AC cover colors

[Nursern56]

Hi. We are having to replace our 2 rooftop AC's.what is up there has dark gray covers. The AC guy says we should go with white on the new ones as this will reduce the heat the units are working under...looks for some input as we are still very new to this RV game...thanks so much!!!

[tomakat]

Any place where you can reflect the heat of the sun's rays, then do so would be my recommendation.

[PanJH]

It probably doesn't make much difference either way---- what looks best ?
If the ambient temps is lower than the operational temp of the AC, the dark may be better as it may radiate the heat faster .... it the ambient temp is higher than operating temps, the other way around

[Old Crows]

If you are planning trips anywhere south of Canada....go for white.

Cold Warriors in Strategic Air Command figured this problem out 65 years ago and painted their B-47 Stratojets and B-52 Stratofortresses undersides "anti-flash" white.....

http://www.strategic-air-command.com...7-profiles.htm

Same reason school busses in the SW have white tops. White will reflect the sun's rays and solar radiation. The AC unit will have an easier time with a white bonnet that will help cut down on the heat buildup inside the roof top unit.

RV air conditioners really work hard in hot 90+F and high humidity keeping an RV cool. Lots of glass & minimal insulation due to thin walls and roofs. Anything you can do to help it is to your advantage and increased comfort.

Being in Texas, I swapped the black bonnet for a white one just as your AC guy is suggesting for you. Going one better, I lined the underside of the bonnet with aluminum foil faced butyl roofing tape for insulation and sound deadening.Effective, cheap and easy to do.

[harleyjt]

If it were me, I'd definitely go with the white. Reflect more heat and allow the A/C to work easier.
jt

[DGBPokes]

I had a glimpse of an A/C unit shroud that looked like it had something very reflective on the top center section of the shroud.couldn't tell what it was, but seemed like a good idea.

Been thinking about it, but haven't reached a practical solution, that would withstand the wind force, and rain

[bruceisla]

I think you will need to decide what color complements your RV color scheme. You could also choose black and paint the top (sky side) of the cover white.

[USMCRET]

My .02 and that's all it's worth.

My A/Cs work great with the current gray shrouds. I'd have to see some data demonstrating that they could work better or more efficiently with white before I changed colors. My shrouds blend with the overall paint scheme and I like them as they are.

[Old Crows]

Originally Posted by DGBPokes

I had a glimpse of an A/C unit shroud that looked like it had something very reflective on the top center section of the shroud.couldn't tell what it was, but seemed like a good idea.

Been thinking about it, but haven't reached a practical solution, that would withstand the wind force, and rain

You put it on the underside......

[imgoin4it]

I replaced one shroud and painted the sides of it with krylon paint made for plastic. Matched the color as best I could and from the ground no one can tell that is is slightly different. I left the very top of the shroud unpainted white.because white reflects more heat. It made absolutely no difference that I can tell.

[Old Crows]

We're in Texas. Today is going to be 102F at least. Our 14 View Profile came with a Coleman Mach 8 15.5 Btu heat pump with a BLACK bonnet. The Mach 8 is not noted for being a quiet unit. It is a NOISY BEAST! I discovered that there is a revised fan available that will reduce the noise and as usual a simple fan swap ended up being a more comprehensive upgrade. So my effort was not necessarily focused on creating a cooler working environment for the heat pump but simply on noise reduction.

BACKGROUND: The bonnet is very thin flexible (resin?) material. You could probably bend in in half if you dare. It does not have any reinforcing 'ribs' on the inside to provide strength. So, it's like a drum head and will vibrate sympathetically with anything going on in the unit, e.g., the compressor and the fans. I also discovered that the bonnet rests against part of the compressor transmitting more vibration to the bonnet. The additional benefit of adding damping material to the underside is that it provides thermal resistance and will reduce the solar effect on the unit's operation.

There are lots of expensive sound deadening materials available. At the suggestion of a local shop specializing in car audio systems, I used aluminum faced butyl roofing tape. The theory is 'mass damping...' Just like you do on a car door, trunk lid or hood to sound deaden vibration the large panels.

I upgraded the fan... easy work. I found a good 'take off' bonnet in white. Then applying the theory of 'mass damping' to the underside of the bonnet I covered in with the butyl roofing tape.

When completed the bonnet was significantly heavier and less flexible and less prone to induced vibration. Getting to the point, it is now covered with a heat reflecting material to keep the inside of the unit a bit cooler.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzX...ew?usp=sharing

Additionally, I used aluminum HVAC tape to cover the top of the air handler.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzX...ew?usp=sharing

Does it work??? Yes... and yes. Exterior sound is now like someone using a Hoover in a back room. Inside.... noise is reduced. Our RV was parked out in the sun a couple weeks ago for some maintenance and another 'mod.' At least 95F ambient in the direct sun. The Mach 8 'quietly' maintained a chilly 75F inside. Respectable performance.

[wa8yxm]

Originally Posted by tomakat

Any place where you can reflect the heat of the sun's rays, then do so would be my recommendation.

DITTO on that. I'd go with White myself.. That said, given the amount of air flow inside that thing when it's running I do not think the color will make much difference.. But I'd still go with WHITE.