Air Conditioner Dead

[captain kirk]

Hello nice people. Don't get on here very much but was wondering if any body has an idea what I might expect to pay for a new air conditioner. I have a 2004 Safari 28' whose air conditioner worked fine for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I turned it off for about 4 hours while we went sight seeing. Came back and Nothing. Nada. Tries to run but just won't do it. Being 13 years old I'm thinking if it's going to be hundreds of dollars to repair it I might as have a new one installed. Any thoughts on what a new one will cost these days? Thanks so much in advance.

[xrvr]

are you on shore power/ did you check the breaker/ are other 120 volt devices working/is the switch turned on for cool, not fan/ some things to check/ is it getting 120 volts

[Mollysdad]

The good news is that most RV air conditioners are designed to fit into a standard 14" vent opening. You already have the wiring.
http://www.campingworld.com/category...nditioners/370

$700 to $1300

[captain kirk]

Yeah. All the 30 amp and 20 amp fuses are good and all the breakers (30) amp are on. It sounds like the compressor is on but not the fan. Then after a few intermittent attempts then the compressor won't come on. Something inside it is overheating I'm thinking. I've taken it to an RV shop where it will be worked on in a week or so. We'll see. Thank you for your response.

[captain kirk]

That's what I was thinking (+/- $1000). Probably bite the bullet on this one and put in a new one. Appreciate your response.

[rodsterinfl]

Before you replace the whole unit there are some things to mention. Units can freeze up and quit. Mine did once. I turned it off, let it thaw and it ran again. They need full fan in certain conditions.

Another thing is the start capacitor. They go bad and the AC will not start or it may start the fan only. There is also a run capacitor. Just sayin. They are cheaper than a new unit and most likely a issue. They can be tested. Somewhere I read to keep a few on hand like the fiber gear in my tongue jack- weird but important parts.

[ATownTX]

It's probably time to change it. Any thoughts on adding a second AC or do you already have a second?

I hope I get 9 years. I'm going to upgrade to 15k btu when the time comes though.

[rodsterinfl]

There are pros and cons to upgrading. I have shared twice before on Airforums about my history with ACs and homes. I learned a valuable lesson from a friend in the business. This may sound crazy but you want the smallest unit that will cool the space using the volume, windows, insulation, appliance, people factors. The reason is that if the unit is too big, it will cool the space before it has drawn out the moisture and leave you cold and wet. I actually used his template to calculate my AS. I used the lowest insulation factor. It came out as needing a 9-10K BTU unit. It makes sense. Just think that those window AC units can freeze you out of a large bedroom4X the size of an AS, in an R30 house. So far, in my 25' Safari, I have been in 98 degree humid weather with direct sun and the 11K unit did great. We came back one afternoon late during that week and it was stifling outside in SC. The three of us warmed it up a bit more inside, about 5 degrees, but it was still cool.

That said, my unit is the original. Since then they have changed the refrigerant type and compressors too. According to my reading, the newer, while more environmentally friendly, is less efficient. I also have heard the compressors are louder overall. I dread having to get another unit in the future because this one works so well.

[Rich W]

Our 23' has a 15K unit in it. Like Rodster says, go smaller. I'm not sure if the smaller units are any quieter but we can't hear the TV when the A/C kicks in. It also blows right at us on the L-couch or bed. At least in the bed we have the covers. Seems silly to sit on the couch with a blanket in 80+ weather but that's what we have to do.

It's nice to be able to cool the AS down in a hurry but the cold air freezes my wife, even if it's in the low to mid-80s inside the AS. She says the cold air is just too much for her to take. Because we don't run it for very long, the humidity stays high, which makes her even colder.

If / when it comes time to replace I think I'll go with a lower BTU also and see if I can't find something with a very low speed fan too.

[captain kirk]

Originally Posted by rodsterinfl

Before you replace the whole unit there are some things to mention. Units can freeze up and quit. Mine did once. I turned it off, let it thaw and it ran again. They need full fan in certain conditions.

Another thing is the start capacitor. They go bad and the AC will not start or it may start the fan only. There is also a run capacitor. Just sayin. They are cheaper than a new unit and most likely a issue. They can be tested. Somewhere I read to keep a few on hand like the fiber gear in my tongue jack- weird but important parts.

You the man rodster. It's the hard start capacitor. My unit has a triple capacitor (compressor, hard start, and neutral). Cost is app $40 but labor is gonna be app $180 for 1 1/2 hr. Total app $220. That's better than a whole new unit. I know that day will come but hopefully way on down the road. Thanks for your input. You nailed it. Thanks to everybody also.

[AWCHIEF]

Glad the issue was found. Mine goes in the shop on the 26th for the same symptoms. Hopefully it is as simple and relatively inexpensive a fix as yours.

[rodsterinfl]

You can easily change the capacitor out- just sayin again but be mindful to do it to drain charge. Glad to hear the news. My father taught me to always ask questions on mechanical stuff. Often services will just say replace it. It may be best or, it may not but the decision should be yours not theirs.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

Glad the issue was found. Mine goes in the shop on the 26th for the same symptoms. Hopefully it is as simple and relatively inexpensive a fix as yours.

Michael, on my 23' the same capacitor went out and was repaired by the PO just before we bought it from him. He even had the old one to show us. Since we both have the 2006 I'm guessing it's the same thing on yours.