Thermostat locations

[Windecker]

My Executive has 2 thermostats for the HVAC systems.
One by the bedroom door (next to the dressing area zone 1 and 2)) and one just in front of the dressing area (front zone 1 only) 8 feet away from the other T stat.

This is a multiple part question:
One:
Where are the temp sensors for these units? The stats are WAY too close together to accurately condition the air in a 44 foot long coach if the sensors are not remotely located. Did they put some inside walls or something?

I see only one "extra" sensor which is in the dressing room above the sink. Otherwise I see no other sensors. To boot, I am pretty sure that sensor is for the remote start system.
If this sensor is actually for the zone 2 heating, that would put all three sensors (if none are in the walls) within 8 feet of one another.

Two:
How hard is it to add sensors? I presume once the wire is ran to the AC unit somehow, it is a programming change on the AC unit, any ideas on how to run a sensor to the front or mid section of the coach to the ceiling?

Three:
I find it annoying that the bedroom stat is mounted on the door wall entering the bedroom, anyone ever run wires through the ceiling and "move" a T stat?
I want to move it more into the bedroom (on an interior wall of course) for more even heat and honestly have access to it while in bed.

This is another one of my high on the list priority items to correct.
Thanks for any help.
Windecker

[Jobert]

On our coach, Zone 1 in front is regulated by a thermostat on the front end of the hallway wall at rear of kitchen. There is no extra sensor and this zone seems to work pretty well. On the middle zone and rear zone, the thermostat (1) is located on the rear of the hallway wall, and you are correct they are about 8-9 ft apart. However, the mid zone has a sensor under the upper cabinet right behind the thermostat. The rear zone has a sensor located on the cabinet near the rear tv and above a set of drawers. The front one does seem along way from the front air to be real effective. If we are running front and mid zone air, we set the front 1 degree lower than the middle so they will both continue to run on a hot day as needed. Can't speak to question number 2 and 3. The sensors seem to work as designed but sometimes respond to changes slowly. We often use a small fan to circulate things a little and this offers a better response. Hope this may help. Happy Trails Bert

[clifford j]

I'm having a problem figuring out the OP's question, I thought a thermostat 'was' a temp sensor. Are there hvac systems that have both sensors and thermostats.
I was thinking about relocating my thermostat to obtain a more evenly regulated inside temperature. I find that when outside temps are in the 20/30's indoor temps. are better controlled. (more comfortable) When outside temps are 40/50's the inside temps swing , the furnace doesn't cycle often and it's uncomfortable at times. Will relocating my thermostat change this problem.

CLIFFORD

[96 Wideglide]

Originally Posted by clifford j

I'm having a problem figuring out the OP's question, I thought a thermostat 'was' a temp sensor. Are there hvac systems that have both sensors and thermostats.

Yes.

I have one thermostat that controls all three zones. The temp sensor for the front (livingroom, kitchen) zone is built into the thermostat. The other two zones, (bathroom / bedroom) have remote temp sensors mounted on cabinets, or interior walls.

[Ivylog]

I have a remote sensor (oval vented cover about 1” tall) above the passenger seat, one in the single Tstat for zone2 between kitchen and BR and another remote sensor near th TV in the BR.

[Outbound]

I have always thought thermostat is also ambient sensor, in most cases they should be located by return air register, I'm sure your a/c return is ceiling located.

[Windecker]

Thanks guys, hope I can clarify.
Clifford and Outbound,
Yes, Thermostats DO have temp sensors in them however, a remote sensor can be installed in the coach in a different location and use that sensor for temperature sensing rather than the stock one in the Thermostat. Many coaches have this.

Ben and Bert,
I do not have the remote sensors in the bedroom, living room or kitchen. Moving thermostats if they do not have remote sensors WILL change the way the system works and presumably be more evenly controlled if placed correctly.

Yes, the newer coaches tend to have one thermostat centrally located and a number of remote sensors to give input to that thermostat.

All that I have been able to find is one of these and it is located in the dressing area between the two thermostats:


As I understand it, the auto start system has it's own temp sensor and this may or may not be that sensor.


So I am trying to figure out how to better balance the HVAC system. I had read a post last year stating that Monaco had temp sensors mounted internally within the walls on some coaches. Not sure if that is true but if it is, maybe someone knows about it...

Thanks for reading all.
Windecker

Originally Posted by clifford j

I'm having a problem figuring out the OP's question, I thought a thermostat 'was' a temp sensor. Are there hvac systems that have both sensors and thermostats.
I was thinking about relocating my thermostat to obtain a more evenly regulated inside temperature. I find that when outside temps are in the 20/30's indoor temps. are better controlled. (more comfortable) When outside temps are 40/50's the inside temps swing , the furnace doesn't cycle often and it's uncomfortable at times. Will relocating my thermostat change this problem.

CLIFFORD

[Busskipper]

Originally Posted by Windecker

My Executive has 2 thermostats for the HVAC systems.
One by the bedroom door (next to the dressing area zone 1 and 2)) and one just in front of the dressing area (front zone 1 only) 8 feet away from the other T stat.

This is a multiple part question:
One:
Where are the temp sensors for these units? The stats are WAY too close together to accurately condition the air in a 44 foot long coach if the sensors are not remotely located. Did they put some inside walls or something?

I see only one "extra" sensor which is in the dressing room above the sink. Otherwise I see no other sensors. To boot, I am pretty sure that sensor is for the remote start system.
If this sensor is actually for the zone 2 heating, that would put all three sensors (if none are in the walls) within 8 feet of one another.

Two:
How hard is it to add sensors? I presume once the wire is ran to the AC unit somehow, it is a programming change on the AC unit, any ideas on how to run a sensor to the front or mid section of the coach to the ceiling?

