D&J
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Posts posted by D&J
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They don't use R134A because it's not a good high temp gas and R410A was designed to be a A/C gas to replace R22 that's now one of the refrigerants phased out by the EPA. You will also see R134 phased out in the coming years and be replaced by R1234YF in automotive units.
Like I said check the suction line at the compressor before condemning the unit.
Denny
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After we work camped for a few years we decided that if we ever thought about owning a RV park it would no longer be in our plans ever.
Denny
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On 10/3/2023 at 9:50 PM, etu said:
Update. First, our camper is a 2016 cougar 303rl (33’ long). It has one 15k btu Dometic B59516 ac in the kitchen/ rear living area.
Had the Refrigeration/HVAC mobile tech come today. Fins and coils are clean and the best we could get is 16-17 degree differential between return air and cold side. Went ahead and changed out the control kit including thermostat but didn’t make any difference.
He said the unit behaves as if it’s low on charge but the cost of 410 and installation of ports don’t justify the cost (~$500) that could go towards a new unit with 2 year warranty.
We have a trip planned in 2 weeks in the north Ga mountains and cooler weather. I think I’ll wait until we get back from that trip to replace the AC.I guess if I go with Dometic all the lower(interior) components are plug and play. If I go with another brand I’d have to replace the lower unit as well.
I’m leaning towards replacing the upper with the Dometic and do it myself but I’ll need to think about that and see some videos before I decide.First if I could get 500 to install a access valve I would come out of retirement.
When he checked the temp differential did he do it at the return vent and the first outlet or did he take the time to check it at the units out at the blower. If it was at the first outlet then your unit is working properly. To double check go up on the roof and remove the cover then start the unit and give it a good 30 minutes to balance out. Go back on the roof and you will see 2 lines coming out of the compressor and see if the bigger line is sweeting, if it is feel it and it should be what I call beer can cold. Don't touch the other small line because it will be very hot. If it's not sweeting it's either short if gas or the compressor is bad.
The thermostat and control box has nothing to do with how cold the air is coming off the coil, it just turns it off and on. Unless you have a freeze control that has failed it would turn the compressor off not the fan.
They don't put access valves on RV ac units because it's a point to leak and these units use so little gas that putting a gage set on it just a few times would make the unit short of gas.
It doesn't matter what gas it has in it all refrigeration works the same just at different pressures.
Your unit has R410A and in my experience it takes longer to balance out over R12, R22, R 134A so give it sine time.
I'm really afraid you may change the unit and still have the same problem. But it's your money.
Denny
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To truly check the output is to check the temp drop at the unit after it's been running for 20 minutes. Check temp at the return and at the output, there should be a 20 degree difference. Just my guess but you will find it's the ductwork causing your problem. An example would be 80 in 60 out, as the temp goes down in the RV the output temp will decrease. Sometimes the RV insulation is so bad that the temp will not come down.
Denny
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22 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:
For those of you with VIP's, has any one tried clearing the satellite list by disconnecting the coax to the dish and running a check switch? Accept the message that says you have fewer satellites, and then reconnect the coax and run the test again. It should only find the 110 and 119 sats this time of course, and hopefully stop looking for the dark 129 sat.
I tried it and if made no difference 😒
Denny
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I will try that when we stop tomorrow for the night.
Denny
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Probably the most frustrating time we've had extended traveling was when we were down in Mexico for a month in the winter and my wife's uncle passed away and we had no good way of getting back to Nebraska in a timely manner.
Denny
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38 minutes ago, Second Chance said:
The Wallys will update themselves via satellite when firmware is available. I'm guessing that Dish hasn't gotten around to - or hasn't bothered - to update the firmware for the Wallys, yet.
Rob
We don't have a Wally we had a 211K. If someone with a Wally I would like to know if it has updated.
Denny
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We just moved back into our trailer so we are using our X2 portable dish with a 211K receiver and it still wants to find 129 and of coarse it can so it won't finish it's setup unless I manually tell it view tv. That also means if the power gets interrupted when we are gone it will not automatically set itself up. Will a new Wally eliminate this problem or will I have to contact Winegard for updated software.
Denny
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After talking to Dish about their so called free upgrade they can keep it. If I can get a better deal on my programming I may get a Wally with WI-FI adapter. We use a standard dish 10 months out of the year anymore so was thinking of upgrading. If I can't get a deal we may just stream everything but locals.
Denny
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10 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:
Sorry, but the Hopper series receivers do not have the software installed needed to control the X2 or any other portable "dome" type antenna. Even as a secondary receiver, it still needs the software to control changing channels.
Thanks that's what I wanted to know.
Denny
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I don't want it to run the antenna that will be done with the 211K, I want to run it off the second output for a second receiver. The X2 has two outputs one is the main and the other for a second receive
Denny
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We presently use a 211K with our X2 portable dish, if I use our 211K as the main receiver will a Hopper work as the second receiver, I know we can only watch one sat at a time.
Denny
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Not that big a deal just fill it and drain it a couple of times then fill it with about 1/2 cup of bleach and water and let it set for a few hours before draining that. Fill it again with same bleach 1/2 cup and let it set overnight, run some of it into the system to kill what ever is in the lines. Drain everything and refill with just a little bleach to keep it sanitized.
