2003 Journey second a/c compressor trips breaker

[Kelm130]

Hi everyone - my a/c has decided to act up this week on our trip. It worked fine for most of the first day then I turned it off because we where having a rally get together between the coaches. When I turned it back on a few hours later both circuit breakers tripped. Since it was cooling off fast I didn't worry about it too much. In the morning I turned it on and it sounded normal but then the breaker for the second stage compressor tripped. I reset it and it tripped again. Any quick suggestions and should I have shut down the whole a/c unit and let it sit a while before resetting the circuit and turning it back on?

Thanks,
Ben

[corjaguar]

Last week my a/c went out...it popped the breaker a few times, and I just shut everything down. After turning everything back on, all I was able to get running was the fan, nothing else. My brother in law is a HAVC tech, had him check everything out, we found the evaporator motor was very hard to turn.....after putting oil in the shaft lube, the motor was still hard to turn ( it should spin freely ) which the fan motor is doing. Tomorrow we are going to replace the motor, and that should solve the problem. All the start relays, capacitors, were fine....everything check good with a meter, have power to the evap motor.
will let you know what happens tomorrow

[Selah]

We were recently experienced the breaker periodically tripping with two of our A/C running. The breaker would get very hot to the touch. After the third time I called the front office, the maintenance man found that the connections to the breaker were corroded. Replaced the breaker and all is well.
BTW: Breaker was not the typical Square-D type. Input cables were directly wired to the breaker.
Might have them check the post.

[corjaguar]

It all done......my brother in law and I got a new 2 speed 3/4 hp motor and installed it this morning before it got to hot. The correct nomenclature for the motor we replaced was the compressor motor, and not the evaporator motor...along with a new a new 10 mf capacitor. It took us an hour and a half for the reinstall of the tins, slide the a/c back in place and button up the duct work. its great when a plan comes together.....the motor was 94.00 dollars and the labor was ours and dinner for my BIL

[Journey39n]

If you are on shore power, try running the generator.

It is possible the shore power is low enough that most things work, but that second compressor will pull lots more amps, and low voltage under those circumstances seems to heat up breakers more.

I have a power meter connected all the time, and have observed in many parks, especially on hot afternoons, the voltage can really drop when everyone is using a/c.

[corjaguar]

Has nothing to do with shore power or generator......it has to do with dirt/grit that got into the bearings, and shaft to keep the motor from turning freely......The motor should spin, mine did not.
Remove and replace and the problem was solved.

[426smartin]

Brand and part # of the replacement motor ---thanks

[Journey39n]

Sorry [corjaguar], I know your problem was the bearing, glad you got it fixed.

I was really aiming my comment about generator and shore power to [Klem130 - Ben & Miriam]'s original problem.

[Kelm130]

Thanks everyone... I should have been a little more specific about which breaker it was tripping. It was the one in the coach at the foot of the bed labeled a/c compressor 2. I let it sit a while and it started working again whew! but does ha me concerned. I would think there is a bearing issue going on.

I also forgot to mention another strange quirk that it has started and may be related: When sitting plugged into shore power and DC switch on and nothing at all turned on. No a/c nothing. I'm just basically charging the batteries. I get this funny clicking noise from the a/c unit, like a relay turning off and on very fast. It only does a few times then I don't hear it again for a while.

Has anyone every experienced this?

Thanks
Ben

[Journey39n]

I would not discount the possibility of something with the a/c unit, because of your earlier breaker issue. But with it entirely off, seems an unlikely source of the sound.

However, sounds can travel, especially when devices are connected to the frame.

Once source of clicking I have heard, is the Automatic Transfer Switch, that moves the connection from shore power to generator. It is only supposed to switch if sensing power from the generator though.

If your converter/battery charger is running, the clicking may be coming from that, if the batteries are reaching full charge, and the charger is going into trickle charge mode.

But that is something I have never heard with my two coaches, the converter/charger fan coming on, yes, but no clicking. But is just my experience.

[corjaguar]

Originally Posted by 426smartin

Brand and part # of the replacement motor ---thanks

Sorry I haven't had a chance to get back to the forum........the brand is Fasco...3/4 hp 115 volt reversible motor. It is a 5.6 inch direct drive blower and with dual speed at 1075 rpm........I don't remember the part number, but with the info provided, you should be able to find one that fits the description. You will have to upgrade to a 10 mfd capacitor for this motor, no biggie.....it's oval instead of round, the strap holding the round capacitor will fit for the oval cap. The one thing I did not mention was the old motor had a very long shaft.....which provided the installation of an additional bearing.....which we could not see the real reasoning. The 5 screws with shock mounts that held the motor mount/motor in place with the plastic squirrel cage was more than adequate to hold everything tight in place... I have been out a couple of times with this configuration, and everything works fine, and I have not reservations as to what we did. I don't know what the original motor would cost, but having a new motor replaced at under a 100.00 dollars is a pretty good deal.