Basement AC problem

[NeilV]

Originally Posted by a k

You probably have a locked up compressor and when it trys to start it pulls locked rotor amps. That's what trips the breaker and stalls the Generator.

The A1 Components Motor Starter that is mounted on top of the run capacitor will fail and give a locked rotor type symptom. They do fail quite often especially if your campgrounds power poles are in a low voltage situation. A Hughs AutoFormer can prevent all this damage and a lot of grief over the years. Since I installed one in my coach I have not had another component die an early death from low voltage.

[Springer45]

Well, spent a little time yesterday with the A/C. Found the contacts on the control board for comp 2 burnt. Switched one for two and fired it up. Worked on compressor two. tried cleaning the board connections but the board itself is burnt. Time to worde a new board and get this working the way it should.

[NeilV]

You will also most likely need to fix what caused them to burn so you do not have a repeat performance. Get to the root cause as the burnt board may just be part of the symptom.

[Springer45]

Seems to be excess load due to poor treminal tightness. Plan to retension the connectors and apply dielectric grease to all connectors.

[AFChap]

Developed a problem todays with the basement ac. Came back after a few hours away to find inside hot and AC off. Found "ac circuit 1“ breaker tripped. Reset it and turned AC off and back on. When it tried to start, the breaker again immediately tripped. My digital line meter briefly indicated "ground fault" as the breaker tripped. I disconnect from shore power and started the enerator to try again. When the AC tried to start it killed the generator.

Finally got the mh to a truly certified tech yesterday. (do NOT trust the rvcomfort website to tell you which places are certified to work on the basement systems ...many who it says are in fact are not, and some will be honest enough to tell you that while other will not...). He just called to tell me the #1 compressor is "burned up & shorted to the case." He has it running on #2 compressor and says all else appears to be good ...no idea why I could not make it run on #2 by switching compressor connections on the board... He said it would probably take about 2 weeks to receive the new compressor, and I told him to update the squirrel cages to the newer ones while he is at it. The unit has served us well over the past 7 years of full time use other than having to replace the blower motors in 2006 and 2007.

[jmponde]

I've got a problem with my basement AC. Trouble shooting a converter problem resulted in a short on the main wire to the converter. The short popped the AC breaker, the main breaker and the shore breaker. I got the converter repaired and working but now the outside fan won't work for the AC. I can hear the compressor come on but the outside blower won't turn on. Is there a fuse that may have blown that runs the blower? I've tried the sugguestions to put #2 compressor but I get the same result. Any suggestions?

[AFChap]

He said it would probably take about 2 weeks to receive the new compressor, and I told him to update the squirrel cages to the newer ones while he is at it.

Got the coach back today ...new compressor and updated squirrel cages plus replace some burned wiring= $942.88 parts and $832.50 labor. They wanted to charge 6% "convenience fee" for using a credit card and I was out of checks. That 6% was apx $100!! ...we compromised at $25 "convenience fee". AC now runs quieter than it has for several years...

[Mr.Cleane]

Originally Posted by Springer45

As the new guy i have a couple of questions. When the basement A/C is running what is the "normal" amperage draw with one or both compressors running wither on the gen set or shor power? Also what triggers when one compresoor runs rather than two? Why two compressors with only one condensor and one evaporator?

I am sure these answers exist somewhere else, I just can seem to find them.

Thanks in advance for the info

I too am a newby recently purchasing our first DP 2005 Vectra. I noticed after the purchase that I was having trouble cooling on hot days.
In fact the last weekend camping trip I took here in Arkansas I literally had to run the diesel motor all day with the dash air on max to help supplement the basement air just to keep the air cooled to the 80's. It was 107 that day.
So I took it back to the dealer and they found a wire that was corroded and not allowing the second compressor to activate even though it showed power going to it.
Now I'm happy to say that after getting it back yesterday I checked it and the return air was at 90 degrees and the outgoing air was at 68. I'm satisfied and appreciate Moix RV in Conway Arkansas for working with me on this and many issues that I discovered after I had purchased this coach from them. They fixed all on their dime with parts and labor totaling close to $3000.00.
Now I'm a happy cool camper and ready to get back on the road asap.

