Calling all vintage and general A/C pro's

[Shore2Shore]

Hi,

Our 1987 bounder has 2x original coleman Delta T rooftop a/c units.
Have managed to find 2x new old stock motors specific for the model
Courtesy of a very helpful r/v vendor on ebay.

Will be changing them out, along with new capacitors & relays.

One question regarding the condensing coils.

They appear to not of been cleaned in Years!!!! Plus it seems that theres insulation all stuck to the fins too

Now is that insulation (ressembling the rolled stuff for roof insulation) supposed to be in there anymore or even touching/stuck over the fins?

If so cool ,as its all very rough looking is it ok to replace with roof insulation material?

What is the best way to clean the delicate fins?

Thanks in advance

[RedneckExpress]

Compressed air and a blow gun attachment so you can control the spray will take care of most of the larger build up in the fins.

[TXiceman]

Do not use a lot of air pressure or water pressure as the aluminum fins are pretty soft.

Ken

[Shore2Shore]

Thankyou for the replies everyone
Noticed that the fins are very soft/thin so will definitely be careful.
Found through a google search an airstream blog that dealt with a/c annual maintenance , that recommended a squirty foam product that helped loosen/soften the dirt on the fins.

On amazon

Thermwell products co ACF19 a/c coil foaming cleaner.

May look into that, with one of the fin straightening tools.

[justimagination]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pauland Ro Thankyou for the replies everyone Noticed that the fins are very soft/thin so will definitely be careful. Found through a google search an airstream blog that dealt with a/c annual maintenance , that recommended a squirty foam product that helped loosen/soften the dirt on the fins. On amazon Thermwell products co ACF19 a/c coil foaming cleaner. May look into that, with one of the fin straightening tools.

.......You can find a gallon jug of cleaning solution for a/c evaporator and cooling fins @ your local hardware store. Put in a pressure sprayer, apply real good and let soak, may do a couple of time if really dirty, wash clean with water hose. You will be amazed how it cleans. I did our heat pump with it and really was surprised, good luck.
David G.

[JohnRR]

Check your local auto parts store for a radiator rack, it does just that racks the fins of a radiator or car a/c condenser. Just check that the teeth alignments are fairly close.

[Shore2Shore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by justimagination .......You can find a gallon jug of cleaning solution for a/c evaporator and cooling fins @ your local hardware store. Put in a pressure sprayer, apply real good and let soak, may do a couple of time if really dirty, wash clean with water hose. You will be amazed how it cleans. I did our heat pump with it and really was surprised, good luck. David G.

Thanks for that! Hadn't even crossed my mind to check the local hardware store!!


Plus JohnRR Thankyou for the info on the auto radiator tool Will look into that to see what the alignment is close enough .

Any ideas on the insulation touching/covering the condensor coils?

Probably there to insulate & keep the cold in! But seems weird that the air sucked from the cabin going through the insulation? Appears to be acting almost as a filter of some kind Wonder if I could just do away with it, or replace it with new.

Also a really simple question, is it best to totally disconnect the MH from the power? Or just throw the relevant breaker/s inside? Also may be worth switching the selector switch inside to transfer the power to the rear, while working on the front.

[leadman]

To be safe disconnect it from the power.

You have a condensor and an evaporator in an a/c unit. The condensor transfers the heat to the outside air. The evaporator removes the heat from inside the coach. The evaporator should be isolated from the outside air. Both have fins that need to be clean to do their job.
After you remove the cover from the unit on the roof you will see the condensor, the evaporator will be covered by sheet metal most likely. When you remove this you will see the fins and probably be able to see inside the coach.

I would clean the condensor first before removing the evaporator cover to prevent getting water or debris in the coach.

The sheetmetal for the evaporator on top of the coach can be insulated from the outside air if there is room. There should be access when you have this apart to clean the fans and motor. You might even be able to oil the fan motor(s).
On an older unit be sure to check for any cracked wiring while you have it apart also.
Some units have filters inside the cover in the coach that you can either replace or wash.

Simple Green will work well for cleaning unless the fins are badly caked. Do not use a strong alkaline soap like Super Clean or Purple Power as it will attack the aluminum fins.

[MrFixitman]

There should be no insulation covering the condenser coil, this could have been the work of some varmits or from the underside of cover that has deteriorated and got sucked in there.

[Shore2Shore]

Thankyou for all the info & advice on cleaning the coils & what to use & also what to stay away from Plus I had a feeling the insulation over the coils was a no no! But dont know too much about a/c units so thought it best to ask.

Have the 2x new old stock coleman motors for our model waiting to go on, with some new capacitors being shipped. Got 2 start relays to purchase and hopefully will have 2 renovated and functioning units

That way no one a/c will have to do all the work.

[Shore2Shore]

Managed to get up on the roof this morning and change out the first of the new a/c motors. Went without a hitch and is now in place, just now have to clean the coils and wait for new capacitors & start relay to arrive. At least its useable as it is now, the unit was chilling well before,just the motor that was shot.



The new motor sitting in its mount with 2 "clean" fans!!



Looks like the old original yet still working capacitors, as they are getting on a bit will change them out.

[Shore2Shore]

Oh and the rather dirty evaporator coils :(

Definitely time for a bath and blow through!



The motor back up on the roof sitting in its proper place.

[ksg5000]

When I replaced my old capacitors I also added a Supco hard start capacitor - made a big difference in the ability of the older AC unit to fire up the compressor. Not expensive - Worth a Google.

[JohnRR]

For some reason your pictures are not posting, they showed in my email notification but would not click on using those links either.