Page 5 - Spring 2019 Travelore

DRVC Travelore - Page 5
more thorough cleaning, of course, but care should be taken to not damage the fins. The result will result in a reduced amount of time required for the unit to do the job it was designed to do.
• Now, while the cover is removed, check for obstructions • in the condensing fan. This is a place where wasps like
to build a nest. When they do, it will throw the squirrel cage fan out of balance and make it sound like your AC
Next, take a look to see if your air conditioner thermo- stat is powered correctly. If operated by a battery, check to see that it is charged. If operated by wiring, check the fuse or the circuit box.
Check for the circuit breakers. If one breaker tends to trip, especially at the start-up of the unit, there could be an electrical issue. There will be a couple of places to check. This is where the investment in a multimeter will be useful since it allows testing of the voltage coming into the RV or going from the main panel to the sub-
is in need of immediate repair. Again, use water with a
bit of pressure and mist to remove the dirt on the fan
blades. panel in the unit. Additionally, if the situation only
Study the illustrations accompanying this article to get a
good idea of what a roof-mounted air conditioning unit
looks like from a technical perspective. Above all, don’t
feel intimidated, it’s really rather simple. There’s are two • chambers. One handles the return of air from the interior which since it is sealed from the other chamber, sends the
occurs while the genset is running, the circuit breaker on the generator could be going bad. It will need to be replaced.
Does the blower just run and run but the air never get cool? This condition indicates that there is an electri- cal malfunction involving the controller board. It is preventing the compressor from kicking on. Since the compressor cannot move fluid through the coils, the unit will not cool. And, since the controllers are not field-replaceable, the AC unit will need to be replaced.
air back into the coach’s interior. The second chamber, which totally sits in the exposed air, exists to cool the oil (freon) in the condenser lines so it can be pumped to the evaporator coils. The compressor, dryer, and expansion valve all work as a unit to keep things balanced and func- tioning. When the compressor malfunctions, no cooling is achieved. When the fan motor malfunctions, no air is moved.
Other things to check
• The first place to look when you notice your RV air conditioner is not working properly is the thermostat. Make sure you have it set to the right temperature.
• Finally, check the unit for leaking fluids. This requires closer inspection of the condensing unit of the RV air conditioner. If there are any signs of leaking it indicates that there is a leak in the system. In general, this will involve replacing the unit.
Air-conditioners in an RV are different from the ones used at home or in an automobile in that the units are closed
or hermetically sealed system. Unlike a home unit or
dash-mounted unit, the RV unit has no valve for checking the level of the refrigerant. In other words, the system isn’t open so it isn’t designed for adding freon. Furthermore, if there are persistent problems with your RV air- conditioner, do not delay any further and immediately seek out a specialist who may provide further assistance.
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Byron Songer, VP Publications, wrote the content of this article using research and personal experience. He also created the graphic illustrations accompanying the information.
Evaporator Coil
Evaporator Drain Pan
Room Air Blower
Fan Motor
Supply Air to Interior Vent or Duct
Condenser Fan
Condenser Coil
Roof Gaskets RV Roof
Compressor, Dryer and Expansion Valve
Insulated Room Air Shroud
Return Air from Interior Vent or Duct
The view from the street side on a typical roof-top air conditioner.