Air conditioner and refrigerator

Magellan · 04-28-2019, 09:59 PM

I have a 2006 X160 and the air conditioner is blowing warm and the refrigerator isn't getting cold. I don't hear anything that sounds like a compressor kicking on. I checked the breakers and none of them are flipped. There is a red light above one of the fuses but it looks fine and when I put in another fuse the light still did not go off. I don't have an owner's manual or wiring schematic. Where do I start looking?

team dougherty · 04-29-2019, 06:25 AM

If the Fridge is a propane/110v electric fridge it doesn't have a compressor. The fridge needs 110v to run from shore power and 12v and propane to run without shore power.

Your best bet would be to google the model of your fridge and get a wiring diagram and operating manual.

The same for your A/C.

There are too many items to look at with out giving us a starting point.

Magellan · 04-29-2019, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by team dougherty

If the Fridge is a propane/110v electric fridge it doesn't have a compressor. The fridge needs 110v to run from shore power and 12v and propane to run without shore power.

Your best bet would be to google the model of your fridge and get a wiring diagram and operating manual.

The same for your A/C.

There are too many items to look at with out giving us a starting point.

I plugged the RV into my house’s 110. I didn’t try the propane because I was planning on using the parks electric. I haven’t been able to find any wiring info online. I guess I can try contacting the manufacturer.

APD · 04-29-2019, 07:31 AM

The fridge will need to be level and will usually take a few hours to get cold. You can remove the vents on the outside and check that the piping at the rear of the fridge is getting warm/hot. It's a quick check to see if it's rejecting heat and you can look for wasp nests, etc while you're in there.
The AC may be a little more difficult to troubleshoot. It will be powered off one of the breakers not a fuse. If you're not equipped to check the electrical wiring and controls you may need a pro to check it out.

**LJAZ** · 04-29-2019, 08:49 AM

A normal household 15 amp circuit may not provide enough amps to the AC for it to run. You might get it to work if you remove everything else from that circuit - lights, TV, computer or whatever you might get it to work. Also you'll want a large gauge power cord and as short of a run as possible. A word of caution though, it's possible to damage the AC by trying to run it on insufficient power.

Magellan · 04-29-2019, 09:28 AM

Thanks, I will check that when I get back in town

Magellan · 04-29-2019, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJAZ

A normal household 15 amp circuit may not provide enough amps to the AC for it to run. You might get it to work if you remove everything else from that circuit - lights, TV, computer or whatever you might get it to work. Also you'll want a large gauge power cord and as short of a run as possible. A word of caution though, it's possible to damage the AC by trying to run it on insufficient power.

Oh no!! I used a thick extension cord but it was a 25 foot run. I hope I didn't mess up the a/c. Thank you. I will check it out when I get back into town by renting an RV spot for a day. Thank you!!

**LJAZ** · 04-30-2019, 10:32 AM

You are probably OK. From your description it sounds like you didn't have enough amps for the compressor to even try to start. Let us know if it still won't run when you have it on 30A.

Magellan · 04-30-2019, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJAZ

You are probably OK. From your description it sounds like you didn't have enough amps for the compressor to even try to start. Let us know if it still won't run when you have it on 30A.

Thank you, I will

Magellan · 05-25-2019, 09:50 PM

Ok, so I plugged the RV into 30 amps and it is still blowing warm air. The refrigerator is working though. Due to time constraints, I went out and bought a portable 10,000 BTU a/c that seems to be doing the trick. The only problem is that it takes up space. I will need to mess with the a/c on my next school break. Is it really worth repairing since it has the old R-22 or would it be better just to replace the whole unit?

**LJAZ** · 05-26-2019, 09:37 AM

From what I've heard if the unit has lost it's refrigerant charge there's no way to repair it. On the other hand if it's something simple like the capacitor then it's an easy fix. If you have a multimeter you can test the capacitor to see if that's the problem. Here's a link on the procedure: https://itstillruns.com/test-rv-air-...r-7823972.html

Magellan · 05-26-2019, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LJAZ

From what I've heard if the unit has lost it's refrigerant charge there's no way to repair it. On the other hand if it's something simple like the capacitor then it's an easy fix. If you have a multimeter you can test the capacitor to see if that's the problem. Here's a link on the procedure: https://itstillruns.com/test-rv-air-...r-7823972.html

i saw a video where refrigerant can be checked and added if a tap is installed but like I said, it is the old refrigerant which is very expensive so it would probably cost more than the a/c is worth. I’ll check the capacitor though. Thanks!

SWFL FlyFisher · 05-26-2019, 07:31 PM

If your rig has an A/C unit similar to mine (2012 214WSD), then your problem is not likely to be the capacitor as these units use a dual run type and if it's bad, not only will your compressor not run, but neither will the fan - You'll only get a hum.

Magellan · 05-28-2019, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWFL FlyFisher

If your rig has an A/C unit similar to mine (2012 214WSD), then your problem is not likely to be the capacitor as these units use a dual run type and if it's bad, not only will your compressor not run, but neither will the fan - You'll only get a hum.

Then I’m glad I bought the portable, thanks!