Denny
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We installed a 10.1 Cu Ft Magic Chef last year and never looked back. When running it only draws 56 watts on our 2000 watt PSW inverter.
Denny
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9 hours ago, Randyretired said:
12.8v is not high enough to provide much charging into a lithium battery. By the time lithium batteries are down to 12.8v there is less than 20% SOC. Given enough time 12.8v will charge a lithium battery to around 17%. It may take days to reach that charge. When my lithium batteries drop to a resting 13v I am looking for the generator.
Lithium may charge different off the truck than our AGM batteries and the voltage may be higher. Mine are always under a load from my refrigerator, chest freezer and disk brake actuator, if they are all off at the same time it may be higher adding charge to the batteries I'm not back there watching it, I just look at it after we stop. Flooded cells, AGM and lithium all have different charging and discharging characteristics and floating voltages. I haven't used a flooded cell battery in a trailer for 20 years so I have no idea how they would act but our AGMs stay up but not to full charge because of the load we put in them, if nothing was running I'm guessing they would come close to full charge but that's not going to happen, that's what the generator is for. We are only on our second set of Optima AGM batteries in 20 years so I'm happy with them, this set is 7 years old
Denny
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1 hour ago, oldjohnt said:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO don't try that you might fry the alternator !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Unlike lead acid, a Lithium Battery exposed to unregulated unlimited charging can draw huge current that may damage the alternator ..........
A smart regulated DC to DC charger suitable for Lithium will limit current draw from the alternator yet still properly charge your lithiums and NOT fry the alternator. My alternator has worked fine that way to charge my lithiums when driving...
If BOTH your engine and RV batteries were lead acid it can work but again DO NOT hook your alternator direct to Lithiums
Based on what you say a 20 Amp or 40 Amp DC to DC charger if set for Lithium charging might get you by to charge lithium house batteries AND BE SURE TO USE ADEQUATE SIZED PROPERLY OVERCURRENT PROTECTED WIRE AND CONNECTORS from alternator to DC DC and to battery
John T
I don't know about GM but Fords 12V circuit is fused and with the voltage drop on our Ford the best I can get back to the trailer is 12.8 so that would regulate the current draw charging the Lithium batteries. I can't get a full charge in my AGM batteries because of voltage drop so I'm sure the Lithium would be the same, basically it just holds the voltage after it drops to 12.6 to 12.8.
Denny
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28 minutes ago, Freebirds said:
I have a Chevy 6.0 L gas engine. The alternator looks pretty small. I tried to attach a picture but I couldn't get it small enough with out compromising the quality too much. We don't have a lot of energy requirements. 2 6 volt deep cycle batteries meet our needs, but just barely.
If the engine charges the 6 volt batteries I have while driving, wouldn't it do the same for the lithium batteries without a DC to DC charger?
Yes it will but not to full charge because of the voltage difference between the to kinds of batteries.
Denny
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What we do because we travel with a residential frig and a small chest freezer is run a 2000 watt inverter and keep the batteries changed with the truck when driving. When dry camping for the night I plug our converter into a old 650 watt Honda generator so we have tv and satellite and charge the batteries. The little Honda works hard but it was free and still runs great and after the batteries topped off it just idles along. When we go to bed the chest freezer gets turned off and the frig runs all night on the batteries without any problems. If we were going to boondock we would eliminate the freezer and get a small solar panel. We are running two AGM Optima 75ah Blue top batteries and all the lights we use have been converted to LED. We also have a 5KW built-in generator that is very rarely used, when it is used it's for short periods.
Denny
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29 minutes ago, RV_ said:
Kirk, even the best of us can make a mistake. But try to find an unlicensed electrician who has insurance for his work and is bonded for electrical work. Most states let you work on your own home without being licensed, and lots of AG and other exemptions. But I do not want farm buildings to burn down either when we have cows and goats on the property and a barn.
I choose to have insured and licensed. Unlicensed electricians in most states cannot be insured.
Excerpt:
Texas for example:
"media.inquiries@tdlr.texas.gov.
ELECTRICIANS CONSUMER PROTECTION
Don’t ever use the services of an unlicensed electrician – your safety depends on it! Anyone who offers to provide electrical contracting services in Texas must be licensed by TDLR and they must use TDLR-licensed electricians to perform the work.
Licensed electrical contractors must either hold a license as a master electrician or employ a master. They are required to carry insurance, which protects you as a consumer on completed jobs.
It’s important to hire a licensed electrical contractor because:
● they have passed examinations covering the National Electrical codes;
● they have been educated on Texas laws and rules;
● they have undergone criminal background checks; and,
● they have insurance to cover any damages that might happen when the job is completed.
BEFORE HIRING SOMEONE:
● Get bids: You should always get more than one bid before deciding who to hire.
● The bid should include their Texas electrical contractor license number (TECL 12345) and the department’s
contact information on the bid proposal.
● Make sure you have time to confirm that the electrical contractor’s license, and the license of the associated
master, are current and in good standing on our TDLR website. Go here (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/
LicenseSearch/) to do that.
