A/C is quitting - what to do? What/where to buy?

[Jameson19]

My Dometic AC in my 2021 Jayco Jayflight is slowly taking a crap. It blows less than cold air and after a while it will just give up and stop. When I give it a rest, it will start up although it seems like its running on half power.

My RV guy said it sounds like its running out of freon but theres no way to add freon to this ac so I need to order a new one which he is quoting me at $2100 for purchase and installation.

I'm just trying to figure out if this all sounds right and if this is the best option. Money is tight. Thats pretty much all I have saved up and I just don't want to purchase a new one if I don't have to. But I'm in FL and 1000% will need a nice AC.

Another option I've thought of is buying 2 window shakers - one for the living area and 1 for the bedroom and just switch one off and turn the bedroom one on and shut the door when I sleep. But I'm kind of worried about the amount of power it will pull from the outlet and if I will be able to run the microwave and cook with the window shaker going.


Side note that I should of mentioned, I am living in my unit for what its worth so the option I choose needs to be one that will sustain me for a while.


Thanks for anyones help in advance!

 

[Grumpy]

Despite the cost I'd go for the roof replacement. Installing window units would take some major modifications. Also the standard wiring is not designed for the additional load they could put on the breakers.

 

[norty1]

If that price is for parts and labor, That is a fair price. A friend of mine needed one a few years back and he found one at a CW location and picked it up for just under $1k, then he hired a mobile tech to install it. It ended up costing him about what you were quoted.
Nothing wrong with getting some other estimates.

 

[craigav]

My Dometic AC in my 2021 Jayco Jayflight is slowly taking a crap. It blows less than cold air and after a while it will just give up and stop. When I give it a rest, it will start up although it seems like its running on half power.

My RV guy said it sounds like its running out of freon but theres no way to add freon to this ac so I need to order a new one which he is quoting me at $2100 for purchase and installation.
....

My suspicion is that the RV guy is likely wrong and that you do not (may not) need a new A/C. I suggest that if at all possible you perform a few checks and consider obtaining a second opinion from another RV tech prior to replacing your A/C.

My concern with the RV Guy's diagnosis is that it is next to impossible to hear if an A/C is properly charged with refrigerant although there is a slight difference in sound with an A/C that has lost all (most) of its refrigerant vs one that hasn't, but an A/C that is a little low on refrigerant sounds the same as an A/C not low on refrigerant. Also, an A/C that has lost enough refrigerant to quiet down the compressor significantly will never blow "cold" air (which is different than your report where it is cold for a little while then gives up).

What I suspect and suggest to check along with questions:
I believe that the most likely cause for what you describe is that the unit is freezing up. Questions I have that could help determine this further is: How long will it blow cold after it has been shut off for an extended period of time such as overnight? When you give it a rest (A/C off for a while), do you notice any water dripping from the A/C inside or outside of the RV after 5 or minutes after the A/C has been turned off (indicating ice is melting) and how long of a rest have you tried (a frozen RV A/C could take many hours perhaps even overnight to thaw out depending on how frozen it is)? My last question is if you can describe what you are seeing/hearing that seems to indicate the A/C is "running on half power" and then gives up and stops (stops as in turns off or the air keeps blowing but stops being cold?), in other words does your "half power" reference refer to less air coming out of the A/C, or the same volume of air flow but half as cold, or are you saying it sounds half as loud? The answer to these questions could help point you to the reason for the issue and options, hopefully short of replacing the A/C.

Quick FYI, when an A/C freezes up, often it will sound quieter as the air flow is reduced...

A couple of things to check, see if you can remove the filter and inspect the coils next time this occurs and use a flashlight if needed, you should look for an ice build up on the coils when the problem occurs which likely can be seen if the coils are freezing up. I would also (if not already) make sure all of the A/C vents are wide open and the A/C fan speed is on high.

~CA

 

[Jameson19]

I've got the 4 images here that I took. It looks like a small animal may have bit into the wires.

Also, is the front piece the coils?

