Re: [VAC] refurbishing 1976 AS 31' / AC Problems

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Don,
 I'm glad that you got it going!

It's not surprising to me that the thing still works after 25 years, the
only reason it won't go as long as a household refrigerator is the
physical abuse that it takes from being on the road.

That, and the dirt: If the condensor coils (the ones outside) get
plugged, or even partially blocked, the "head pressure" in the
compressor goes WAY up. The only protection for the compressor is a
built-in thermal overload device that will shut down the compressor.
It'll then cool down, kick the compressor on until it heats up, then
cycle it again. Now, it isn't too hard to imagine how hard this is on
things, and that little thermal overload gadget is going to give up the
ghost sooner or later. That's if the compressor itself doesn't crap out
due to being overloaded.

Another thing that's hard on a trailer A/C is the low voltage often
found in RV parks. It's a very good idea to have a voltmeter in your
trailer; look at it before starting the A/C AND while the A/C is
running. I'd be very nervous about running it if the voltage falls below
110VAC. Low voltage won't hurt your voltage convertor, but is death on
air conditioners.

The advice about keeping the coils clean holds for your home A/C unit
also, both window and central air compressors. Most folks only know
about cleaning the filter and/or evaporator coils. The condensing coil
is 'out of sight, out of mind', so is often neglected. One word: DON'T.

                                           <<Jim>>