As a Master Certified RV Technician, once you break that vacuum of the system, you introduce moisture into it, and corrosion will start, now, a trained AC repair tech, if he takes the time necessary (about 4 hours minimum, and longer is better) can vacuum down the system, add refrigerant/lubrication to it, but being as they are both 8 years old, he will have to add a special fitting (two of them actually) so he can open the system properly. Make sure if you go this route he uses the “solder on” type, as they will seal better. In one post, it was mentioned they might not be able to be charged, if that is the case you need to replace them. And that might be a better thing if you just replace them, the labor should be cheaper, at any rate. Make sure you use a qualified shop or tech. If you are on the west coast, call Kustom Coach Works, ask for Bobby and see what they can do for you. Between the owners they have 25 years experience, and do excellent work. Contact: 541-501-3371. Or you can live with what they do now. FWIW#1 – Heat pumps don’t work for beans below 50 degrees outside temp, and the best “Delta T Split” heat/cold you will get out of an RV or Car AC system is twenty degrees +-3 (average-some better-some worse), which means, if its 50 outside, you might get 70 or a little better for heat, if it’s 90, you might get 70 or a little better on cool. Below 50 you are wasting your time and energy. Carrier used to make the best RV units, but the EPA's new requirement for coolant, they left the market, because it's costs was not in line with the profit needed, and about that time the marked in RV's crashed.
FWIW#2 – all RV systems need to be exercised or used each month for two hours to make sure they are working. Here is how I do it in my MH, I start the Genset, turn on the Aqua Hot, dial up some heat on the zone thermostats, and let the coach start to warm up. I then let the coach get to 75-80 inside. I then turn off the heat side and switch over to AC, and cool the coach down to 60-65. Then I switch from cool to heat on the heat pumps, and let the coach get warm up to 70-75 again. By the time I have done this, I have also charged the batteries, exercised all the house systems, turned on the TV’s, stereos, etc and let those run again. In winter if we stay home, I take it on a 25 mile drive every 45 days, to get the condensation out of the tyranny and engine oils. When I return, I level the coach and extend the slides and then retract them, and unlevel it. Since I’m old, I have used the facilities once and that means turning on the water pump and cycled some water in the coach. If we are on the road, all the systems get exercised, so then I just need to let the BH go shopping and then run the genset. Doing this monthly keep all the systems working well. Since we move about every 3 weeks the HWD system gets worked, and every other time, I clean off the leveling jack shafts so the polished surface is clean. This is especially true of AC/HP units, as those need to run to keep them working properly.Australia
And no, based on what experience I have an Chineese Products, I don't believe the product quality is any good, our chinaeese made coffee pot broke yesterday, and it's two years old, mostly crap quality on china.
Duo Therm Heat Pump Repair Problems
in artbalog's Blog
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As a Master Certified RV Technician, once you break that vacuum of the system, you introduce moisture into it, and corrosion will start, now, a trained AC repair tech, if he takes the time necessary (about 4 hours minimum, and longer is better) can vacuum down the system, add refrigerant/lubrication to it, but being as they are both 8 years old, he will have to add a special fitting (two of them actually) so he can open the system properly. Make sure if you go this route he uses the “solder on” type, as they will seal better. In one post, it was mentioned they might not be able to be charged, if that is the case you need to replace them. And that might be a better thing if you just replace them, the labor should be cheaper, at any rate. Make sure you use a qualified shop or tech. If you are on the west coast, call Kustom Coach Works, ask for Bobby and see what they can do for you. Between the owners they have 25 years experience, and do excellent work. Contact: 541-501-3371. Or you can live with what they do now. FWIW#1 – Heat pumps don’t work for beans below 50 degrees outside temp, and the best “Delta T Split” heat/cold you will get out of an RV or Car AC system is twenty degrees +-3 (average-some better-some worse), which means, if its 50 outside, you might get 70 or a little better for heat, if it’s 90, you might get 70 or a little better on cool. Below 50 you are wasting your time and energy. Carrier used to make the best RV units, but the EPA's new requirement for coolant, they left the market, because it's costs was not in line with the profit needed, and about that time the marked in RV's crashed.
FWIW#2 – all RV systems need to be exercised or used each month for two hours to make sure they are working. Here is how I do it in my MH, I start the Genset, turn on the Aqua Hot, dial up some heat on the zone thermostats, and let the coach start to warm up. I then let the coach get to 75-80 inside. I then turn off the heat side and switch over to AC, and cool the coach down to 60-65. Then I switch from cool to heat on the heat pumps, and let the coach get warm up to 70-75 again. By the time I have done this, I have also charged the batteries, exercised all the house systems, turned on the TV’s, stereos, etc and let those run again. In winter if we stay home, I take it on a 25 mile drive every 45 days, to get the condensation out of the tyranny and engine oils. When I return, I level the coach and extend the slides and then retract them, and unlevel it. Since I’m old, I have used the facilities once and that means turning on the water pump and cycled some water in the coach. If we are on the road, all the systems get exercised, so then I just need to let the BH go shopping and then run the genset. Doing this monthly keep all the systems working well. Since we move about every 3 weeks the HWD system gets worked, and every other time, I clean off the leveling jack shafts so the polished surface is clean. This is especially true of AC/HP units, as those need to run to keep them working properly.Australia
And no, based on what experience I have an Chineese Products, I don't believe the product quality is any good, our chinaeese made coffee pot broke yesterday, and it's two years old, mostly crap quality on china.