Community Forums

draboo · 08-16-2019, 04:00 PM

I installed an Atwood Atwood 15028 ducted unit earlier this spring. The install was fairly pain free and has been working great. We went to the UP of MI and back, plus we full time in it and have never and an issue until 6:30AM this morning. It was raining harder than I've ever seen it since I installed it. There was water pouring out of it in a stream. I went out and dragged a tarp up there and covered it to stop the waterfall. Luckily, the downpour woke me up and I caught it pretty much right after it started.

I went up there and took a few pictures. When you are on the ground and look up you can see that the unit is tilted forward. I didn't think anything about it. I torqued the four bolts to the proper torque according to the install instructions.

The front of the unit is "slammed" down on the roof. With that much of a downpour we had this morning, it leaked in, and out through the removable filter area, which is on the front side of the unit. The unit gradually comes off of the roof further towards the rear of the unit, which is why it is tilted forward when looking at it from the ground.

I m not sure where to go from here. Do I just loosen the front bolts and see if the front of the unit comes up off of the roof? Maybe find a harder foam spacer to put underneath along the front edge? The front edge of the unit is very close to the bolts as you can see in the photos.

The front bolts are also extremely close to the side of a roof "rafter", which may have something to do with drawing down the front more than the rear, I'm not sure.

One more question: Should I get a new roof gasket?

As usual, many thanks for any advice.

Brad in Little River,SC.

Concord · 08-16-2019, 08:44 PM

Been many years since I installed one, but yes, there should be a rubber roof gasket. But first, insure that this is a "high point" of the roof... -(or at least flat). Not concave. Does water run AWAY... If not, I'd be addressing that first. Good luck!

Old-Biscuit · 08-16-2019, 10:21 PM

Hope the area whee gasket was installed was cleaner then what portions of roof are in pictures

Roof gasket has been crushed...
Gasket should have been 1" thick before installing and then you just tighten the 4 hold down bolts to compress gasket by one half (1/2")
Hold down bolts should have been tightened equally in an 'X' pattern
Torque should be 40 INCH Pounds (not Foot Pounds...INCH Pounds)

That is finger tight then SNUG
Over torquing will crush gasket......can distort gasket AND the Roof

A/C Unit pan should sit same distance from roof ALL the way around
Did it come with 2 gaskets......??
1 square and 1 straight piece

square over roof opening and straight across rear of pan under condenser for support to section of pan that hangs over

akpd · 08-19-2019, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Hope the area whee gasket was installed was cleaner then what portions of roof are in pictures

Roof gasket has been crushed...
Gasket should have been 1" thick before installing and then you just tighten the 4 hold down bolts to compress gasket by one half (1/2")
Hold down bolts should have been tightened equally in an 'X' pattern
Torque should be 40 INCH Pounds (not Foot Pounds...INCH Pounds)

That is finger tight then SNUG
Over torquing will crush gasket......can distort gasket AND the Roof

A/C Unit pan should sit same distance from roof ALL the way around
Did it come with 2 gaskets......??
1 square and 1 straight piece

square over roof opening and straight across rear of pan under condenser for support to section of pan that hangs over

I don't see a gasket in the pic either...

akpd · 08-19-2019, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by draboo

I installed an Atwood Atwood 15028 ducted unit earlier this spring. The install was fairly pain free and has been working great. We went to the UP of MI and back, plus we full time in it and have never and an issue until 6:30AM this morning. It was raining harder than I've ever seen it since I installed it. There was water pouring out of it in a stream. I went out and dragged a tarp up there and covered it to stop the waterfall. Luckily, the downpour woke me up and I caught it pretty much right after it started.

I went up there and took a few pictures. When you are on the ground and look up you can see that the unit is tilted forward. I didn't think anything about it. I torqued the four bolts to the proper torque according to the install instructions.

The front of the unit is "slammed" down on the roof. With that much of a downpour we had this morning, it leaked in, and out through the removable filter area, which is on the front side of the unit. The unit gradually comes off of the roof further towards the rear of the unit, which is why it is tilted forward when looking at it from the ground.

I m not sure where to go from here. Do I just loosen the front bolts and see if the front of the unit comes up off of the roof? Maybe find a harder foam spacer to put underneath along the front edge? The front edge of the unit is very close to the bolts as you can see in the photos.

The front bolts are also extremely close to the side of a roof "rafter", which may have something to do with drawing down the front more than the rear, I'm not sure.

One more question: Should I get a new roof gasket?

As usual, many thanks for any advice.

Brad in Little River,SC.

I left Apache Pier on 8/15, rained a lot in the 2 days there... down pours