Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 01-27-2011, 11:37 AM   #1
Winnebago Owner
 
FDchief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 137
Tru Air icing up in heat mode

I am in a Northern CA valley town which is experiencing thick fog. Temperature is 40 degrees. I have ice a third of the way up the condenser fins. I had the interior T-stat set at 72. It ran fine all night this way, but this is the first time in 7 years I have noticed the ice. I shut down the unit, and will use the furnace when encountering high humidity conditions.

Last year in FL, the A/C worked fine in the high humidity, so I am guessing it is a cold weather thing.

I cleaned both interior and exterior condensers and believe I have good air flow.

My question to the group is; do we have defrosters on our condensers like home units do? I am guessing not. Does anyone else experience icing problems in cold temps and high humidity?
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Greg & Lynn (Full-Timing)
2011 Phaeton 42 QBH / Spartan Chassis
2003 Jeep GC Overland in Tow
FDchief is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2011, 08:57 PM   #2
Winnebago Master
 
Finhawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa and Las Vegas, Nv for the Winter
Posts: 567
I have found that under those conditions, ice will form. So my solution is start the furnace before it happens and stay warm.
__________________
2012 Itasca Meridian 42E, Roadmaster Tow System, Unified Brakes on Toad
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. US Army Armor. Ret
Finhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-27-2011, 10:53 PM   #3
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 115
FD...I have had this happen in Reno seems to be normal just turn unit off and let ice melt off then use furnace. Our units do not have deicers like home heat pumps do so they ice up under some conditions.
__________________
2001 Horizon 2004 jeep GC
autofish is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2011, 09:34 AM   #4
Winnebago Owner
 
FDchief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 137
Thanks for the replies. Even when it was iced up it was still blowing warm air so I am confident that this wasn't a low refrigerant issue. I will just take a peek during these conditions and at the first sign of icing, I will switch to furnace.
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Greg & Lynn (Full-Timing)
2011 Phaeton 42 QBH / Spartan Chassis
2003 Jeep GC Overland in Tow
FDchief is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2011, 10:01 AM   #5
a k
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 23
Flip it on AC for about 5 minutes and it will defrost and then start over.
a k is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2011, 08:25 AM   #6
Winnebago Owner
 
FDchief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 137
Quote:
Originally Posted by a k View Post
Flip it on AC for about 5 minutes and it will defrost and then start over.
A good suggestion, I will try this next time.
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Greg & Lynn (Full-Timing)
2011 Phaeton 42 QBH / Spartan Chassis
2003 Jeep GC Overland in Tow
FDchief is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2011, 12:50 PM   #7
Winnebago Master
 
DancinCampers's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: On the Road Westward
Posts: 711
I would let it run, it should shut down if the outdoor coil gets to cold.

The outside coil, along with the indoor coil, have separate circuits for each compressor. Your icing on the bottom half is from compressor #1.

These basement units do not have defrost capability, other than ambient air.
__________________
Dan & Sharon & Kasey (Our Yorkie Puppy (12 Yrs Old) On the Road (2012 Journey 36M, 2006 Jeep Liberty)
USN-Ret ('65-'93) Fulltimers, Class of 2012
DancinCampers is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2011, 01:20 PM   #8
Winnebago Master
 
Finhawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa and Las Vegas, Nv for the Winter
Posts: 567
Quote:
Originally Posted by a k View Post
Flip it on AC for about 5 minutes and it will defrost and then start over.
I'm curious! How does the AC come on when the temp in the coach is low already? You must have a different system in your coach
__________________
2012 Itasca Meridian 42E, Roadmaster Tow System, Unified Brakes on Toad
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. US Army Armor. Ret
Finhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2011, 07:58 PM   #9
KIX
Winnebago Master
 
KIX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 587
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finhawk View Post
I'm curious! How does the AC come on when the temp in the coach is low already? You must have a different system in your coach
Just set the set temp lower than the room temp. If the eat pump is working, even if partially frosted, it should be warmer inside than the outdoor temp.
__________________
KIX
'02 Ultimate Advantage 40J Spartan MM - Cummins ISC
KIX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2011, 10:13 PM   #10
Winnebago Master
 
Finhawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa and Las Vegas, Nv for the Winter
Posts: 567
Ok, I'll take your word for it. I won't have a chance to check it out for a while. It doesn't get cold or damp enough in Vegas to have the frost problem. By the time I get back home to Western Washington, it will be too warm to frost up. Guess I'll never know!
__________________
2012 Itasca Meridian 42E, Roadmaster Tow System, Unified Brakes on Toad
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. US Army Armor. Ret
Finhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2011, 10:16 PM   #11
KIX
Winnebago Master
 
KIX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Augustine, FL
Posts: 587
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finhawk View Post
Guess I'll never know!
There's always next year.
__________________
KIX
'02 Ultimate Advantage 40J Spartan MM - Cummins ISC
KIX is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-30-2011, 10:22 PM   #12
Winnebago Master
 
Finhawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa and Las Vegas, Nv for the Winter
Posts: 567
Naw, KIX, no more cold weather for me. Had enough in my day. Being a Snow Bird is great!
__________________
2012 Itasca Meridian 42E, Roadmaster Tow System, Unified Brakes on Toad
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. US Army Armor. Ret
Finhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2011, 10:15 AM   #13
Winnebago Master
 
Finhawk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa and Las Vegas, Nv for the Winter
Posts: 567
It was down to 26 in Vegas last nite and no icing. One of the advantages of getting out of cold, damp weather
__________________
2012 Itasca Meridian 42E, Roadmaster Tow System, Unified Brakes on Toad
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. US Army Armor. Ret
Finhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-02-2011, 12:11 PM   #14
Winnebago Owner
 
FDchief's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 137
Quote:
Originally Posted by Finhawk View Post
It was down to 26 in Vegas last nite and no icing. One of the advantages of getting out of cold, damp weather
Cold and dry here too at Lake Tahoe, CA. I believe that the magic numbers are damp with temperatures just above freezing up to around 40 degrees. I can't wait to be a snowbird starting spring of 2012!
__________________
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Greg & Lynn (Full-Timing)
2011 Phaeton 42 QBH / Spartan Chassis
2003 Jeep GC Overland in Tow
FDchief is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2011, 02:17 PM   #15
Winnebago Owner
 
mickey53usa's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 145
I noticed this same icing on mine last weekend. The top 1/3 of the condenser had ice on it. Outside temp was between 32 & 34. Snowing, relatively high humidity. Figured that it was just outside the range of operating temperatures for the heat pump. Good suggestion to turn the A/C side on for a few minutes. Don't think the DW would have liked it.
__________________
Michael (KG5UMH) & Debbie - 2009 Winnebago Destination 37G - Dramatic Gold - - 340 Cummins ISB, 2500 Allison, Freightliner XC 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee or 2005 Jeep Wrangler X
mickey53usa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-08-2011, 06:47 PM   #16
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 131
Where are you looking to see this ice build up?? I never see any ice, but I do see water steady dripping out of the unit, but none dripping from the black nipple as it does when cooling.
zippo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2011, 08:51 AM   #17
Winnebago Owner
 
mickey53usa's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 145
On mine, the condenser is on the right (passenger) rear of the motorhome - a basement unit. You can see the icing on the condenser there.
__________________
Michael (KG5UMH) & Debbie - 2009 Winnebago Destination 37G - Dramatic Gold - - 340 Cummins ISB, 2500 Allison, Freightliner XC 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee or 2005 Jeep Wrangler X
mickey53usa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2011, 03:06 PM   #18
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 131
Next question

When your unit ices up, at some point does it shut down?? If so and the thermostat is left on electric heat, does your LP furnace automatically come on to provide heat??
zippo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2011, 03:15 PM   #19
Winnebago Owner
 
mickey53usa's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 145
I only have had the heat pump portion shut down once. It was about 25 degrees out and I turned on the heat pump (inside coach was 35). The heat pump came on for just a couple minutes then went off. The propane furnace did come on and warm the coach. Depending on the outside temperature, I have had both the heat pump and the propane on at the same time. Thermostat was set to "electric heat."
__________________
Michael (KG5UMH) & Debbie - 2009 Winnebago Destination 37G - Dramatic Gold - - 340 Cummins ISB, 2500 Allison, Freightliner XC 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee or 2005 Jeep Wrangler X
mickey53usa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-09-2011, 04:40 PM   #20
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 131
Thanks for the info. Mine at times will put out good heat on electric in the mid 20's, but several times I have had it quit in the night and the LP furnace did not take over (darn cold waking up to that). I've talked to Coleman and Winnebago about it and I never can get a direct answer if it's suppose to switch to LP. After I read this post about it icing up I got to wondering if mine might be icing up causing it to stop running. But I have never seen ice on mine, but I do see a lot of water dripping out the bottom of the unit like it could be ice melting off. It would be great if I could only find out if the LP is suppose to take over when the heat pump gives up and the inside temperature drops below the set. When as I say mine quits and after I notice it's gettting cool inside and need heat I can switch the switch from electric heat to off and back to electric heat and the heat pump will run fine again.
zippo is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Basement air will not run in heat mode BLAdventurer General Maintenance and Repair 26 12-22-2015 08:01 PM
tru air on 30 amp. question. RCtime Electrical | Charging, Solar and Electronics 9 05-20-2009 05:30 PM
Tru-Air Thermostat Wiring Diagram abn General Maintenance and Repair 6 07-09-2008 06:13 AM
Tru Air Question smlranger Winnebago General Discussions 16 02-03-2006 06:08 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:05 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.