To answer your question of the 2nd compressor. I was told that there are actually two sets of each coils....stacked so that each compressor has its on set of coils and works independently of each other.

[MegaRoadie]

Right from a very experienced Basement A/C Tech: All In One power draw with 1 compressor and low speed fan setting should be 17 amps, with High Speed fan setting 18 amps. The second, or #2 Compressor starts at > 2 degrees difference between actual inside temp and that set on the Comfort Aire selector and should show 23 amps with fan set to low and 24 amps with fan set to high.
RV Products sells a "Universal Replacement Compressor" for their products that will require 2 - 3 hours of shop tech time to "CONVERT" it to correct orientation and piping sizes. The compressor with shipping and handling runs $532.00, the 3 hrs shop time to convert it cost me $330.00, plus 5 hrs of "Allotted" warranty time for swapout of burned out #2 Compressor.

Turns out the #2 A/C compressor had not run since I bought the unit early in 2011 and I did not have a problem until the ducting out of the unit up to the roof ducting came loose and I was trying to A/C the surrounding spaces around the outside of the RV as well as interior... grrrrrrrrrrrr Now with both units running I could hang beef inside and it is quieter !

Always prefer to run the genset and house air when on the road as the genset at 50% load only requires 0.3 gal/hr and I can assure you running the dash air costs you a lot more fuel than that, plus the loss of HP for hills and additional heatload on the motor. And it's always nice to have DW make coffee fresh while I "labor" at the wheel !!!!

I do NOT suffer from mental illness, but rather enjoy it on a daily basis !!!

[edgray]

Originally Posted by MegaRoadie

........
RV Products sells a "Universal Replacement Compressor" for their products that will require 2 - 3 hours of shop tech time to "CONVERT" it to correct orientation and piping sizes. The compressor with shipping and handling runs $532.00, the 3 hrs shop time to convert it cost me $330.00, plus 5 hrs of "Allotted" warranty time for swapout of burned out #2 Compressor.........

Please clarify.

Are you saying the total labor to replace one compressor was 8 hours???? THANKS, Ed

[MegaRoadie]

Originally Posted by edgray

Please clarify.

Are you saying the total labor to replace one compressor was 8 hours???? THANKS, Ed

Hi Ed... Sorry for late response, been busier than a one armed bee keeper.

Yes, there was 8 hrs labor to swap out the one compressor, only 30 min of which was to repair the loose open ducting in the Rear Cap area, and 3 hours to replace and modify the "Universal Compressor".

Hope this has reached you after your repairs are done and you are cool and happy !

I do NOT suffer from mental illness, but rather enjoy it daily !

[kb7uxe]

per drawings provided by Winnebago, the "Duel pump basement system" uses the 50 amp connector to run each compressor on the 2 separate 110v circuits. that is, the 50amp 220volt line split into two 110v lines. per the instructions and information provided from Winnebago, when set to 30amp, only 1 compressor runs, but when connected and switched to 50amp, both compressors will run. just an observation I had last summer while at mt Rushmore, running at 30 supply, AC worked, but not very well when really hot. when generator was on ( 50 amp supply ) it worked great ( both compressors running ) ... This I verified when we got home and connected to my 50A here at home.
I hope this helps.
Dan.

2 things I've learned:
""It's hard to know how it doesn't work, until you know how it does works. ""
"" you don't have to be smart, just smarter than what your working on.""

[AFChap]

per the instructions and information provided from Winnebago, when set to 30amp, only 1 compressor runs

Perhaps that was true for '95 models, but according to Winnebago NOW, and according to actual use, the dual basement ac /heat pump system (since at least 2000) runs both compressors when on 30a. The first compressor kicks in and settles at apx 17a, and apx 2 min later the second compressor kicks in and settles at apx 24a. If you then exceed 30a, the EMS will cut 120v electric to refrigerator, water heater, blower and/or 2nd compressor to keep you below 30a.

[kb7uxe]

Them RV's just keep getting smarter and smarter..
Thank you.
You are correct, I am currently only familiar with my old and grumpy one.

Dan. 8-)