Problem with the AC

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Matt1975

Matt1975

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Joined
Jul 14, 2017
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25
Location
Florida
I'm renting a 2006 Keystone Springdale. I'm in northern Florida so it's pretty hot. Actual temperatures when the sun is out is 100 or so. I turn the AC off and open the windows around 9 PM at night. I usually put the AC on around 10 AM. Over the past month or so, the breaker has been tripping and turning the AC off; usually around 12 or 1. I would reset it and it would be fine. But the past week, it keeps tripping; sometimes within minutes. Usually by 7, it stops tripping because it's cooled off outside and the sun is going down. It also runs well if it's raining. 

The AC belongs to my landlord and we spent 4 hours today trying to figure out what's going on. The AC itself works. When it's on, cold air comes in. It just keeps tripping. We aren't sure if the issue is it's overheating because of the sun and heat, or if the breaker is getting too hot and tripping.

Any ideas?
 
the unit is trying to draw more amps than the breaker will allow. It could be something as simple as a poor supply of power from the source causing a over amp condition. Make sure the shore power cord is not overheating and that all wiring from the shore breaker to the unit is tight and in good repair. If all is good, you may try shading the unit and make sure the cooling fan is working well on the outside coils. Also make sure the outside and inside coils are clean and free of any blockages.
 
Yea my landlord thinks the poor supply of power is causing the breaker to trip. We are going to go to the local RV store tomorrow and see what they say.
 
One other thing to think about is the breaker itself may be weak and if all the other things look good, swap it for a new one.
 
captsteve said:
One other thing to think about is the breaker itself may be weak and if all the other things look good, swap it for a new one.
Click to expand...

My thoughts exactly.
 
When the breaker starts tripping on my RV... I go up on the roof and so far. every time, THe condnesor coils have been clogged.. I clean 'em and all is good.

Here is why
As the temperature in the system (The air conditioner's system) goes up so does pressure.. As the pressure goes up the compressor  has to work harder and harder.. For assorted reasons compressors are often SERIES WOUND motors. This type of motor. as the load increases so does the current.. and thus they start tripping the breakers when the load (pressure) gets too high.

Cleaning the condenser... Lets it run cooler.. Also makes it run better

I'd go topside and clean it

How to clean

Most A/C's you remove the outer cover (10 to 15 screws usually around the "Hem" of the skirt)
THen remove the inner cover (More screws or metal tabs and cut tape
THen if your hands are as big as mine remove the fan.. Smaller hands don't need to do that.

THen you can clean.. You may also be able to blow it clean with compressed air without removing fan.


CARRIER (Air Excell) Remove outer cover (4 bolts and lift off),  Clean OUTSIDE of Condenser.

Finally you replace cover(s)
 
John most likely has the answer. Take a bottle of 409, or fantastic and spray the coil real good the wash it out with plenty of water. You will be amazed  how much dirt and grime comes out of it. Just don't use a strong stream of water on it, the fins damage easily. You need the volume of water not pressure to clean the coil.
 
Get one of those cheap $5 Harbor Freight volt meters,  and put both prongs in a wall socket while the A/C is running and on start-up.  If it goes down anything less than 108 volts,  don't bother buying a new $40 breaker. Your problem is low supply voltage.

in the hot summers during mid day,  the voltage on the whole power grid often drops well below acceptable limits of 110-120 volts.
 
Start with the obvious, as Tony suggests.  Until you get some measurements of the actual voltage supplied to the RV (or better yet, inside the RV), you are just guessing. An a/c that runs fine with a steady 120v power source will likely overload & trip the supply breaker if the voltage falls below around 106 or so.

What breaker is tripping? The 15 or 20A for the a/c, the main breaker in the Springdale, or ?  Is the Springdale on 30A power or 50A, and what is it plugged to?
 
John From Detroit wrote:
For assorted reasons compressors are often SERIES WOUND motors 
Click to expand...

You totally missed the boat on that ^^^^^ as in, not even close.  A series wound motor is a Direct Current motor.  The armature and the series field are hooked up in a series configuration and produces  The most torque of any of the three types of DC motors, including the shunt wound motor and the compound wound motor.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Start with the obvious, as Tony suggests.  Until you get some measurements of the actual voltage supplied to the RV (or better yet, inside the RV), you are just guessing. An a/c that runs fine with a steady 120v power source will likely overload & trip the supply breaker if the voltage falls below around 106 or so.

