A/C help needed

[chieflawdawg]

Sitting at Myrtle Beach, SC, weather in the high 80's. Air conditioner been working fine all week, until early this morning. I was awaken by the a/c going off for about 10-15 seconds then coming back on for about 10-15 seconds then going off again. It is reaching the temperature for it to cut off but then it comes back on, then back off again. As long as the thermostat is set low enough for it to run continuously it runs and cools fine. Just seems to be acting up when it reaches desired temperature and cuts off and on again. Running single a/c on 50 amp service. Any suggestions??

[Ozz]

Sounds like a defective thermostat to me

[patbarton]

Oops, I didn't see Ozz's post (he copied my answer...).

Deleted.

[SlickWillie]

quote:Originally posted by Ozz

Sounds like a defective thermostat to me

OZZ, my neighbor had one on his 2005 Mountaineer in Aransas Pass that did that. I noticed it and suggested it might shorten the compressor life by short cycling. He had a friend that was an AC tech check it out. It had the old analog thermostat, and it didn't have the delay feature. The tech added a delay at the unit.

The analog thermostat was the first thing I yanked out of our Mountaineer. Of course, that was in the winter, and the heater was very intermittent all the time. I never got to see what it did with the AC on.

Now that I looked back, my neighbor's unit was the same model Pat has in her signature.

[Ozz]

Any more all I install are electronic thermostats because of the compressor delay-on feature. Some of the units come with the delay in the cond. units.
Steve's sounds like just a defective 'stat. Take the thermostat off the wall, tie the red, yellow and green together, (if they are like the residential t-stats). If the unit stays on; change the thermostat.

[chieflawdawg]

Thanks for all the info. I changed from 50 to 30 amps at the pole because of all of the big rigs pulling in and have not had any problem since. Will watch it tonight to see if it happens again. I think I'll change the thermostat out when I get home anyway. Thanks again for the info.

[Ozz]

Those electronic thermostats are funny acting with voltage fluctuations, that may have been the wild-card in this mystery.
Did you check the actual voltage at your trailer when hooked up to the 50 amps? I would think it would be the other way around, problems with 30 amp hook-up, not with the 50 amp hook-up.
I would have a qualified electrician pull the electrical panel in your trailer and check all the connections for tightness. If you have a generator hook-up kit, you will have a transfer switch, if so, check those connections as well for tightness.

[SlickWillie]

I'm thinking a 2002 would have the analog thermostat if it hasn't been changed out. If that is the case, I would suggest an upgrade to one of the electronic thermostats like OZZ mentioned. Of course, the fan is one speed then, unless you add a toggle for the extra speed.

[awaywego]

Steve,

Your signature says you have a 2002 3280. The photo in your signature is the back of a newer unit. I had a 2001-2 3280 and the back did not look the same as yours. The rear in the photo is the same as my 2008 Big Sky.
Just curious why it was different.

[chieflawdawg]

That pic was taken last year at the Mid-Atlantic rally. That was the new front lounge model that was there for us to view. As for the air, did not have any trouble last night or anytime after I switched over to 30 amps. Strange? Am going to switch out the thermostat anyway this week. Just didn't want the air to stop during a hot summer trip. That would be a real bummer! Thanks again for the input everyone.