REPAIRED: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

[NHCelt]

Hi. Picked up our new BH this week, and will report on that later...but we are now on our shakedown cruise for three months. Here is the ac problem;

Obviously, this is the whisperquiet or whatever it is called. The main/rear unit is fine. The front unit seems to work, albeit with a bit of a straining sound. Condensate flows off the roof as it should from both units.

The surface area of the ceiling directly under where the bedroom ac sits on the roof gets extremely cold. The same does not happen in the living room. The big issue is that a couple hours after after shutting the bedroom unit off, we get water running along a ceiling seam and dripping onto the bed. We brought it back to the dealer, who fixed a error message comm issue and loose thermistor but clearly did not solve the water into the living area issue. His thoughts at the time were that it was running continuously because of the loose/misplaced thermistor.

Any ideas? We will not be near the dealer again for several months. I suspect that Heartland will authorize a mobile tech but I would bet someone here knows something!

Thanks...Celt.

 

[wdk450]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Celt:
This is a new one. I would call the service department at the air conditioner manufacturer (Service phone numbers are on the left hand side of the HOC forum portal page). Maybe some (more?) insulation is needed under the AC. As a stopgap measure, I would think of a way (duct tape loops?) to adhere a washcloth or small towel to the inside surface that gets cold and wet with room air condensate to absorb and hold the moisture as it happens. Then it should re-evaporate into the room air when the AC is not running.

I do this with a paper towel on my one handle kitchen sink faucet that leaks around the handle top when I put too much pressure on it. I just wrap the base of the faucet with a paper towel and rubber band, and if a leak happens, the paper towel absorbs it, and evaporates it into the room air during the rest of the day.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Might be the 4 bolts that hold the upper and lower parts of the A/C unit together are not tight enough. If so, it will let condensation from the evap core run inside and not out the drain in the upper part on the roof.

 

[Geodude]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

I took ours back to our dealer today for something that sounds much the same. We do see a lot of moisture on the bedroom ceiling, but I've seen that in other rigs we've owned. We had a brutal rainstorm a month ago in Florida and that's when water started dripping out that centre seam. I went up onto the roof after the rain stopped, popped off the shroud to have a look. Everything seemed to be in good shape, so I didn't pursue it. I guess I'll find out what the story is in a few days.

 

[mlpeloquin]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

The four bolts that Bob is referring to are accessed from the inside. They hold down the AC to the roof and at the same time apply pressure to the gasket which seals the unit from the out side. I had a leak in my old class C AC into the cabin. Don't over tighten them. You should see the gasket compress as you tighten them.

 

[For20hunter]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

This sounds similar to what ours was doing and it turned out that Heartland had only put in one exhaust vent in the bedroom with 3 inlets. Heartland paid our dealer to put in another and problem solved. If you look at the first two photos they are of the new exhaust vent installed after Heartland approved it. The following 3 are of the condensation that was happening before the vent was installed.




Rod

 

[NHCelt]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Thanks to all for the replies. I do have 2 intake and 2 exhaust vents, so that should be ok. Mobile tech authorized and arriving today. Dometic suggests tests for the mobile tech, but I am not discounting that the seal is not tight enough.

Rod...glad we didn't have that much moisture....ours dripped one drop every 5 seconds....like counting sheep😉. My money is on the ac seal not being tight enough.

Thanks again...Celt.

 

[jbeletti]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

This sounds similar to what ours was doing and it turned out that Heartland had only put in one exhaust vent in the bedroom with 3 inlets. Heartland paid our dealer to put in another and problem solved. If you look at the first two photos they are of the new exhaust vent installed after Heartland approved it. The following 3 are of the condensation that was happening before the vent was installed.

Rod

Wow Rod - that's more condensate than I've ever seen except for at RV shows when it's hot and humid outside, the ACs are on and the doors are open. Great to hear the fix was more discharge vents.

 

[Geodude]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Thanks to all for the replies. I do have 2 intake and 2 exhaust vents, so that should be ok. Mobile tech authorized and arriving today. Dometic suggests tests for the mobile tech, but I am not discounting that the seal is not tight enough.

Rod...glad we didn't have that much moisture....ours dripped one drop every 5 seconds....like counting sheep. My money is on the ac seal not being tight enough.

Thanks again...Celt.

Since mine is at the dealer as we speak, if you don't mind posting what the tech finds soon as you have results, I'd sure appreciate it. It may help me provide good info to the dealer.

 

[For20hunter]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Heartland was great on fixing mine. They authorized my local dealer to create another exhaust vent without question and told them to "get it done". So far that is the only real major item that has needed fixing and all the other minor stuff Heartland has fixed with the same "keep the customer happy" attitude. Love Heartland!

Rod

Wow Rod - that's more condensate than I've ever seen except for at RV shows when it's hot and humid outside, the ACs are on and the doors are open. Great to hear the fix was more discharge vents.

 

[NHCelt]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

So.'..the cause was an improper install at the factory...mounted just crooked enough that the gasket allowed water to leak back in. Local rv repair to remount ac.

 

[Geodude]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Thanks for posting the outcome, good to hear it was a simple fix. I hope mine is the same.

 

[For20hunter]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

Glad it was a simple and quick fix. Now onto bigger and better things, like using it!!

Rod

So.'..the cause was an improper install at the factory...mounted just crooked enough that the gasket allowed water to leak back in. Local rv repair to remount ac.

 

[NHCelt]

Seems it wasn't so simple
Leaked again on first use. Freezing. Dometic blames Heartland ductwork. Heartland authorizes another service call at authorized dealer with AC replacement if necessary. This will be service #4 on this


Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk

 

[Bob&Patty]

Possible the A/C unit does not have proper charge or the expansion valve is causing the compressor not the cycle off and on and building toooo much ice.

 

[NHCelt]

Time will tell.........

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[jbeletti]

Possible the A/C unit does not have proper charge or the expansion valve is causing the compressor not the cycle off and on and building toooo much ice.

That last part sounds like it's "made up" Bob But I know it's not because my home furnace (split system) was fast-cycling on/off last week. Turns out that a clamp had come loose on the expansion valve. Who knew? Not me But $146 later - I am enlightened.

 

[Bob&Patty]

No Jim...not made up. If a expansion valve or compressor cycling switch does not turn the compressor off at the correct pressure {low side) normally at 32 PSI. high side about 150 PSI. The compressor will build up lots of ice and sometimes lock up. If the evaporator coils freeze solid you will not get any air flow. All this will cause lots of water for the unit to get rid of when it unfreeze's. Never checked pressure on a roof air cause they do not have fittings on them to hook up gauges. But that is the normal pressure on a S/B A/C and automotive units.

How A/C's work to turn a liquid under high pressure in a gas is a long story. I can "Splane Lucy" in October in Vegas.

BTW, JB...do you think I would yank your chain or fib to you???? Really????

 

[SNOKING]

Re: Help, new BH front ac dripping into bedroom

This might be part of your problem. See the silver insert with threads in the center of the picture. Dometic added 4 extra mounting holes in the base. These are open to the plenum below the AC unit and lead to condensation issues. They need to be sealed. When was your trailer built? HL CS is trying to track down when the change occurred to notify people.



Sealed.



I also found that the foam covers inside each unit had broken pieces that I glued back together. Additionally the ducking below the unit was not completely sealed up in one corner.

Chris