, but at the campgrounds where I have stayed the boxes that had 50 AMP outlets also had 30 AMP and quite often 15 AMP outlets as well. Most of the people with whom I travel carry an assortment of adapters to work with a number of situations. For instance I carry the following in my coaches:

1. 30-AMP to 50-AMP adapter - - for use in a campground whose electrical boxes do not have a 30-AMP outlet - - I haven't had to use this adapter - yet.

2. 30-AMP to 15-AMP (one block style and one "T"-cord style) - - used at most rallys where minimal electric is supplied - - always used at International Rally.

If you have trouble finding the 30-AMP outlets and corresponding boxes, I have found RV dealers to be a best-source alternative. In the rural area where I live, the electrical supply house counterperson gave me the strangest blank stare when I asked for a 30-AMP 120 Volt exterior outlet and box assembly - - was determined that it had to be a 240 volt application - - that is when I called my nearby Mallard dealer who sold me the necessary hardware that my electrician installed.

Kevin

[thenewkid64]

Kevin,

Good catch, I missed the question on the cord end. It cannot be original, even the 65 Safari I had came equipped with original cord, 30 amp, and it was what was shown in the owners manual.

That could be more of the issue than anything else we have suggested. I would start with the cord. Who knows how much the spliced on end is creating in resistance. I think we all assumed that the cord had a 30 amp end.

The easiest way to replace it is to buy a 25 foot 30 amp extension cord from the local camping place and cut off the female end. You will need to follow the cord into the panel on the trailer and once again follow the wire colors. Depending on the local Home Depot they may have 30 amp RV ends. They run 10 bucks or so. Before you install it though, be sure it fits through the hole you feed your wire through this is the voice of experience speaking

This is something I usally have to do on every unit I buy. Ends get frayed, poor campground outlets overheat and cause the hot leg to melt in the end, wire spliced by PO with wire nuts and electrical tape. You get the picture.