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Old 06-19-2020, 05:27 PM   #1
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I need some timely help regarding Penguin AC/Heat pumps please

Our 05' Newmar Northern Star's AC/heat pumps will not turn on. These are original Penquins with a 1500 btu front and 1200 btu in the back of the coach.

A month ago they both worked fine. Breakers have been reset, control fuses are fine (but were replaced anyway). Control voltages check at 13.8 volts and the thermostat has control voltage present.

I tried these on both house power and generator with no success. House power isw fine, all lights, microwave, tv etc. work.

Neither unit will start? Ideas? What to check next?
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Old 06-19-2020, 05:37 PM   #2
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Have you tried to wake up the units , by setting them to air conditioning, on coldest setting ??

Is your wall t'stat , a four or five button unit?
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Old 06-19-2020, 05:50 PM   #3
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You should have the 5-button CCC. Can you turn the fans on only? If not, with what I am hearing pull the cover on the front unit and see if you have 120V AC present at the power control board. Wire nuts have a way of loosening and you lose your high voltage. You have low voltage dc at the unit because your thermostat lights up.
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Old 06-19-2020, 06:00 PM   #4
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Before Going On Roof:
Another idea Reset the Thermostat.
1. Turn the ON/OFF switch to "OFF" position2. Simultaneously depress and hold the MODE and ZONE push-buttons while turning the ON/OFF switch to the ON position. FF should appear in the LCD display until the MODE and ZONE push-buttons are released.
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Old 06-19-2020, 06:00 PM   #5
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Do a reset on the t-stat.
Turn the t-stat off. There is a small black switch on the bottom of the unit, on/off function. Then push and hold the top and bottom buttons on the t-stat, now turn the on/off button to on while still holding the two buttons. The screen will show ff when the t-stat is reset.
Check the function of the units.
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Old 06-20-2020, 10:54 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skip426 View Post
Have you tried to wake up the units , by setting them to air conditioning, on coldest setting ??

Is your wall t'stat , a four or five button unit?
We have a five button T stat. Tried going to the coldest setting Nada. Thanks for the suggestion.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shaman52 View Post
You should have the 5-button CCC. Can you turn the fans on only? If not, with what I am hearing pull the cover on the front unit and see if you have 120V AC present at the power control board. Wire nuts have a way of loosening and you lose your high voltage. You have low voltage dc at the unit because your thermostat lights up.
No fans, checking on the roof in a few minutes. Thanks for the help.


Quote:
Originally Posted by shaman52 View Post
Before Going On Roof:
Another idea Reset the Thermostat.
1. Turn the ON/OFF switch to "OFF" position2. Simultaneously depress and hold the MODE and ZONE push-buttons while turning the ON/OFF switch to the ON position. FF should appear in the LCD display until the MODE and ZONE push-buttons are released.
Tried this, FF did appear but the units still won't turn on. I appreciate the help

Quote:
Originally Posted by rvbiker45 View Post
Do a reset on the t-stat.
Turn the t-stat off. There is a small black switch on the bottom of the unit, on/off function. Then push and hold the top and bottom buttons on the t-stat, now turn the on/off button to on while still holding the two buttons. The screen will show ff when the t-stat is reset.
Check the function of the units.
Tried this without success, Thanks for the suggestion

What is strange about this is that three weeks ago everything functioned perfectly. The only real change was the weather. We have been in triple digits for a month now. Sort of stumped at the moment. As suggested above I will check on the roof for proper voltages.
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Old 06-21-2020, 05:22 PM   #7
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Sounds like a 120v problem or a bad t-stat. The kicker for me is that the fans won't go on. So either no 120v power or... the t-stat is bad. Just my opinion...
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Old 06-27-2020, 03:43 PM   #8
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Still not working right

Ok, well I had to give up on trouble shooting or drive the coach off a cliff. Anyway, a mobile tech got the units working but under very specific circumstances.

The units will not run using shore power. Very odd. They do however work using the following sequencing.

