New Rooftop Air Conditioner Condensation Line

[sabegirl]

Last week we had a new rooftop Dometic air conditioner installed. Today we discovered the condensation water running across the roof to the awning side and flowing down the exterior wall of the Airstream. The old unit ran the water into the condensation line and drained in front of the driver side tire. Is the drainage going across the roof ok? I have a feeling it's not the preferred way.

[Bubba L]

Why couldn’t the new AC condensate utilize the old drain line? I’ve seen AC condensate run down the side of an Airstream, and in time, creates a definite stain. Good luck

[cwf]

is this a second AC?

[SeeMore]

It is possible the tech did not connect the drain tube to the existing tube routed through the wall. 2nd, there could be a blockage in the drain tube causing the pan to fill but that usually is first noticed by water dripping inside the trailer from the air distribution box. 3rd, the unit might require a condensate pump to move the water from the drip pan to the drain and those AC units drain to the roof without the pump installed.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by sabegirl

Last week we had a new rooftop Dometic air conditioner installed. Today we discovered the condensation water running across the roof to the awning side and flowing down the exterior wall of the Airstream. The old unit ran the water into the condensation line and drained in front of the driver side tire. Is the drainage going across the roof ok? I have a feeling it's not the preferred way.

Did you install the drain cup kit so the water would drain through the tube, instead of over the top of the trailer?

[sabegirl]

This isn't a second air conditioner for the Airstream. It's a replacement for the original a/c that did work but ran way too cold. (I know that's hard to imagine. You couldn't control it how low it would go)

Condensation would drain just fine in the condensation line with the old unit.

I'm thinking the RV Center that replaced the a/c didn't feel it was necessary to use the condensation line so they let it run on the roof. This was not a Airstream RV Center but the tech said he had worked on Airstreams.

I'm sure any drain pan that was there originally was removed and put in the RV Centers scrap pile of waste. You can see on the roof where the old one was and tell the new unit is smaller.

I don't suppose there is a simple solution such as running a plastic line from the condensation line from the a/c to the drain line? Will I need to buy a new pan? Hopefully it doesn't go under the a/c.

[ROBERT CROSS]

This OF thinks you may have been taken for a ride.

If the old unit got cold but you couldn't control the fan or thermostat?...More info on what actually failed is in order.

In any case, a proper drip pan and re-connecting it to the drain line is in order. Yes it does go under the unit, but MAY not require complete removal., just loosening the mount bolts and sliding the kit underneath.

Curious...was the facility a 'Camping World'?

Bob
🇺🇸

[GammaDog]

Lots of questions to answer here...

1. I’m assuming the new unit is an unducted Dometic Penguin II?
2. Can you see (and maybe photograph and post here) exactly where the condensate is emerging from the rooftop unit and draining across the roof? Some RV manufacturers have these units drain across the roof as the normal way to dump condensate. Your installer may have defaulted to that.
3. Some surfaces on the Penguin II that are exposed to ambient air are cold enough to sweat and drop condensate onto the roof in hot, humid weather even if the normal drains are working. Is your condensate draining from both the drain and the roof, or only the roof?
4. If you are handy, you can remove the grille from inside the trailer and see the drain connections. There will be a clear plastic tube from both the left and the right side “cups” coming to a tee fitting that connects to the drain line to the ground. If that connection wasn’t made, or if the lines are kinked or pinched the condensate won’t flow and will back up onto the roof.

[sabegirl]

Robert Cross, The a/c would start out working on low or medium speed but after a short while the low power light would come on and the a/c would only blow on high. We thought a capacitor might be bad and attempted to take it off to get a number to order a replacement. Couldn't get the capacitor out. It was a very tight situation. Decided it might be best to get a new a/c since the old one was 29 years old. Repair center wasn't Camping World. We called and repair center says running the condensation water across the roof is how they always do the installation.

GammaDog, I'll try to get some pictures. I know it's a Dometic A/C but not sure if it's the Penguin II. I'll check on that. I think we just need to call the installers and tell them we're not happy that the condensate is running across the roof instead of the drain.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Well, do we assume they didn't see the drain line they disconnected when they installed the new unit?
Or they saw it, did it rong anyway and hoped you wouldn't notice.

I think they owe you more than..."it's the way we always do it."

Bob
🇺🇸

[DoubleR]

You should be able to see the condensation collection cups between the A/C and the roof near the front of the A/C.

[GammaDog]

You can probably id the type of Dometic by eye, although now that we know it was installed without a drain connection deliberately, the model doesn’t matter so much. The P II is the sleek, low profile model the Airstream has used in new production for years and years.

I just did a quick online search and couldn’t even find instructions on how to install a P II without a drain connection. If I had do do it that way, I suppose I’d install the plastic “drain cups” that come with the unit backwards. That way, their drains wouldn’t be pointing inward to connect with the clear plastic drain piping, the would point outward and drain onto the roof.

At this point, I’m with a Robert... I’d press the installer to make it “rite”. No need for pics to the peanut gallery here if you go that route.

There’s lots of help here if you want to press on with the repair yourself. If they did what I suspect they did, the fix involves removing the entire unit, putting it upside down, reversing the cups, adding the plumbing that connects them, reinstalling and connecting to everything (120v, thermostat wires if you have a wall mounted thermostat, 12 v supply and, yes, the drain line.).

We’re here if you need us!

[docflyboy]

I hope you paid for the work with a charge card like a Visa or the like. Don't discount the power of contesting a credit card charge with Visa to get the attention of the shop, if that's what it takes.