Water leaking from one AC ducted air vent

[Jkreis]

I have 2019 International Signature 28 RBQ with two AC’s. It started pouring rain and our front Ducted AC vent is leaking water. Any thoughts were the leak may be happening

[LABluebike]

J -
Did you get this fixed? We noticed the exact same thing last week during our 2021 Globetrotter’s first hard rain. It was just a few drops from the AC vent in the bathroom, but it was real. The trailer is in the shop now for some other repairs and I’ve asked my service manager to look into this. I suppose the only good thing about such a leak is that it is probably limited to the AC ducting system, as opposed to some kind of roof leak that spreads all over the trailer’s upper structure before dripping into the cabin!
Thanks!
- Gordon in Los Angeles

[BB2Fam]

Just experienced our first hard rain and have a leak in the air duct in the bathroom. I thought it was the fan vent that had been left open, but it's clearly coming from the air duct....I plan to climb up there after the rain and look to see if any sealing can be done. Just worried what may have leaked under the frame.

[Daquenzer]

My hunch is that you all have a seam on the outside that may need some sealant. I had a leak in my closet area in the bedroom. Found seam on the outside that looked like it needed sealant. Fixed it. No problem since. I just bought some silicone sealant. Don't need much.

[LABluebike]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions! My dealer reports that the shop has done a roof-top water check and could not duplicate any leak. Just as BB2Fam says, I also left my bathroom vent open during the rain. I won't do that again and we'll see what happens next storm. A bit coincidental that BB2Fam has a 2021 and the leak was in the exact same location. . .

[BB2Fam]

Yes, I agree with LA. I also noticed that after a hard rain with the fan closed, that there was still some dripping. It was greatly reduced, but still happened.

[DeanGorrell]

Hi there,

Did you ever discover what this was caused by and did you get it fixed? If so, how so? Thank you.

[LABluebike]

Hi All -

I have not had the problem since my report on this site. The service manager told me that attempts to replicate the event produced no leak. He mentioned it might have been a condensation issue.

Hope it all works out!

- Gordon

[nadrad314]

Like most leaks, this is only a problem when it rains and when it rains I can't get on the roof....

We had super heavy Midwestern rain last night, which, for the midwest, is truly saying something. Like an inch an hour type rain.

Saw water on the floor under the air intake on the ceiling.

Anyone else experience this or have figured out if it can/should be addressed?

Thanks!

[chris_kelly]

We had this happen to us this weekend in Bastrop TX with the storms we had.

It’s only in our bathroom and only during heavy rains.

Wondering if it’s an issue with the tank vent install?

Looks like we have the Lippert product:

https://a.co/d/6c1Rrr2

Was thinking of installing one of these:

Solar powered vent fan. Seems gimmicky.
https://a.co/d/fTvmtQd

Or

Directional fan vent. May prevent water in stack. Maybe.
https://a.co/d/4wA0ztv

[BB2Fam]

We have been thru some rains with no issue and others with the same leak I reported in this thread. Dealer could not recreate either. Not sure what to think on this one, other than next maintenance will probably have it replaced. Maybe they will see something thing and hopefully it won't happen too much and isn't getting in walls...makes me very nervous though.

[wave man]

Ok, my input is not unique as this issue has been around the forums before...the question is, Is it relevant to your situation?

I had the same problems, as have others, my own posts are somewhere on the forums as well.

The gist of the problem was that some of the vent / tubes/ hoods? whatever you call them- for one of the tanks- either grey or black- were not installed correctly at the FACTORY ..

Meaning a heavier rain that came in at an angle let's say... would go down the vent pipe (and not into the holding tank like it was supposed to be directed and instead pass/leak into the space between the skins- basically in the ceiling...) over the bathroom. This is NOT the fan, this is one of the vent tubes that emerge from the roof over the bathroom and serve to vent one of the tanks.

I had the same hassles, blank stares, and loop d loop service visits wasting my time because the techs at the dealer had no clue. My water came in through the interior ceiling seam on the curb/bath side and out the AC duct n the bathroom.

