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kentuvman · 07-06-2010, 03:06 PM

Wondering who you might recommend in MN - my a/c condensation/leakage is not from a clogged tube.

Thanks,

Ken

Foiled Again · 07-06-2010, 03:24 PM

Here in high humidity Eastern Virginia we have our office A/C units flood every damn year. My partner has taken a wet-dry vacuum wrapped his fingers around the nozzle loosely sealing the drain tube and sucked the black crap out of the tube. Once it lets go, the stuff that comes out of there would puke a mule! We have 4 A/C units and he does them all in about 10 minutes.

Paula

Lothlorian · 07-06-2010, 05:30 PM

very informative post because my airconditioner just started to leak back into the trailer. I have to disagree about using anything with chlorine in it. Chlorine will eat up aluminum fast. Chlorine on aluminum is a big no no.

Brian

FullTimin2HI · 04-26-2011, 05:40 PM

I'll second that bleach is a no no in a/c systems... Vinegar is a great substitute that will kill all the slime in a drip tube... I prefer to use those little blue tabs that are available at the Orange Big Box Store at the a/c department, but I still haven't figured a convenient way to get them into the drip tray... Any ideas?

Mike Leary · 04-26-2011, 06:17 PM

Hmmm, you guys got odd problems (maybe high humidity). I've posted before about using a small air compressor and blowing the lines from the bottom. The heat of the compressor should get rid of any growth without damaging the system. Works for me.

nickcrowhurst · 04-27-2011, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FullTimin2HI

I still haven't figured a convenient way to get them into the drip tray... Any ideas?

On my unit I switch off the electricity supply to the device, drop the internal cover by removing the control knobs and a couple of screws, and the edge of the one side of the drip pan can just be reached to drop the tablets where required.
Nick.

FullTimin2HI · 04-27-2011, 06:16 PM

Nice one Nick! I'll take a look next time I'm feelin' industrious! Thanks!

Nightwind15 · 08-04-2011, 08:36 AM

Can someone tell me on a Bambi 19 where the exit point is? I looked under it and see no drain tube. There are tubes running everywhere but no down drip type tube.
Thanks

KJRitchie · 04-30-2013, 01:40 AM

My AC in our newly acquired 2008 Classic 25FB leaked onto the hall floor this weekend camping trip. I took the air filters off and there was a lot of water inside the plastic cover on the left front corner. Removing the cover showed this had been occurring more than this trip and maybe the PO didn't know about it or cared. Once the plastic cover is off there is a large metal plate expose where the plastic outside cover screws onto..The is an hole for air to be sucked in right over the were the water was collecting in the plastic cover. I could barely reach in with my hand and felt water on the inside of the metal plate. It seemed to be coated with a dense padded material. I could feel some sort of tray with water in above this metal cover it when I stuck my hand further up the air intake area.

I have a laundry list of major problems with this AS and will take it back to the dealer I purchased it from in a few days to have the 90 day warranty take care of it.

Thanks

Kelvin

KJRitchie · 05-01-2013, 01:16 PM

Looks like my 90 day warranty is only for stuff that breaks; AC, water heaters stuff like that so anything like water leaks is maitenance so i will be attempting to get to the bottom of this.

The large metal plate has some long screws and is probably the main way the AC is secured to the roof. If I remove this plate will it give me better access to the drip pan so I can gain access to the drain hole to blow air etc into it. I'd like to clean the pan too. Is this possible or do I really need to go on the roof.

I'm too scared to go up to the roof for fear of damaging the roof when steping on it.

Kelvin.

kentuvman · 05-02-2013, 05:59 AM

I've found if my trailer isn't level the a/c will leak.

KJRitchie · 05-02-2013, 09:22 AM

Mine was level for the fridge. I level using a round bubble level in the freezer floor and then check the level on the floor adjacent to the fridge. I've noticed when the fridge is level the kitchen counter is off. A pencil on the countertop if pushed will roll to the curbside wall on the counter. Looking towards the front of the trailer the water was dripping into the left front chamber of the plastic housing.

I guess its a cool feature to have AC condensation run down a tube so it dumps on the ground from the wheel well vs just discharging it out the side of the AC on the roof but when it goes wrong its a PITA.