What breaker is tripping? The 15 or 20A for the a/c, the main breaker in the Springdale, or ?  Is the Springdale on 30A power or 50A, and what is it plugged to?
Click to expand...

No idea, I'm clueless with this stuff. My landlord took a small fan and has it blowing on the breaker box. It's the first time in 2 months it hasn't tripped by 1 PM. Sun is beating down and it's close to 100 outside. AC has been running since 10 AM no problems. My landlord is going to RV shop going to talk to them about it. It's his RV and he's had it for 10 years. Said it's the first time the AC hasn't worked. He's one of my brother's best friends; so I know he's not lying to me.

EDIT: The breaker box itself is warm, which is why he put the fan next to it.
 
FL RV said:
No idea, I'm clueless with this stuff. My landlord took a small fan and has it blowing on the breaker box. It's the first time in 2 months it hasn't tripped by 1 PM. Sun is beating down and it's close to 100 outside. AC has been running since 10 AM no problems. My landlord is going to RV shop going to talk to them about it. It's his RV and he's had it for 10 years. Said it's the first time the AC hasn't worked. He's one of my brother's best friends; so I know he's not lying to me.

EDIT: The breaker box itself is warm, which is why he put the fan next to it.
Click to expand...

With that said, you may have very well isolated the problem.
Remove the power from the RV and tighten all the connections in the breaker box. Not an uncommon problem in RVs.

 
xrated said:
John From Detroit wrote:
You totally missed the boat on that ^^^^^ as in, not even close.  A series wound motor is a Direct Current motor.  The armature and the series field are hooked up in a series configuration and produces  The most torque of any of the three types of DC motors, including the shunt wound motor and the compound wound motor.
Click to expand...

Read the following Link X
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_motor
 
I understand your point, but technically it is a Universal motor that is series wound.  A series wound motor in technical terms is as I described above.....

And I've never heard of a universal motor being used in an A/C compressor application, as those motors are integral with the compressor in a sealed configuration........and the universal motors require brushes on a commutator to operate.  I'm just not picturing that happening inside a sealed A/C compressor with refrigerant circulating around it.
 
Series motors are often used for heavy duty Swimming pool pumps.. Feed grinders, and other constant load type jobs. Even electric lawn mowers all AC motors I might add.
 
John From Detroit said:
Series motors are often used for heavy duty Swimming pool pumps.. Feed grinders, and other constant load type jobs. Even electric lawn mowers all AC motors I might add.
Click to expand...
What are you two arguing about? There never was a universal used in a compressor. These are the type motors used in hermetic compressors. This thread IS about an AIR CONDITIONER.


Split phase Induction Motor (RSIR)
Cap Start Induction Run (CSIR)
Resistance start Cap run motor (RSCR) Permanent Split Capacitor (PSC)
Cap start Cap run CSCR
Three phase motor (3ᶲ)
 
This I do know.. As the load on the compressor increases.. SO DOES THE CURRENT.  and that is why a dirty condenser can cause breaker trips, .

Seen it with my Carrier's. Seen it with my Advent. Only reason I've not seen it with my Coleman is it is too new and I cleaned it when I did the Advent.
 
John From Detroit said:
This I do know.. As the load on the compressor increases.. SO DOES THE CURRENT.  and that is why a dirty condenser can cause breaker trips, .

Seen it with my Carrier's. Seen it with my Advent. Only reason I've not seen it with my Coleman is it is too new and I cleaned it when I did the Advent.
Click to expand...
Correct !  As the head pressure goes up so does the currant. It will continue to rise until the heat causes the internal overload to open. If one lets the compressor cycle on the overload very long the compressor is doomed.  Some will never reset after they cool off, seen it many times. Design on a R22 system at 95 degrees the head pressure will be 300 lbs, and they can withstand 400 psi but not much over that for very long. That's why it is so important to keep the condenser coils clean.

The new 410A refrigerant runs a much higher head pressure new, they won't last near as long as the old R22 system. I've been retired 3 years and before I left I seen 40 ton units that were only 2 years old with busted condenser coils. They had to do something, the old R22 units were lasting TOO long.
 
Charlie 5320 wrote:
  What are you two arguing about? There never was a universal used in a compressor. These are the type motors used in hermetic compressors. This thread IS about an AIR CONDITIONER. 
Click to expand...

Precisely my point Charlie......Universal motors are not used in A/C compressor applications, as John stated in a previous post.
 
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