I first saw the discovery of the issue and the fix here on this forum from an astute and talented owner. My dealer service dept. didn't believe me until their own side of the house told them it was indeed a real issue and the cause and solution were exactly as owners had been telling them for years.

My own dealer stunned me by admitting this and fixing the issue some 6 months ago. After years of stress and worry.

Now. it bears pointing out that these trailers' AC systems have what amounts to an inadequate design to deal with excessive humidity. You'll see other posts stating the same thing, the AC drain "pans" are a joke, the drain hoses from the pans are too narrow and inadequate to resist dealing with very high humidity for frequent use, what I mean is that if they're used a lot the tubes are so narrow they quickly are overwhelmed by algae/slimes etc growing in the tubes and impeding the easy flow of drainage to the ground.

The solution, so far the only easy one is to suction the hose from the wheel well thus clearing the hose and enabling condensation to drain out, for the time being.

I do this once or twice a week, and there is no question at all the drain tubes are not draining adequately. When I do it they drain immediately, not a lot of volume- the tubes are skinny and the pans miniscule. The overflow escapes up top somewhere and goes wherever it can otherwise.

Just my discoveries/observations---- and not solved by me, especially the first tube/vent installation QC problem at the factory. The second solution I saw suggested somewhere else I am certain on this forum.

I bought a hand suction device on Amazon used by plumbers for house AC drain clearing (usually outside where the drain exits to the ground), cheap and plastic but does the trick, for too much money but it works.

search for "Nu-Calgon 61308 A/C Drain Sucker Kit" or maybe "A/C Drain Sucker condensate drain clog repair and treatment kit", one of them isn't available anymore but you'll see the device is simple and easy to use by anyone.

Between these two issues most of my concerns have been alleviated for the moment

Safe travels and happy days folks

[nadrad314]

Thank you for the responses!

I love the comment about the looks from service reps. No kidding!! I think they just like to F--- with you! Once I had to replace a "receptacle" on the what I call the deflector shields, but are really the rock guards over the front windows. The service manager looked right at me and said there are no "receptacles" on Air Streams. I said I thought that is what the tech said they were. The tech in question was right there and I asked him (a 20-something very bright young man) and he said, yes, Air Stream calls them receptacles. I turned back to the service manager but he just shrugged and said he calls them "doo hickeys". For what one pays for an AS, you'd think you'd get better service....

I think my problem was associated with trailer not being level. The night it leaked in it was nose down a degree or two, for I was ready to leave the following morning bright and early and had it all hitched up.

I think some Zen meditation is in order with AS ownership. My wife keeps telling me not to worry....

[BB2Fam]

I have an update...previously I stated how sporadic the leaking was...sometimes it would leak in heavy rain, sometimes it would not. I recalled reading somewhere that it was mentioned that the weather stripping could be loose and that people had just removed it. Well, I had to take the top of the vent off to remove a leaf and found the weather stripping just sitting in there, no longer attached with the backing tape. I just took it out. I could see how maybe that could have gotten under the vent top when it was closed and leaving just enough gap to allow leakage. It has rained several times since then and we also had the RV and roof washed and no leak.

Just something to look at....

[Boxite]

The much-higher humidity during rainstorms may be causing condensation WithIn the ducting of Ducted AC systems…which do not occur in non-ducted systems. Does the leak occur when the AC is NOT running during rainstorms?

Most residential AC units suggest sending bleach down the evaporator drain-lines annually to clear out algae. I personally must pressurize my residential drain line with compressed air occasionally to clear out mud dauber nests…and have modified my drain line where it exits the attic evaporator with a ball-valve and standpipe to accommodate that (to avoid back-flow during the clearing procedure.) I mention this only to remind everyone that drain lines are susceptible to blockage by algae.

Wave-Mans’ suggestion of the “Nu-Calgon AC Drain Sucker” which is priced sometimes as high at $250 at Amazon….. appears remarkably like the $8 transfer pump at Harbor Frieght: