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Psychokitsune View Drop Down
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Joined: 16 Nov 2018
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: AC broken
    Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 4:37pm
Ok. It looks like I can move the fan motor by hand. there is nothing that I can see that is obstructing it. There is still oil on what I assume is the crank, I've cleaned off the outer screenes. 

At this point I think either the compressor or the motor is bad but I have no idea how to test them to figure this out. 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 6:20pm
You know that the fan motor isn't running because there is no air blowing and/or you can't see it spinning  right? Any reason you also think the compressor isn't running? 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Aug 2020 at 6:50pm
Is it possible the hum you hear is the compressor? It is very hard to remote diagnose a problem like this. We can't see or hear what you are seeing and hearing. I'm not sure if you have the same control as I do but please do a couple of things.

Set the thermostat to off.
Change the mode to Fan
     Set the fan from "Auto" to "Hi"--Does the fan come on?
           If the answer is yes, then the fan is working. If the answer is no, is the humming noise there? You said you can move the motor by hand so it isn't frozen. It is possible that the motor start capacitor is bad. However, you really would need a technician with the proper tools and knowledge to get in there and diagnose the problem and then to repair it.
     If the above test showed the fan was working, then change the mode to "Lo"--Does the fan switch speeds?

If the motor checks out, then change the mode to cool and set the thermostat so that it should start running. What happens? Do you hear the compressor kick on?

One thing I just noticed in your description--"oil" on the crank. You really should not see oil there. The motor shaft should be dry. One other thing is that you say you cleaned off the outer screens. What screens are those? Are you talking about the fins on the condenser section? Mine does not have screens, just holes in the housing.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

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Former RPod 179
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Psychokitsune View Drop Down
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 2:54pm
That's the problem, I've been trying to get this to work and have just been hoping at least the fan would work.

 I just went through all the fan and A/C fan settings going from low to auto. It doesn't turn on at all, just humms. I did notice that when I went to the A/C settings that it started making another noise. I think it sounded like the compressor turning on but I'm not sure.

Also I'm pretty sure I removed a start capacitor when I installed the Easy Start system as that was in the instructions. Not sure if the fan motor has a seperate one?

I was talking about the scene that wraps around the outside of the unit that the air gets drawn through. A lot of dirt and dandelion seeds get stuck in mine.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 7:17pm
The cap you removed for the easystart was a compressor start capacitor. Nothing to do with the fan motor. I’m guessing the hum is the compressor motor running as it should.   Sounds like your problem at this point is the fan motor, but I might be wrong.

Is the evaporator getting cold at all after the hum starts? Do you have a clamp on current meter? If so what current are you seeing to the a/c? The compressor is about 11-12A, the fan is about 3 IIRC, together about 15-16A.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Aug 2020 at 8:17pm
To me, it sounds like the fan motor is shot. The fact that it hummed and did not turn plus the fact that when you switched it to AC and it started making another noise tends to confirm the suspicion. The second noise was the compressor kicking on.

Here is a link that may help:

You would need to double-check that this is the correct part. It says it is for the Penguin II but it is best to make sure.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 7:05am
Originally posted by StephenH

To me, it sounds like the fan motor is shot. The fact that it hummed and did not turn plus the fact that when you switched it to AC and it started making another noise tends to confirm the suspicion. The second noise was the compressor kicking on.

Here is a link that may help:

You would need to double-check that this is the correct part. It says it is for the Penguin II but it is best to make sure.

Could also be the control board. If the fan shaft is spinning freely and the windings aren't cooked then I'm not sure i'd just replace the motor without trying to confirm that is the problem.

The fan motor has 6 wires to it. Grn/yel is ground. Wht is neutral. Brn goes to the fan terminal of the run cap (which I think you already replaced, right?). Blk, yel, and red are the 3 speeds. So, you could leave the ground, wht, and brn wires in place, disconnect the blk, yel, and red. Then (carefully!!) temporarily jumper hot to each of the 3 one at a time and see if the fan motor functions properly. If you haven't tested or replaced the run cap do that first. 

Here is the manual, the schematic is at the end. 

https://www.dometic.com/assets/12/86/3316570_71286.pdf?att=true
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Psychokitsune View Drop Down
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 1:42pm
Thank you everyone for the extra links and diagrams. I'll up-date you all once I figure out if the fan motor is the problem or not.
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RKS1 View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 4:02pm
Hello everyone I was following the thread. Since I have an air conditioning problem I thought maybe what you guys were talking about would help. Right now my air conditioner is running for seconds at a time then it shuts off it sounds great and it’s working when it shuts off it takes a while for it to start back up again sometimes it comes right on other times it just sounds like it’s humming . This is the first time I’ve used this R-Pod. It’s a 2010 RP174.
Kent
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Psychokitsune View Drop Down
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Aug 2020 at 11:52am
Thank you everyone for all your help. It looks like the problem was the fan motor. I think it burned itself out. Just got the replacement today and things are working again.
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