Thanks, David. I hope it was poor park power, which might very well be possible in this particular one. It's a Passport America strip park right off the Interstate,no frills, no shade, but cheap parking. The output was much lower than normal. I don't have the heat pump version of the AC, just the ceiling unit with the heat strip. I have it off now, and am hoping the fans will keep the critters comfy while I do my business in town. Just in case, where does one buy that Autoformer and how pricey is it?
I agree that if I have to replace the AC, I'll go with a beefier unit.
Thanks!
Anne
On Jun 18, 2012, at 8:12 AM, dtbw wrote:
> Anne,
> Is the amount of air volume seem about right? The loud groans are usually the sign of the compressor attempting to start under low voltage and failing, or an outright failure of the compressor. Low voltage is not uncommon in many older trailer parks. Years ago, Airstreamers carried around a device called a Hugh's Autoformer, which is a device that swaps extra current for higher voltage so that the AC compressor will not struggle. Many parks banned them as they made things worse for everyone else even though they worked wonderfully (BTW, you can still buy them, but they are NOT cheap). Before deciding that your AC is dying or dead, I would see how the AC acts once you move to another park on your journey.
>
> If it is a failing compressor (possible, but unlikely), there is little to do but replace the AC. Don't know if your rig has the heat pump version, but if you have a digital wall thermostat that controls both the AC and the furnace (indicating that you do have the the heat pump version), you will have to update not only the AC/Heat Pump, but the wall thermostat as well. In 1999, Dometic was using a four button wall thermostat and the newer AC/Heat Pump models require a newer 5 button thermostat. BTW, if replacing, I highly suggest you go with the 15K vs the 13.5K BTU that was installed. The 15K models use the same amount of power, but output an extra 1500 BTUs of cooling. Good luck and hopefully you just ran into poor park power.
>
> David T
>
> On Jun 18, 2012, at 6:59 AM, Anne Pearse Hocker wrote:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I am in Rapid City, SD tonight and had planned to head to Wyoming tomorrow, but last night my AC started making loud groans and then putting out a very feeble bit of cool air. Not a good thing with all these critters with me and the temps in the 90's during the day.
>>
>> Anyone have any recommendations for a repair facility between Rapid City and points west? It's a Penguin, 1999 vintage for a 27' Safari.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Anne
>>
>>
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1 comments:
Thanks for posting this! I'm trying to find information on Air Conditioning Repair and this has definitely helped me in this process.
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