Kelvin

**DKB_SATX** · 05-02-2013, 10:46 AM

It has the potential for making a mess if there's gunk in the line, but if you can locate the end of the drain line on the underside of the trailer you can blow air through that direction as well. It doesn't help you with cleaning the pan, but might get the line cleared.

Chasmorgan · 05-02-2013, 12:24 PM

On my home AC condensation pipes i use a shop vac to suction out any debris or fungus. It really works well. My AC guy gave me the tip. Might work on your trailer too.

Pileus · 05-02-2013, 01:18 PM

I cleaned my AC drain tube from the top down. First, I disconnected the tube from the drain pan and fed a length of line trimmer into the tube inside the Airstream until the line emerged at the bottom end of the tube outside the Airstream. Then I pulled the line on through from the outside. Clearing the tube from from topside to bottom will ensure that trash is not being forced up the tube into the drain pan where it remains a problem.
The second step could have been to use my air compressor to blow the line free--again from top to bottom. But I elected instead to try a hydraulic flush. I had a plastic food syringe (veterinarian supply) that fit snugly into the tube. I injected enough hot soapy water into the tube until it drained freely outside. A big mess of fibrous gunk came out. It was some sort of insect nest.
My AC drain tube has been free ever since.

KJRitchie · 05-03-2013, 04:44 AM

I can't see how to gain access to the vent tube from above. Attached a photo of my AC inside vent cover removed. The front of the AC is toward the bottom of the photo. The area where the water was draining into the plastic vent house is the lower left where you can see a double wire crossing. That hole I can peak through and see to the top of the external housing. I can barely get my hand up there but I could feel moisture and I think I felt the drip pan. It didn't appear to feel like a very deep drip pan unless its shallow at the edges and deeper in the middle to promote runoff towards the drain tube.

I think the drain tube is that gray clumpy object in that same area. AS must have covered it with gray caulk. Seems a short section of foam pipe insulation would be better.

Is it safe to remove this metal plate via the three bolts without jeopardizing the integrety of the AC seal on the roof? I don't want to fix this issue and introduce an outside leak.

Will removing this plate gain me better access to the drip pan and where the tube is connected so I can clean it better and use the weed trimmer line to run down to the outside wheel well?

Thanks

Kelvin

KJRitchie · 05-03-2013, 07:03 AM

The model of my AC according the the warranty card found in the Kelty case of manuals shows 630515.331. I downloaded the installation PDF from Dometic but the diagrams didn't seem to show how to connect the drain tube. Is this something only Airstream does?

Thanks

Kelvin

cwf · 05-03-2013, 07:13 AM

Even in my home AC I pour a cup of Clorox into the drain line every month. If I don't get a lot of "flow" I pour more.

Pileus · 05-03-2013, 04:53 PM

If the "grey clumpy object" is located on the same side of your Airstream as the drain tube exits thru the belly pan--forward of the wheel well (on my Airstream this is the street side) then that may be the drain tube. It may be insulated to keep moisture from condensing and dripping inside.

KJRitchie · 05-04-2013, 07:01 PM

Today I dropped the metal plate that secures the AC on the roof. I think mine is held on with caulk as the the 3 bolts were pretty loose. You also have to remove two screws that attach to the air output shaft.

Attached is a photo looking front to rear. You can see the silver duct were the air condtioned air comes out. Its deflected by the outside plastic housing.

There is no inside access to the drain pan. The drain pan is narrow and deep and looks like an oil sump pan. The gray glob is the drain tube The drain pan is behind the evaporator coil or downstream at the air flow where the condensation collects. I think the only way to check the drain pan is go on the toof and remove the outside AC covers.

When I was getting AC condensation in the trailer I noticed the area around the evaporator from the air intake was wet. I'm thinking the AC is cooling the area off in there and water is condensing on the cover and dripping down when the AC cycles off. When it drips down it hits the metal center plate and runs off into the plastc cover collecting in the corner until it over flows. I'm wondering what would happen if the inside was coated with fiberglass to insulte it better.

I tried running weed trimmer line up the drain hose just forward on the left front tire. I could only get about 9 foot of trimmer into the drain hose before it sooted. I'm going to try some compressed air tomorrowi mm '