Our front duo therm has given up and boy it's hot , has anybody come up with a good replacement and approx cost .
Thanks
Air Conditioner updating (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=21150.msg156857#msg156857)
Jimmy, here is a recent discussion, hope it helps ^.^d
Thanks , busy reading through all the older threads .
I have managed to get the front unit working although it doesn't sound very healthy , if I set fan speed to auto on 5 button control unit it will only run slow , if I reset to high then fan does run at high .
Just thinking I should bite the bullit and replace both units before they die on a super hot day .
Looking for a direct ( easy ) replacement and approx cost
Just received a call back from James at FT and he talked me through re sync control unit to roof units and we now have cool air .
Still going to look at replacements .
Jimmy,
I also thought new units were needed, but took to a proper shop where they cleaned out both the upper and lower units, they now are very quiet and move a lot of air volume/CFM.
Cost about $145.00 plus needed new cover as old one blew away, cost $50.00 for like new used cover, now it needs paint to match. All ;D
Update , the front unit has stopped working , so now looking for replacement and shop to fit it .
No doubt you guys have been through this and can advise .
Replacement unit is dometic 651816 ( ppl. $1095)
I also need to replace thermostat ( $131)
And circuit board in old rear unit. ( $116)
Is it an easy job to do my self ?
Is this a good price ?
If the unit works and blows cold air at some point, then mechanically it sounds fine. Why not just fix the control problem? The new units are likely r410a and louder.
Hands up , I am a dim wit .
Just climbed up on roof and found front AC unit cover missing ?
Can't see any damage to unit , fan is running and the cooling fins are hot hot !
The sun is blazing here so that's not helping the unit , could this really be causing low fan etc ?
Don't have my invoice for our two new Dometic units in front of me, but from memory your prices sound in line with ours - from two years ago.
And I don't notice our new units being any louder than the old ones. But, we don't have ducted a/c, so maybe that's why.
Jimmy,
Your cover is highly important for the unit to operate properly. It directs air from your fan through the condenser coil which turns your Freon from a hot gas back to a liquid. Without this you have no cooling.
Pamela & Mike
Yes
Thought need for units, had noise, banging and smell of hot wire/insulation, poor cooling, had both cleaned, replaced cover on front unit, tech laughed when mentioned about the hot smell of wire, he sez when the dirt builds up, things get real hot making the smell. Wuz lucky, now operate better than I ever remembered. Not bad for those old 2001 units still doing their job.
Big thanks to you guys , more information than the dometic tech line !
I have sourced a new cover $87 & shipping
Much research and I found a guy with great prices and information on dometic units .
Mark 704 378 8591 , fast call back and really helpful
Has anybody changed a roof unit themselves .
Just noticed the unit weighs 120lb , unsure what's involved
Jimmy, Tech used a forklift to change mine out. Other than the heavy lifting it was not that complicated. Remove inner shroud, remove bolts ( 3 on mine ), lift unit off roof. Replace gasket, reset unit.
THEN, since old thermostats are not compatible, replace thermostat and program using installations instructions with it. Two guys took a little over an hour with ,most time getting thermostat to work ( usual Chinese instructions translated by who knows what ) .
Gary B
Thanks gary , I thought the pros may use a folk lift , pleased to hear that the installation is not too complicated . If I can figure a way to get new units up there and old units down .
I am thinking units are 11 years old and don't want to wait untill they give up ! Am I being parinoid
Jimmy, Good old boy engineering might work.
Park your pickup close to RV wall, stack old pallets in steps til you can get to roof level, then lift last foot or so to roof. Use an old blanket over a piece of plywood to slide unit over the opening.
Do this in a closed space so neighbors don't think you are crazy and as a last resort call on some forum members, one to assist and at least one to criticize. :)
SERIOUSLY, be careful on the roof and from experience I can suggest that you leave the new unit in its shipping package til you get it on the roof, then unpack it.
Gary B
In case you don't have a fork lift in your garage, to get roof A/C up on roof, I have heard of winching new roof air up under a tree branch and then back under tree branch.
Possibly another option... rent a material lift from a Home Depot (or other tool rental place).
Material Lift (http://www6.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Material_Lift/2412/)
Don
Rented a material lift like Don suggests to get my old refrig out and the new one in. It had forks, 450 lb capacity, 16' lift, $45/day. Easy to use, very stable, folds up and fit into my VW station wagon.
Roger
Thanks for the advice , I like the idea of the Home Depot lift but the web site states 12ft lift .
Also like use a blanket and leave it in the packing .
Have any of you guys changed units before the originals died , am I wasting money ? Best price so far 2 new units and new controller $2000 delivered
LIFTS, LADDERS, SCAFFOLD::
HIGH LIFT 400LB CAP 12FT.
Where to find High Lift 400lb Cap 12ft. in Burnsville
Image for reference only
Actual item may look different
Click on image for larger view
Jimmy,
This one has longer forks, probably works better than the one at HD.
