AUTO Climate Setting not working with Silverleaf

[rprochnow]

The AUTO climate setting doesn't appear to work as expected in our 2023 New Aire (and likely other coaches with Silverleaf).

For example, if the HEAT temperature is set to 70 and COOL is set to 75, when the system is set to AUTO, the air conditioner will cool the coach down to 70 degrees and then the heater will heat it up to 75 degrees and the cycle will repeat.

Does anyone have AUTO working with their Silverleaf?

NIRVC is telling us this is the way the system is implemented and nothing can be done to fix it (other than getting Silverleaf to fix the software).

Thermostats with AUTO usually heat when the temperature is below the HEAT temperature and cool when the temperatue is above the COOL temperature and the system doesn't run when the temperature is between the HEAT and COOL temps...

[ThunderRidge]

Originally Posted by rprochnow

The AUTO climate setting doesn't appear to work as expected in our 2023 New Aire (and likely other coaches with Silverleaf).

For example, if the HEAT temperature is set to 70 and COOL is set to 75, when the system is set to AUTO, the air conditioner will cool the coach down to 70 degrees and then the heater will heat it up to 75 degrees and the cycle will repeat.

Does anyone have AUTO working with their Silverleaf?

NIRVC is telling us this is the way the system is implemented and nothing can be done to fix it (other than getting Silverleaf to fix the software).

Thermostats with AUTO usually heat when the temperature is below the HEAT temperature and cool when the temperatue is above the COOL temperature and the system doesn't run when the temperature is between the HEAT and COOL temps...

Don’t use Auto, as you have seen, it creates either a dead zone temperature where nothing happens, or it continuously cycles between the furnace and air conditioners. Additionally, I don’t believe that the Oasis will run in that mode.

[GUS2000]

Another issue is the rear of the coach usually gets colder quicker with the AC on, so you may end up with one zone on AC and one zone on heat fighting each other...

[Bobby Dowdle]

Your front thermistor is mounted on an exterior wall and picks up outside temp more than the rear one. So that zone always has to be set differently on the thermostat to keep up with the temperature. You can contact silverleaf directly and they can walk you through some changes that can possibly make it work a little better. They open at 10am central time. 541-967-8111. It easier for you to deal directly with them.

[Dutchstar411]

Originally Posted by rprochnow

The AUTO climate setting doesn't appear to work as expected in our 2023 New Aire (and likely other coaches with Silverleaf).

For example, if the HEAT temperature is set to 70 and COOL is set to 75, when the system is set to AUTO, the air conditioner will cool the coach down to 70 degrees and then the heater will heat it up to 75 degrees and the cycle will repeat.

Does anyone have AUTO working with their Silverleaf?

NIRVC is telling us this is the way the system is implemented and nothing can be done to fix it (other than getting Silverleaf to fix the software).

Thermostats with AUTO usually heat when the temperature is below the HEAT temperature and cool when the temperatue is above the COOL temperature and the system doesn't run when the temperature is between the HEAT and COOL temps...

Don't use Auto, use cool for the AC and Heat for the Heat. I can use Auto with my Micro Air Thermostat, setting heat to come on if below 68 and AC to come on it below 72.

[Ajhyman]

When i was out at Newmar ask them same question . They said best Not use Auto ! so we do not use it Works great

[Dutchstar411]

Originally Posted by Dutchstar411

Don't use Auto, use cool for the AC and Heat for the Heat. I can use Auto with my Micro Air Thermostat, setting heat to come on if below 68 and AC to come on it below 72.

Should have read;

I can use Auto with my Micro Air Thermostat, setting heat to come on if below 68 and AC to come on if above 72.

[rprochnow]

We found an 8 degree temperature difference between our bedroom and living room.

After blocking the ceiling duct to separate the air for the front and rear A/C, we can maintain a consistent temperature.

NIRVC just completed the ceiling duct repair recommended by Newmar and will be interested to see if that improves airflow to the bedroom.

[rprochnow]

Originally Posted by Ajhyman

When i was out at Newmar ask them same question . They said best Not use Auto ! so we do not use it Works great

This really isn't an acceptable answer from Newmar.

If they know a feature is broken, they should get their vendor to fix the problem!

[ThunderRidge]

Originally Posted by rprochnow

This really isn't an acceptable answer from Newmar.

If they know a feature is broken, they should get their vendor to fix the problem!

Sadly, that’s just the way it is. The best thing they could have done on the thermostat is remove the Auto setting. Additionally, the heat function is for heat pumps only, if the temperature drops too low for the heat pumps to be effective then you will have no heat. Oasis system for heat does not work in the Auto mode.

In over 50 years of Rving, in many types of RV’s, I have never used or needed to use an Auto function on the thermostat. I have a very expensive system setup in my sticks and bricks home, and there’s no Auto function as we are discussing here. It’s either on A/C or Heat.

Some things are better left alone.

[Rev. Roy]

My first thought was to switch the settings, but you'd likely get a message telling you that won't work. Looking at Bobby's reply made me remember that I have moved the thermistor on several RVs to get it off the outside wall. I would call Silverleaf and inquire. I also find Newmar's response of not using the auto settings unacceptable. I would not hesitate telling them that their response is not a fix but an admission of unwillingness to address a know issue.

[rprochnow]

Why would the AUTO function only control the heat pumps on the roof A/C units?

In our coach, the OASIS page on the Silverleaf control panel controls hot water and coach heating. There are multiple settings to let the system determine if it should use OASIS or heat pumps for coach heating, or force the system to use only OASIS or heat pumps.

Unless the Silverleaf software is even more screwed up than it evidently is, it seems likely that when AUTO calls for heat, it would use the OASIS settings, and call the OASIS for heat, based on those settings.

As for the value of having AUTO, it clearly isn't required - when dealing with hot days and cool nights, you can manually change from cool to heat for nighttime and then back to cool for the next day. Having AUTO just makes that easier.

However, our Silverleaf system also supports scheduling - setting different temperatures for daytime and nighttime. Especially when calling for heat overnight in cooler temperatures, requiring to use the OASIS with diesel, there could be some fuel savings by automatically either turning off the living room unit or at least lowering the HEAT temperature to reduce how much the living room is being heated.

Can we live without AUTO and DAY/NIGHT modes?

Absolutely!

However... For Newmar's luxury coaches using the Silverleaf system, with these features documented in the Owners Guide - Newmar should get Silverleaf to fix the software to correctly implement the features Newmar is advertising to their coach owners.

The fix for AUTO should be extremely simple. It looks like the software is getting confused about the HEAT and COOL temperatues - and could be as simple as just swapping some variables in a few lines of code.

Perhaps if enough owners complained about documented features not working, Newmar would do something about this...