Community Forums

calhyatt · 08-23-2013, 03:26 PM

Just got back from a 8000 mi trip all over country. I plugged in my coach to the normal 20amp 110v dedicated service I have on the side of the house and I cannot run my AC. Prior to the trip my new Dometic 13500 straight cool system ran just fine on this service. I am wondering if anyone out there has had this problem. This AC is a new unit installed in Jan 2013. It is noisy as hell from the beginning and is far inferior to the unit it replaced. This one is made in China while the unit it replaced was a US manufactured unit. Do I take it back to the dealer that installed it or live with the noise and the amp draw. It trips a 20 amp breaker after about 3 minutes. Tried another service and circuit and it did the same thing..

**CLIFFTALL** · 08-23-2013, 03:33 PM

Sounds like a GFI issue to me. Your ac only draws 9-10 amps , I believe.

cb1000rider · 08-23-2013, 03:37 PM

You need to clamp an amp meter on to it to tell true draw. Alternately, specs list draw, but don't specify how much it draws at start...

Generally a 20A will power RV AC, but with line loss, etc, things can get hot..

calhyatt · 08-23-2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clifftall

Sounds like a GFI issue to me. Your ac only draws 9-10 amps , I believe.

No gfi involved. Dedicated 20 amp breaker. Thznks

calhyatt · 08-23-2013, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb1000rider

You need to clamp an amp meter on to it to tell true draw. Alternately, specs list draw, but don't specify how much it draws at start...

Generally a 20A will power RV AC, but with line loss, etc, things can get hot..

I will go on roof tomorrow and put a amp probe on the line. It starts up fine and runs for about 5 minutes and then trips breaker.

CampDaven · 08-23-2013, 03:55 PM

Breakers can also fail. :-)

calhyatt · 08-23-2013, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CampDaven

Breakers can also fail. :-)

Right but I put the load on another 20 amp service with the same results. Thanks for the input.

Adaycj · 08-23-2013, 05:49 PM

Without model numbers we won't know if this is apples to apples but my Feb 2013 build Dometic 13500 pulls less than 9 amps at full cold w/compressor on. Inrush is higher, but that's not 5 min later. Maybe it is short cycling, causeing a compressor lockup?

calhyatt · 08-24-2013, 08:52 AM

Load checked the AC this morning. Well within limits for this model and year. Finally checked the 50 to 30 amp dogbone . It was hot as hell and the plug on the 30 amp side showed evidence of overheating. Changed the dogbone out and problem solved. All is well now. Hope this helps someone else that has the same problem. Thanks for all the members input. I appreciate it..
I hate electrical stuff made in China. Just not worth the aggravation but it is hard to find good parts made in the US.

**CLIFFTALL** · 08-24-2013, 09:07 AM

Thanks for the update. Glad you found it before it caused any damage.

jasright · 08-24-2013, 10:18 AM

I agree on disliking cheap Chinese electronics. In the late seventies I worked at Meter Master Elections in Denver Co. I used to repare American made amprobes then the Chinese started shopping 19.99 mprobe kmockoffs to the US. They just about killed the American companies who were making high quality amprpbes for abput $125.

jesilvas · 08-25-2013, 09:35 AM

What was amp draw and what about the noise?

calhyatt · 08-26-2013, 05:56 AM

Amp draw running is about 6. Noise is the piece if crap Machine noise. It buzzes.

jesilvas · 08-26-2013, 09:48 AM

Buzzes? That's not normal. The fans may be rubbing, there may be the something in the ceiling assembly vibrating.
And 6A draw isn't really normal either. Should be 2A for the fan roughly, and maybe 10A for the compressor, maybe 11A.