Manufacturer: SUMNER
Model: 2412
Daily: $35.00
A Super compact 12' Lift
400 lb lifting capacity
12' should be enough. Work on level driveway.
Roger
We had to have our originals replaced in 2010 due to physical damage, not unit failure. We HATED the replacements. Nothing but noise and vibration for 3 1/2 years, despite multiple efforts to isolate them and add dampening. Second best day of owning them was when the rear unit failed catastrophically while on heat pump. If we didn't need something to cover the hole in the roof, Steve would have pulled it, tossed it off the roof, and driven over it. Best day was having them removed and the newest Penguin II model installed. Much better (and what we would choose again), but we still think the originals were more quiet, efficient, and more robustly-made and wouldn't give them up if they were still working fine.
BTW if we HAD to replace due to failure, we believe the best option (and what we chose) is the Penguin II High Capacity (heat pump version). Should be model 651816C (multi-zone CCC), which I see is the model you mention getting from PPL. Goes with CCCII thermostat 33114082 (white, there's a different p/n for black). The regular Penguin is likely the same as the ones we hated. Our cost at MOT (after our 10% MOT-buyer discount) was $2382 for 2 units plus thermostat, $582 labor. Note the thermostat isn't a direct swap-out; a mounting had to be fabricated for it.
Thanks Michele
One last question , dometic and penquin , are they same company but different factory's , different units ??
Same help desk and cross reference on product numbers etc
For the benefit of readers who don't know, when you run a heat pump you're actually running your air conditioning unit and putting a lot of hours on it. The newer units don't last as long as the older units do. If you run your unit year round, on heat pump mode in winter and air conditioning mode in summer, you'll need to replace your thousand dollar units after only a few short years. If you use an inexpensive electric heater in the winter instead of your heat pump you'll probably double the life of your units. I was camped next to a guy in a new coach with an expensive heat pump mounted in the basement and he ran it all the time until I pointed out how much a compressor replacement was gonna cost him... He bought an electric heater and shut off his heat pump.
Dometic is the brand. Penguin is their low-profile line. I think Brisk Air is the not-low-profile line.
I wouldn't pro-actively replace an A/C unit. Mine are 16 years old and running fine. You have multiple units, so one failure won't stop your travel plans.
Personally I was always happy with the heat strips in a roof air. Heat pumps do not work at low outside temps.
Plus as was stated the compressors running
We can beat that! Our
21-year-old Penguins are still working perfectly, original thermostats and all (knock on wood). I just tested the "heat" function the other day, and the heat strips still work! Although, like Scott says, I think it is silly to run the roof units for heat - especially when our dual propane heaters work so well.
Agree. If you are camping and not being metered and paying for amount of electricity, then run heat strips.
However, if you live in temperate climates (like 35-60deg in winter, NC/SC/VA/LA), a heat pump uses less electricity than strip heaters (assuming in good mechanical shape).
My 1991 Coleman rooftop AC units still work. The front one got its blower motor partially fried in a lightning storm in Dallas a couple of years ago, but it still runs on medium speed for some unknown reason. When I was at Mountain Road RV in Sabattus Maine last week they had a junked Coleman like mine with a good fan motor in it so I bought the motor for $35 complete with capacitors, fan blades, and relay... and in theory my front AC will run as designed again as soon as I change the fan motor... but it's almost winter now and I'm ambition challenged... (yawn)
Dave or ?
How does one locate a knowledgeable technician to do a proper and thorough service?
Just fitted new cover with sponge sealing strip , shocked at the difference , paid $100 delivered . Thanks to everyone for the advice
Speaking of air conditioner covers, has anybody tried one of these aftermarket replacements which are supposedly better made than the original?
Penguin Dometic Duo Therm RV Air Conditioner Shroud (http://www.icondirect.com/penguin-dometic-duo-therm-air-conditioner-shroud-pw/)
Don
I bought 2 of them a couple of years ago. Very happy with them, wouldn't consider going back to the originals. They are a thinner but more flexible material than the old ones which were thicker and more brittle.
I replaced one of my Coleman units with a Dometic unit. I like the new unit but its louder inside than the Coleman was.. For whatever that's worth..
I recall that deengineer, tony, got both Acs replaced at PPL for half the price that MOT would charge for them. Maybe he will fell like getting on line about this. I somehow think it was not the Penguin but the Brisk line? He said PPL did a great job, $1100 for both installed, out in one day.
I am NOT saying go that route, but I recall he bought the units for about $330 or so each. And been very happy with them. Looked a bit taller to me than the originals, Tony said not.
He did say PPL had boxes and boxes of these things, but have bought a very large inventory, gotten them cheaper. MOT and FOT both told him they fully understood him going to PPL, they could not compete with that price. Still, I wonder if comparing apples and apples.