Community Forums

Skrugs · 03-20-2012, 08:52 PM

Please bare with me, It's hard for me to put my thoughts to words.

Here is my thought.

Right now I'm not concerd about the construction, only the princable.

If I build a 5'x5', open on all sides, box. 2' tall with a roof/top. And put it over my roof AC unit, so no direct sunlight would be hitting the AC unit.
Would the AC run/work better?

Skrugs

toadog · 03-20-2012, 09:09 PM

I would feel that it should not make much of a difference. The only think it would do is help shade the MH a little.

sc3283 · 03-20-2012, 09:29 PM

Summer heat when combined with sunlight is always an issue. Any form of shade will assist the AC unit in it's ability to do its job. If you have dark colored plastic covers on your ACs now....anything light in color will help. You will hear from the disbelievers and the owners of dark colored AC covers...the color makes no difference....but if you would use thermometers on condenser coil temps, outlet temps and could monitor high side pressures of the AC unit, you will see any form of shade will help

Sunlight heat on the whole roof is an issue too.....any form of shade on the roof will help too

Midniteoyl · 03-20-2012, 09:32 PM

The general consensus is 'no'..

TXiceman · 03-20-2012, 10:03 PM

In theory, the small added shade will help. In practice, the difference is small and hard to measure. The biggest difference would be to get the whole rig in the shade.

Ken

historyljc · 03-20-2012, 10:25 PM

I think Ken has the right idea. That would make a difference.

Arch Hoagland · 03-20-2012, 10:35 PM

My guess would be no.
An easy way to prove it would be to put a temporary juryrigged cover over it for a day and see what happens. Can't hurt.

If you know the temps are going to be the same for two days in a row you could run covered one day and uncovered the next day.

RV Wizard · 03-21-2012, 02:36 AM

Depending on the brand and model of air conditioner, it may end up making the air conditioner less efficient to cover it from the sun. In short, make certain the air flow through the coil is not impaired or that hot discharged air is not short cycled back through the condenser coil. Some of the units are now discharging the air straight up. It would create a problem to cover it.

longarrow · 03-21-2012, 07:24 AM

It may help alittle....you still have entire trailer in the sun....better to park the entire unit in a shaded area if possible.

RVhauler · 03-21-2012, 12:02 PM

Yes it will make a difference of a few degrees. I made a snap together frame of 1/2" pvc pipe and a light colored cloth (used a section of RV awning sunshade). Frame is held together with bungee cords and as my RV has rain gutters used bungee cords hooked to rain gutters and each corner of pvc frame. Has withstood 20 mph plus wind gusts. As AC vents air out the sides and not up, it does not effect the cover. Have used this cover in the Midwest/ FL/ and TX RGV over the last five years

DutchStar38 · 03-21-2012, 08:13 PM

It would definitely slow the deterioration of the A/C cover caused by UV light. It can't hurt as long as air flow is not effected.

toneumanns · 03-21-2012, 08:19 PM

I think the effect on the A/C's cooling ability would be minimal.

TXiceman · 03-21-2012, 09:23 PM

Most likely the largest change would be the reduction in roof temperatue due tooshade on the roof. Most RV AC units are pretty well enclosed and few components are exposed to solar radiation.

Ken