Air conditioner acting erratic

[HappyCamper1]

Greetings from Lake Chautauqua…. Anyway my Roadtrek Dometic air conditioner suddenly slowed then sped up, slowed then sped up…. every time it slowed our cabin lites would dim… the lite would pulsate with the chugging ac….. capacitor???

[Khocke]

Are you able to determine what your incoming voltage is? Sounds like it’s low.

[HappyCamper1]

We are at a lake house so our “shore” power is 120v…probably 15 amps…

[JohnnyFry]

A 15 amp circuit is probably not sufficient for the load. You need to check the circuit voltage inside the van, preferably at the outlet that the A/C is plugged into, both when the unit is running and when the compressor starts up. When the compressor kicks on a serious demand is put on the circuit and the voltage may drop low enough that the compressor will not start. The 15 amp circuit is wired with 14 AWG wire in the first place and it may be a long run to the panel. Secondly, are you connecting to the van via an extension cord? Anything less than 10 AWG is woefully insufficient. Third, you are probably connecting to a household 15 amp receptacle through a 15/30 adapter. All of these things can create voltage drop. Even if the A/C starts up under these conditions, running on an insufficient supply can be very hard on the A/C unit. It can cause the compressor to overheat, shortening its life.

[jojobafanzi]

Originally Posted by HappyCamper1

Greetings from Lake Chautauqua…. Anyway my Roadtrek Dometic air conditioner suddenly slowed then sped up, slowed then sped up…. every time it slowed our cabin lites would dim… the lite would pulsate with the chugging ac….. capacitor???

You should have two plug in volt meters on your vehicle and use them often. One for 12 volt and one for 120 volt. Low voltage can ruin electrical devices, especially anything with an electric motor in it.

[jjrbus]

Has it worked their before with same extension cord? The Cool Cat does call for a a 20 amp time delay fuse or breaker. Look for breaker and check what amps it is.

Without basic electrical testers take the RV someplace with shore power even if you have to rent a site and check operation. I would not keep running the AC under those conditions.

[HappyCamper1]

...Thanks to everyone for replying...Yes I do believe it was not enough amps as I was using a long extension cord to run into the lake house...after unhooking and heading home I ran the AC with the engine running and there wasn't a problem....