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How to Maintain an RV Air Conditioner

by Zack Wilkes
(Port Orange, Florida, US)

We recently bought a 97 Holiday Rambler its 32 feet, being in it here and there it doesn’t seem to cool off, its 32 feet and has a 5000 Onan generator, how long should it take to cool it off?

ANSWER: Hi Zack, there is no correct answer to your question. There are a lot of variables to consider when talking about how long it will take for the roof Air Conditioner/s to cool off your RV.

The first variable is how hot and humid it is outside; the hotter and more humid it is the longer it may take to cool off the RV and the AC will have to run longer to maintain the desired temperature. In your case you live in Florida where hot and humid summers are par for the course.

Other factors include the size of the interior of the RV, how well insulated the RV is, whether you have dual or single roof Air Conditioner/s, etc.

Listed below are some steps you can take to ensure that your RV's Air Conditioner/s have a fair shot at cooling off your RV.

1. Clean the AC filters. Dirty AC filters can reduce the cooling capacity and efficiency of your Air Conditioner/s. The filters for RV Roof air conditioners are located inside the RV under the air distribution bezel on the AC unit.

Most RV Air Conditioner filters are made of washable materials and should be washed in warm water carefully and thoroughly. Let them air dry before you replace them. If the filter is torn or will not clean up you should replace the RV Air Conditioner Filter. You should check and clean these filters at least once a month.

2. Once the filter/s is removed on most RV Air Conditioning units you will be able to see the evaporator coils. Get a flashlight and look at those coils to see if there is any type of accumulation of dirt or debris present, if there is use a very soft bristle vacuum attachment to carefully remove the dust and dirt.

3. If you are comfortable going on the roof of your RV you should also clean the outside condenser coils on your Air Conditioner/s. This will require removing the shroud on the air conditioner which is normally held on with several screws.

Once the shroud is removed you can use some compressed air to blow out debris that may have gotten into the Condenser Coils. Remember to blow the air from the inside out (that’s why you have to remove the shroud). This should be done at least once a year.

Below is a video by Professor Of RVing Jim Twamley that demonstrates everything that I just outlined above.



Once you have completed this routine maintenance try running your AC again and see if the cooling has improved. If you are still experiencing cooling problems you should take your Motorhome in and have a Certified RV Technician check out the AC system/s on your RV.

I hope this helped.

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RVing Al.

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