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A/C questions

July 08, 2010, 11:38:36 am

Two questions about the air conditioning on my 1996 U320: 
1.  Is there any fix for the moldy smell coming out of my vents when a/c first turned on?  Should I spray with anti-mold spray or clean any thing out?
2.  Where is the drain for the a/c's?  On my previous RV (Airstream TT), there was a small pipe where the water dripped out.  I see water running down the left end cap seam on my FT.  Could something be clogged or is this normal?

Your help is appreciated.

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Re: A/C questions

Reply #1 – July 08, 2010, 11:53:31 am

The moldy smell is coming from mold growing on your evaporator.  The air filters on RV's are not very efficient, so dirt is deposited on the fine evaporator fins when wet with condensation.

The only real fix is to access the evaporator from the roof and use a commercial evaporator cleaner to clean it.  And a tooth brush (NEVER your own) helps.

Depending on A/C model, the evaporator can be a little difficult to access.

Brett

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Reply #2 – July 08, 2010, 01:35:43 pm

Jeff & Suzanne,

While you definitely have to fix the source of the problem I can recommend a product you might want to carry.  If you are still in the Chicago area, next time you visit an ACE Hardware (possibly True Value) look for a product called Fresh Wave.  It is really really good.  It is a tad expensive, but it works.  It neutralizes odors.

I was planning to clean the fins and whatever else I could reach today, but it looks like rain here in Nebraska.  But I will watch this one closely to see what I can learn and do to avoid the smell of mold.

Safe travels

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Reply #3 – July 08, 2010, 01:58:01 pm

Brett is right.  The mold has to be either killed or removed.  Perfumed mold is still mold.  This is a serious problem as many health issues arise out of breathing these nasty spores.  Cheapest is the use of vinegar solutions or bleach solutions, neither of which I would recommend in the areas of the A/C ductwork or evaporator.

Perform a search to find possible products to apply to the evaporator area and ductwork.  You can start here:

http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html

then continue to search for products that do not leave any corrosive residue.

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Reply #4 – July 08, 2010, 04:30:59 pm

Two items:

First:  A note to Peter.  While I agree with you that perfumed mold is still mold, if you go back and read my post I did not suggest that they cover up the smell with perfume. In fact, I said:  "You definitely have to fix the source of the problem..."  I mentioned Fresh Wave because it will get rid of any lingering odors and is a nice product to have around for the just in case situations.

Second:  The threat of rain went away so I went up on the roof and removed the shrouds from both of my AC units.  I vacuumed everything that I could reach, even wiping caked dust off flat spots and totally cleaning the underneath side of the shrouds.  Then I used a small and soft brush on the end of my vacuum cleaner hose and cleaned both sides of all fins. 

In the first photo you will see a piece of metal (a rag is on top of it) that covers the evaporator coils.  I removed this and continued my careful cleaning of everything that had dust on it.  The coils on the front AC had quite a bit of dust clogging the fins/coils and I got all of that off.  I also relocated the temperature probe from the side to the center as suggested by Gary Omel.

In the second photo the evaporator coils runs from left to right in the photo.  The dirtiest side is the opposite side of the coils.

The reason I did this cleaning is that we were getting water dripping from the ceiling grill that covers the front AC cold air outlet. This was one of the easier tasks I have been able to accomplish.

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Reply #5 – July 08, 2010, 04:41:01 pm

George, good work!  You certainly let "no rocks gather any mold"    Pun intended...
My "perfume" comment was made for general purposes, and not at all intended at anyone specifically as the Topic was started by Jeff & Suzanne.

If I knew of any product that would help with killing the mold in the duct work, etc., I would have suggested it.  For example, I'm not sure that spraying a desinfectant like Lysol Spray is advisable.

Comments, anyone?

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Re: A/C questions

Reply #6 – July 08, 2010, 08:16:08 pm

How long has it been since the entire AC system was throughly cleaned of dust and debris?

An accumulation would have a tendency to hold moldy moisture in humid areas which, I imagine would become smelly.

Just a guess on my part, as I have never had the problem.

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Reply #7 – July 08, 2010, 10:18:26 pm

Does anyone know the answer to #2 question (the drain line) ?
I know my 1991 does NOT have a seperate drain tube - it just pools on the roof and runs down wherever.
I'm curious if and when FT added this feature.
-John Fitzgerald 1991 40' U300 SAI

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Reply #8 – July 09, 2010, 12:08:32 am

Water runs off the roof from both air conditioners on my 1997 U295. I have seen no evidence of drain tubes for the air conditioners on our model.

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Reply #9 – July 09, 2010, 07:34:04 am

Thanks to all who have responded.  Glad to know there's not a clogged pipe on the condensation run off.  We have no idea how long it has been since the A/C has been cleaned as we just bought it in October 09.  We have difficulty getting on the roof to check it out(physical limitations), but guess we'll have MOT look at it when we get to Texas in the fall.  Fortunately, we haven't had to use the A/C too much, but lately here in Chicagoland, the temp and humidity have been high. 

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Reply #10 – July 09, 2010, 07:58:46 am

Should  you travel into Wisconsin there is a first-rate RV technician who would be right at home at MOT.  His name is Phil.  He works at Havil-Spoerl in Jefferson, WI.  Phil is also Aqua-Hot certified.  Dealer # is 920-674-7070. Cell 920-397-6222.  We were there last July with complete satisfaction.  From Barrington, I think Jefferson was about 75-80 miles.

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