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Penguin Duotherm A/C acting flaky


artrosch

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Last summer our front (zone one) Duotherm Penguin gave us erratic performance in the air conditioner. The heat strip works fine, all the other things work.

We're in a 98 Newmar Mt. Aire w/original low profile Penguins. The rear (zone two) unit works fine. We got a rebuilt four button thermostat control from a member here. We also got a new circuit board for the front unit.
The A/C often will not kick in the compressor. I can wait two minutes, ten, twenty minutes. The compressor will not go on, hence, no cool air, just fan air. Sometimes I will hear it kick in and think it's okay, but in a while
the compressor will go off and we'll find ourselves in the same situation. No cooling. We tried disconnecting the Freeze Sensor, but that didn't work.
Many resets of the control box, etc etc. I'm at the point of considering buying a new Duotherm if I can't get a repair of this A/C problem. All help will be appreciated. Anyone with a used or refurbished Penguin if worse comes to worse? The Zone One is away from our bedroom, hence it's much quieter for us to use (our big TV's in the b'room &we tend to spend most time there).

Thanks!
Write Out Of My Head by Art Rosch

Where the stars know your name.

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B-4 you throw out the unit, you might try a "hard start" capacitor kit, if that doesn't work, you might call out a professional, let him test it....it will be cheaper than a new unit.

 

Regards

Gemstone

'06 Elite Suites, '08 Softail Classic, '06 Softail Deuce.

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  • 9 months later...

I am wondering if you have gotten out the meter and taken any voltage readings in the unit when the problem is happening? While the hard start kit is probably not a bad idea, I think that you may want to do more trouble shooting before just buying a different a/c unit? If you are interested in doing so, you can get a copy of the Duo-Therm Service Manual. Starting on page 80 there is a chart of symptoms with trouble shooting suggestions and page number references. That would be a good place to start.

 

When the blower runs but does not cool, can you hear any sound to indicate that the compressor motor has started or attempted to do so? From what you have said it sounds like you have one of the symptoms listed as numbers 2, 3, or 4.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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