Thank you all so much you have all been extremely helpful

 

[Jameson19]

Oh a side note is my rv tech said my unit is very loud but I bought it used 2 years ago and its a 4 year old unit. I've lived in another camper and its ac unit was also this loud, but that was also a camper made in 2011 so idk if that information helps or not but my rv tech seems to think it does

 

[craigav]

Yes, the front piece that looks like a radiator is the coil I was suggesting to check for freezing when the problem occurs. The more correct name is "evaporator coil", also there is another coil behind the other fan that blows the heat out, known as the condenser coil. ~CA

 

[Grumpy]

Coils look they need a cleaning.....

 

[Jameson19]

Coils look they need a cleaning.....

Thank you, I will do that

 

[Jameson19]

I've had my ac running for 2.5 hrs. It never got to the point of cooling down to 72. The speed had slowed down so I flipped the breaker and took these pics. How do I stop the coils from freezing? Is there anything else going on here?

 

[Gary60]

Change the capacitor because they are cheap and sometimes fix problems and they do deteriorate with age. The specs should be stamped on it and just match them up with a new one.

 

[craigav]

I've had my ac running for 2.5 hrs. It never got to the point of cooling down to 72. The speed had slowed down so I flipped the breaker and took these pics. How do I stop the coils from freezing? Is there anything else going on here?

There are several different reasons why an A/C would freeze up, but the fact it does implies that there is hope that nothing major is wrong. Low refrigerant can cause freezing like this however the main reason is due to low air flow over the coils. When it froze in your last images, was the cover on and air flowing across the coils and blowing well inside the RV? There is commonly a freeze "protect" sensor which is what I believe is the white item touching the coils in the first image. That device is supposed to turn off the compressor and leave the fan running when ice is detected which should keep any significant ice build up to a minimum (but may not be working).

I would suggest to obtain the service manuals if possible for your exact A/C model as it will likely explain more about the freeze protect sensor and circuit as it may not be working properly. For sure though, an A/C that freezes up will cool less and less and less until nada, then it has to thaw out which can take a while depending on how much ice there is, keeping the fan on may speed up the thawing. ~CA

 

[Jameson19]

Change the capacitor because they are cheap and sometimes fix problems and they do deteriorate with age. The specs should be stamped on it and just match them up with a new one.

Where is the capacitor so I can find the specs? I dont really know what im looking for

 

[Jameson19]

There are several different reasons why an A/C would freeze up, but the fact it does implies that there is hope that nothing major is wrong. Low refrigerant can cause freezing like this however the main reason is due to low air flow over the coils. When it froze in your last images, was the cover on and air flowing across the coils and blowing well inside the RV? There is commonly a freeze "protect" sensor which is what I believe is the white item touching the coils in the first image. That device is supposed to turn off the compressor and leave the fan running when ice is detected which should keep any significant ice build up to a minimum (but may not be working).

I would suggest to obtain the service manuals if possible for your exact A/C model as it will likely explain more about the freeze protect sensor and circuit as it may not be working properly. For sure though, an A/C that freezes up will cool less and less and less until nada, then it has to thaw out which can take a while depending on how much ice there is, keeping the fan on may speed up the thawing. ~CA

There seemed to be proper airflow inside the rv. All the covers were on like they should be

 

[Jameson19]

We are talking about the fan capacitor correct

 

[dwaynebmsg]

Here ya go. Coleman Mach 15 Plus EZ | White | 48204-066 | by PPL
As long as you can get it up on top of your RV, they are easy to hookup. I have replaced two over the years. There are some youtubes with ways to get it onto your roof.

 

[Gary60]

Where is the capacitor so I can find the specs? I dont really know what im looking for

Call the ac manufacturer and let them help you. They can probably even sell you the part or give you the part number and you could find it on ebay or amazon. They should have a customer service department.

 

[Tadsher]

Where is the capacitor so I can find the specs? I dont really know what im looking for

Freezing up could be that the coils need a good cleaning, be careful so you don't damage the coils or the fins!

This video explains the capacitors and location, listen to the warnings and how to prevent getting a shock.

 

[Gary60]

Good idea to replace all of them.

 

[Grumpy]

Freeze Sensor which is the little probe in the coil, first picture. Make sure it is firmly pushed into the coil. You may want to order a new one just to be safe. Also if that is ice on the line pics 3 to 5 that's a good indication of low freon. In that case time for a new unit, or the ability to find an a/c tech that will recharge it, but remember there are no charging ports so he would need to add them.