Turn on the coach engine, Turn on the generator, Wait for it to normalize and then pull in the transfer switch. Bingo the units work. What the heck?

The transfer switch is new (11 months old). Both units worked before and after the previous trip but not now? What the heck am I looking for here? I haven't checked yet but it sounds as if one of the relays on the transfer switch isn't pulling in. What else should I check? BIRD?
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Old 06-27-2020, 04:06 PM   #9
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Hello Charlie & Martha,
Someone is not technically savvy here. The 120V AC power comes from either genny or shore power. Simple - start at circuit breakers for the A/C units. Check with voltmeter on both genny and shore power. If no 120V AC on shore power, then start to troubleshoot where it is dropping.


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Old 06-28-2020, 04:46 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutch Master View Post
Hello Charlie & Martha,
Someone is not technically savvy here. The 120V AC power comes from either genny or shore power. Simple - start at circuit breakers for the A/C units. Check with voltmeter on both genny and shore power. If no 120V AC on shore power, then start to troubleshoot where it is dropping.


Best Regards
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I am about 200 miles from my coach at the moment. The tech that worked on diagnostics found a really weird work around. When the coach is plugged into 50 amp power the units won't run.

He got them to run doing this????? First he fired up the coach engine, then brought the generator online and then tried the AC units and they both worked.

That would indicate to me that the breakers are good. Working backwards it seems to me that the next logical place to check would be first the shore power circuit for voltage and amperage, then the EMS for faults and then the transfer switch. Is this a logical assumption?

What I truly don't understand why the coach had to be running for the AC units to work. He said that the generator being on without the coach engine running did not power the AC. What gives here? I am really confused. I might need to take a road trip and do this diagnosis myself.
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Old 06-28-2020, 11:12 PM   #11
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Did he try shore power with the motor running ?

With the coach running , the battery interconnect system ; that charges the coach batteries while driving ; is providing 12 volt chassis ( alternator power to the coach systems ) . When you were testing the t'stat for power you were using a multi meter , did you test power with a 12 volt test light ?

Remember it only takes milli amps to get a digital multi meter read out , your problem sounds like a bad 12 volt connection some where.

I'll draw your attention to the inline fuse below ( from my HWH system ) all the leds on the control pad would light up , but nothing worked , multi meter showed good volts , but test light barely glowed .
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Old 06-30-2020, 09:06 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie and Martha View Post
Ok, well I had to give up on trouble shooting or drive the coach off a cliff. Anyway, a mobile tech got the units working but under very specific circumstances.

The units will not run using shore power. Very odd. They do however work using the following sequencing.

Turn on the coach engine, Turn on the generator, Wait for it to normalize and then pull in the transfer switch. Bingo the units work. What the heck?

The transfer switch is new (11 months old). Both units worked before and after the previous trip but not now? What the heck am I looking for here? I haven't checked yet but it sounds as if one of the relays on the transfer switch isn't pulling in. What else should I check? BIRD?
If working off gen but not shore power, it could be one of the two legs are bad in shore power, giving 120 on one leg and zero on the other. Check your breakers on shore power to make sure you have both 120 volts when on. Just a thought.
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Old 06-30-2020, 10:49 AM   #13
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Quote:
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If working off gen but not shore power, it could be one of the two legs are bad in shore power, giving 120 on one leg and zero on the other. Check your breakers on shore power to make sure you have both 120 volts when on. Just a thought.
I was running down the things it could be in my mind. This is my thought too. The coach in in Phoenix so I am at a disadvantage at the moment and the tech hasn't called me back yet.
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Old 06-30-2020, 11:00 AM   #14
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Normal 50 amp coach wiring would have one roof A/C unit on each leg of the power supply.
Since both units don’t work, and no indication that half the outlets , microwave, electric site of water heater etc aren’t working, I’m not thinking shore power is the issue.
Has the coach been on the same shore power throughout this issue?
Mobile RV tech, looking at the coach on site?
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