● Look at the truck: the TECL (Texas Electrician Contractor) license number should be visible.
● Look at the license they carry in their wallet: a journeyman or master electrician can perform work alone. An
apprentice electrician requires the onsite supervision of a more qualified licensee, such as a journeyman or
a master electrician.
● Confirm that the license is real by checking our website: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/LicenseSearch/.
● Before signing the contract for work: Ask for references from people they’ve performed work for and follow
up by checking those references.
● Payment: Don’t pay for a job in full before the job is completed. That includes any permits that should be
closed out with a final inspection.
Report unlicensed activity here: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/complaints/.
WHAT QUESTIONS SHOULD I ASK WHEN I’M
HIRING AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR?
● Are you licensed and certified? (Be sure to look at their license)
● Do you have general liability and worker’s compensation insurance? How much do you have? (Be sure
to look at the certificate)
● What’s the address of your physical office? (Be sure to check whether it’s legitimate)
● Do you have references I can contact? (Be sure to talk with them)
TDLR AAG FORM-201 Aug. 2020
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF LICENSING & REGULATION"Source: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/media/pdf/Consumer Protection Electricians.pdf
Excerpt:
"Problems with Homeowner’s Insurance
Your insurance provider may refuse to compensate for any damage resulting from unlawful electrical work. If a fire started from unpermitted work, the insurance adjuster could deny a claim outright."
Source: https://homeinspectioninsider.com/electrical-work-without-permit/
A licensed electrician can make mistakes, but my opinion is they are less likely than DYI unlicensed electrical wannabes. If someone is not licensed and insured when I decide I am hiring out a job, no one steps in to do an estimate without showing me current license and insurance.
It is no longer a money thing for us but who offers the most experience with my job type for the buck with licensing and insurance.
Online or off if someone can't do their own work unlicensed on their own property legally I strongly urge my friends and folks we built steel buildings for to use only licensed insured tradesmen and women. But that is only my opinion and YMMV!
Interesting post 😊 before I retired from my Electric & Refrigeration HVAC business I had to hold a Class A Electrical Contractor license along with mutable certificates to stay in business. The most expensive one was my electrical license with the cost of the it, cost of continuing education, permit costs and the most expensive part was the insurance and bonding. I couldn't compete in most of the residential unless a new service was involved so I did mostly new house construction and commercial where the unlicensed people couldn't work. I also did mostly commercial and new home construction in the refrigeration and HVAC end.
If you get prices from a non license and insured and one that's fully licensed and insured consider the overhead the the licensed professional has to deal with and I'm not just talking about the fees but the business insurance on a commercial vehicle compared to the personal truck the unlicensed person is driving isn't cheap. Every year I got audited by my insurance company to see how much liability I exposed them to and had my rates adjusted for that year and the next.
When I first retired and started workcamping I made the mistake of telling them what I did and I got so tied of internet electricians at parks that I no longer said anything when applying, life's to short.
I sold most of my equipment but keep enough to do my own work and maybe very close friends. I just installed a new inverter driven heat pump in our house and the duck work was pain without my sheet metal shop but I got it done. Wife asked if I missed it and I said no way.
Denny
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22 minutes ago, RV_ said:
That is caused by loose neutrals in your panel, it starts with one then overheats all of them around it, it's a good idea because of road vibration to check all connections every few years. In all my years being a electrician sence 1969 I've seen it many times.
Denny
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Before everyone starts running around like there hair is on fire I took one of my levington rec apart and the contacts are not steel (non magnetic) and they have a tab hanging down on both sides to put pressure on the contacts when a plug is engaged. Mine is a contractor grade and maybe Levington makes a cheaper grade but they are comparing the highest grade Hubble to the lowest grade from the other brands. I will say I wouldn't buy one from a box store because if there is something cheap out there they will sell it, just look at the contacts and see if they are brass colored.
Denny
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7 hours ago, etcetera said:
And I had to punch the gas pedal a bit, which makes no sense at all in an fuel-injected vehicle. But it works.
Back when the Triton engines had a throttle cable they had a IAC valve (Idle Air Control) and when it went bad you had to step on the petal to get it to start but yours is drive by wire so I could be the throttle body or the TPS (throttle position sensor) not allowing air past to the butter fly when starting.
Denny
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1 hour ago, RV_ said:
I had not seen a 12v Compressor fridge and they are not bad in price. I replaced my last RV absorption fridge in 1999 and it cost about that installed back then ar Camper's World in NE Texas.
I would have bought one had they had them back then.
Norcold is $1519 delivered:
Dometic is $1700 delivered for the 10 cu foot:
https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-DMC4101-Right-Compressor-Refrigerator/dp/B08HMZCFB4
When I installed our 10cu Magic Chef it was $329 at Home Depot then $250 for a pure sine wave inverter that also runs our chest freezer and entertainment center. A lot cheaper way to go.
I just got online and check and it looks to me that the DC compressors are still 120v A/C compressor with are inverter mounted to it.
Denny
Topping off house batteries on generator?
in Technical Tips and Tricks
Posted
Just plug your converter into the generator to bring the batteries up.
Denny