Noise and vibration problems with Dometic rv air conditioners

[rvgary]

Dometic A/C Vibration and noise


Hi,
Anyone else having Dometic A/C problems? I have had two Air conditioners installed and both have been replaced for excessive noise and vibration. I cannot find anyone with the solution to rectify this problem. I know of several others with the same issue and no answers.
These are NEW Dometic Penguin A/C's.

[ralper]

I recently was in a RV that had Coleman high efficiency A/C's in it and they were quiet and did not vibrate. When mine die that is what I will replace them with.

[dooks@verizon.net]

We have the same problem with our Dometic Penguin AC with a heat pump. It is noisy to the point that we can't even use the heat pump for the vibration and noise. We specifically got it to take the edge off the chill in the New England falls. We will be back in Junction City this October and this is on the list to address. Does anyone know if the Coleman will fit in the same hole?

[dale60]

Our air conditioners had been making so much noise it was next to impossible to hear much of anything when they were on. Dan tightened the screws inside the unit as he said they have to be tightened after a year on the road as they get loose. While not silent, they no longer vibrate and are far less noisy.

[rvgary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dooks@verizon.net We have the same problem with our Dometic Penguin AC with a heat pump. It is noisy to the point that we can't even use the heat pump for the vibration and noise. We specifically got it to take the edge off the chill in the New England falls. We will be back in Junction City this October and this is on the list to address. Does anyone know if the Coleman will fit in the same hole?

The holes should be the standard size. I will also try to be in Junction City in October.
Dometic has been telling some repair people that if the warranty will not be paid if the noise is within Dometic standards.

I am also checking with Coleman and I have been told that they have a low profile unit that is a Special design for some expensive motorhomes. If I receive conformation I will post. Only problem is getting credit for the Dometic A/C's.

I had the factory try to tighten the bolts and the noise and vibration increased.

[dooks@verizon.net]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rvgary The holes should be the standard size. I will also try to be in Junction City in October. Dometic has been telling some repair people that if the warranty will not be paid if the noise is within Dometic standards. I am also checking with Coleman and I have been told that they have a low profile unit that is a Special design for some expensive motorhomes. If I receive conformation I will post. Only problem is getting credit for the Dometic A/C's. I had the factory try to tighten the bolts and the noise and vibration increased.

After talking to Ken at NH today, we called Dometic, just to be sure that we were covered under the two year warranty. They suggested that it was a bent shaft in the motor, that they had been having trouble with them, but that we should take it to a authorized repair facility sooner in order to be sure and be under warranty. Thus we contacted our preferred dealer and he has already ordered a new shaft. This work will be done in August before we head west. Guess that will be a good test of it before we hit NH in October. If it is the Dometic unit and under warranty, then they will hopefully take care of it. If not, guess we will have to talk to NH and decide the next step.

[wa8yxm]

Vibration suggests something out of balance, The Bent shaft is one posibility, On my Carriers (Six year old) I found some "Crud" on one of the fans which I removed.. Now I hve bearing issues on that unit.. (Hope they last a few more years, then I'll pull the motor and have them replaced)

Anytime you have a noise/vibration issue the first step is actually routine maintenance.. Pull the cover and INSPECT it. While you have the cover off clean anything that needs it.. IN this case. I do not expect resolution, but ... It's still the 1st step.

[dooks@verizon.net]

Our vibration was occurring while the unit was still in the factory. They worked on it and said that that was the best they could do - that it was something that was inherent. It wasn't until the next spring that we tried the heat pump. The AC was acceptable, but not the heat pump. We haven't used it since, but with the mention of it on this forum we decided to try again to see if something could be done about it. We'll let you know after it gets into the shop.

[rvgary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dooks@verizon.net Our vibration was occurring while the unit was still in the factory. They worked on it and said that that was the best they could do - that it was something that was inherent. It wasn't until the next spring that we tried the heat pump. The AC was acceptable, but not the heat pump. We haven't used it since, but with the mention of it on this forum we decided to try again to see if something could be done about it. We'll let you know after it gets into the shop.

Yes, please let me know what you find. I will also post the results of my service after I get it to the shop. The mobil service person was a no show last week.

For the record, my A/C's are new... The factory replaced the 3 month old units with the new units and they are just as loud. We needed to leave the factory both times or we would have stayed until all problems were solved.

If the local service facility doesn't have a fix for this issue I'll be back in junction City ASAP.

[chaunclm]

We have two Coleman Polar Cub high efficiency A/C's in our rig. These units are quieter and more efficient than the Dometic Units with a 10.2 SEER, but they are only 9,000 BTUs each. They cool our 29 Ft New Horizon TT great even cycling when the temperature is 100 degrees outside.

I think we are the rig that Ralph and Snickers remarked about.

[rvgary]

As promised I am reporting on our Dometic A/C repair.

All is well !!!

I finally found an RV service shop in Denton, Tx that has some techs who are very experienced, knowledgeable and proactive. They attacked the problem with success as the result. Based on our experience, anyone who is having noise and vibration problems with their Dometic A/C’s can stop by and are very likely to depart 3 hours later with normal A/C sounds and no abnormal, irritating noise / vibration.

If you need help, contact Barry Ernest, Ron Carlsen, or the service tech, Roger Crawford at Best Value RV & Sales, 7201 N I-35, Denton, Tx - 940-387-2878.

We didn’t need to, but if you are full-timer and your repair takes longer than a couple of hours, you can stay in your rv overnight at their shop. There’s also an rv park about 10 miles away that has lots of easy-access, 90’ pull-thru sites -- McClain’s Campsite in Sanger, Tx

McClains Campsite, McClain's Campsite Sanger, TX Home

[wa8yxm]

If they are brand new: Stop reading this reply right now.

My Carrier's.. one of them developed a higher than normal noise and vibration issue.

I found that some "Crud" (not sure what) had built up on the fan (Condenser fan) I removed and cleaned and it went away but alas.. Damage done, it was shortly after the bearings failed, cuasing a winding to burn out and guess what. THEY NO LONGER MAKE THAT PART.. Thankfully a better than average electric motor specialist was a bit ticked off and put in some serious over time finding one that .. With a little modification (Very little I might add) fits perfectly.. Did not even have to drill new mounting holes.

[NULarry B]

Gary
What was causing the noise and what did they do to fix the problem?

[rvgary]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NULarry B Gary What was causing the noise and what did they do to fix the problem?

Larry, the RV A/C's were making lots of noise and driving us nuts... I decoded to find someone who could help me fix the problem and Best Value rv repair in Denton was highly recommended. They added an additional gasket to keep the compressor bolts from banging on the roof plus a couple of other fixes and now the A/c's are normal sounding. Normal in this case isn't perfect but we can at least hear the TV.