Three:
I find it annoying that the bedroom stat is mounted on the door wall entering the bedroom, anyone ever run wires through the ceiling and "move" a T stat?
I want to move it more into the bedroom (on an interior wall of course) for more even heat and honestly have access to it while in bed.

This is another one of my high on the list priority items to correct.
Thanks for any help.
Windecker

After having many issues with the exterior mounted sensor we had them relocated to inside the A/C units one on each end of the Coach - accuracy never changed once they were relocated - the sensor is on the end of a long wire that has a telephone like connection on the end.

Might try to get a Wifi thermostat and can control it from anywhere.

Best of Luck,

[Windecker]

Well one step closer today, I confirmed with a hair dryer that the extra temp sensor in the dressing area is for sure feeding information to the bedroom thermostat for zone 2 and not the auto start.

The auto start temp sensor location was found it to be in the control switch and not a separate sensor as others have posted (on different threads). So the test, off, on auto start switch also sends the temp signal to the controller.

There are phone lines all over in the Monaco so my next move I guess is to try to track a phone line down that goes into the bedroom slide for the jack by the bed and find the other end, disconnect it from wherever it is tied into all the other jacks and then figure a way to get the line from the current bedroom thermostat location to that point.

Things get a little tight in the Aquahot service bay area which is exactly where all this stuff needs to run.

It appears that the roof mounted AC units are where you tie in if you want to add remote temp sensors instead of using temp sensors built into the Thermostats. That presents a challenge figuring out how to get wires from the AC unit through the ceiling, and to an interior wall.
I guess I want to put a sensor for the front Thermostat near the kitchen cabinet which is much more centrally located than way in the back where it is currently. Or maybe just move the T stat...

If someone knows how to do this and program the AC unit, I would appreciate the help!
Thanks
Windecker

[Windecker]

dismantled the coach cabinets today to relocate the rear Thermostat. Plotted and ran new wires from the old location to the new location which should solve the rear HVAC temp spread issues.

Side note, Monaco ran wires in all kind of places and seemingly in no direct path!

I wound up running about 17 feet more wire and plugged that into the wiring under the bed which is about 15 more feet of wiring to where I want the Thermostat relocated to.

So the added wire length is not complimentary to the low voltage of the tiny little phone wiring.
The Dometic install manual just says to place the TStat as close as possible to the AC unit (IE short wire length).

With it relocated, the Comfort Control unit is slow to work, light is very dim and LCD screen not as readable. If I shorten the wire to minimum it works but is still not quite the same.
Here is a shot of the wiring mess under the bed:

This phone wire goes from the center of the bed, to the rear of the coach, then up the wall, over the cabenets moving forward, then to the computer station on the forward side of the bed to a phone jack near where I want to install the Tstat.

This is the area that phone wire goes, the cabinet that is forward of the bed near the computer desk. Not sure why IRV 2 rotates the pictures, kind of frustrating


So, the question is, can the signal be boosted with a device hooked to the RG11 cable or is there a heavier wire that can be installed with the standard phone jacks so there is less line loss?
Google has not helped much!

Thanks for looking.
Windecker

[Kurt Averill]

I installed new AC's on my 99 a few years ago, I found the way mine works is that the Unit sees the settings from the t-stat, and the temperature if there is not a remote sensor. If there is a remote sensor it defaults to that for temp sensing - however it is still controlled from the t-tat. The remote sensor was a separate 2 conductor wire connected with a small white plastic plug - accessed through the return air filter grill where the all the wiring comes down from the unit into the coach - in fact mine had the factory plug cut off the remote sensor for the front AC and was just wire nutted.

[hypoxia]

Originally Posted by Windecker

So, the question is, can the signal be boosted with a device hooked to the RG11 cable or is there a heavier wire that can be installed with the standard phone jacks so there is less line loss?
Windecker

Larger wire should help, you could try some 18 ga thermostat wire or similar. I don't like where my thermostats and sensors are either.

[Windecker]

Dometic said they offer the Thermostat cord in up to 40 foot lengths. No idea how the previous wire is routed but I know I added to whatever is already there. Doubt we are up to 40 feet of wire though for the rear thermostat. They also recommended C5 twisted wire. All I could find was 24 gauge 4 pair (8 wire) locally.

I took Hypoxia's advice and installed some 18-4 thermostat wire replacing the standard tiny phone wire type and that fixed the power issue I was seeing.

The only RJ11 plugs I could find locally were really made for 24 gauge or smaller phone wires.
I really don't care for that adapter so I ordered some old school terminal types to convert the wire to RJ11 plug in's. I just think that is a better way to do it. No cramming 18 gauge wire into a slot made for something 1/2 the size...

Wire is ran and everything tested with temporary blade/crammed together RJ11 connectors.

I'm rethinking which side of the cabinet I ran the wires to that I want to install the thermostat
One side is above the bed like my Signature was which is what I set out to duplicate.
The other side is a little further from the outside wall and easier to access while standing
Curious what folks would want if given the choice, Thermostat you can access while in bed or while standing next to the bed

I used toilet paper hanging next to all the possible locations to see what kind of breeze is present when the AC units are on.
Short answer is, either new location should work, old location was horrible. Front and middle AC blew right on the thermostat.

Moving the front thermostat looks to be much more of a challenge but I think that will be a very rewarding mod. I saw 2007 and newer similar floorplan Monaco coaches had the temp sensors for the front thermostat on the forward side of the kitchen cabinets which seems about right.

I guess while this is all apart, I will install a remote flush/fill button on the commode. No reason not to at this point

Windecker

Originally Posted by hypoxia

Larger wire should help, you could try some 18 ga thermostat wire or similar. I don't like where my thermostats and sensors are either.