THERMOSTAT QUESTION

[jackel1959]

We currently have the Dometic 5-button “Comfort Control Center” thermostat installed in our rig:

Comfort Control Center



Do any of you know if the Dometic “Comfort Control Center 2” thermostat can be used as a direct plug & play replacement? And for those of you that have this newer thermostat in your rigs, how do you like it? CW has them on sale right now for $98.99. I have not had any luck trying to locate them in the past and they are not even featured on the Dometic website.

Comfort Control Center 2



We think we would particularly like the feature of being able to program a time for the heater or A/C to come on and off. I installed a programmable in our Mountaineer and we really liked it. Of course back then, things were wired a little more user friendly.


Thanks,
Jack

[mhs4771]

I inquired about that same thing and got mixed answers. The general thought was that it should work, but we traded rigs before I ever got a chance to find out. I thought the same thing that the timer feature would be nice. Good luck, and CW does have a pretty good return policy, might be worth getting one and see if it works, if not just return it.

[DQDick]

If you do, and it works, please post it here so those of us who have been thinking about the idea will know if it's a yes or a no. Thanks!

[Countryfolks]

Here's a heads up just in case you have this problem with the new unit. Nothing about re-wiring.
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=1859

[Carl n Susan]

I can't help with the feasibility of the changeover, but I can provide my experience with the CCC-2.

The CCC-2 works fine in its manual (default mode). Select what function you desire (Furnace or A/C), the desired temperature (which it maintains very well without too much fluctuation) and the fan speed. Away it goes. Operation is very much like the CCC you have now.

Setting up a "program" is a little funky (the minimal documentation isn't much help). The key is understanding how the CCC-2 differs from a standard set-back thermostat. Your home thermostat has different programs for the heat and cool cycles. The CCC-2 has only one program (with two time frames). You set it up for heating by pushing the "Program" button and starting with "Prog1", set the end time of this period (ex: 10:30 PM), set the Mode (Furnace), desired temperature (72 degrees), and Fan Speed (Auto). Pushing "Program" again gets you to "Prog2" where you once again set the end time (6:00 AM), Mode (Furn), Temperature (50 Degrees) and Fan Speed (Auto). Pressing "Program" again save the all the information.

Once a program has been established, turning on the thermostat (On/Off button) automatically starts the program. The good news is it works well and automatically reduces the heat from 72 to 50 (using my example values) at 10:30 PM. Then at 6:00 AM it automatically sets the desired temperature back to 72 degrees without you having to leave the warmth and comfort of your bed.

The downside of the CCC-2 is there is no temporary override function where you can raise/lower the desired temp. If you want to change the desired temperature, you have to re-program. Similarly, if you want A/C instead of heat, you have to re-program.

The ability to set the Mode and Temp manually (aka the default behavior) is eliminated once a Program has been established. There is a way to erase the Program in the manual but I haven't tried it yet.

When it was cold this winter in AZ, the programed heat cycle was terrific. The heat came on before we arose and dropped back when we went to bed without us being involved. But when the daytime temps in AZ exceeded 80 degrees, we had to re-program to use the A/C. Then the weather changed to a cold spell. We drug out the 1500W electric heater for the two days it was cool rather than re-program once again.

The CCC-2 works much like the CCC and it adds the programmable attribute. But the single program implementation with no temporary overrides minimizes the value of the feature IMHO.

If someone else with the CCC-2 has figured out the secret to having separate programs for heat and cool I would love to hear about it.

[jackel1959]

Carl,
If I understand you correctly, I can still run the thermostat in the manual mode if I have a program set, but I cannot bump the temperature up or down if I have the program running. Or do I have to cancel/clear the program in order to use the manual mode again?

I also e-mailed you a PDF user's manual, but I would lay odds you already have it.

Jack

[jackel1959]

I have been in contact with Dometic and they have told me the T-stat will work without any rewiring or major modifications, but I will need a new control board to make everything compatible. All they needed was the model of the A/C to determine the correct control board. Below are some e-mail excerpts between myself and Dometic Customer Service:

Jack: "I currently have the Dometic 5-button “Comfort Control Center” thermostat installed in my 5th wheel. My question is can the Dometic “Comfort Control Center 2” thermostat be used as a direct plug & play replacement?"

Dometic: "You will have to get a new board as well. The wiring will be the same so you will not have to worry about rewiring your RV. If you supply the model number I can look to see what board you will need as well."

Jack: "Do you need the model number of the thermostat or the current control board? If it is the control board you need, where would I find that info? Is it located in the A/C unit where the DIP switches are?"

Dometic: "In order to find the correct CCC2 board I will need to know the model number of the A/C. The model number of the A/C is right above the silver box right below the air conditioner. The A/C model should start with either a 4,5, or 6."

Jack: "The Model# is 59516.741G9. Can I order everything from you directly or at least the control board, and if so how much?"

Dometic: "You can order these directly from us.The part numbers and prices are:

T-Stat- 3312024.023 $109
Board- 3312020.000 $118

Thanks,
Ryan

We appreciate this opportunity to address your situation, and hope all your future travels are trouble free. Please do not hesitate to contact us any time, to order parts or if we can be of assistance.

Customer Support Center
800 544 4881
RV.Com / DometicUSA.com
Dometic LLC"

So it would appear that with minimal modification I should be able to replace/upgrade to the newer thermostat.

Jack

[Carl n Susan]

quote:Originally posted by jackel1959

Carl,
If I understand you correctly, I can still run the thermostat in the manual mode if I have a program set, but I cannot bump the temperature up or down if I have the program running. Or do I have to cancel/clear the program in order to use the manual mode again?

I also e-mailed you a PDF user's manual, but I would lay odds you already have it.

Jack

As I recall, when we first got the rig I could turn on the thermostat, select the function (heat or A/C), temp and fan speed. All this was done manually albeit the thermostat remembered the settings after being shut off. I changed set point by hitting the arrow keys and everyone was happy. But I had to remember to drop it down when I went to bed and Susan was forced to leave her warm comfy bed and face a very cold room in the morning. The lure of having it done automatically made me try to figure out the programming. Once I entered a Program (Heat = 65 degrees during the day and 50 at night) the thermostat would only do what was set via the Program. Want to change the temp set point? Re-program. Want to run the A/C? Re-program.

I hope you can clear the Program and have it revert to the original manual mode. I haven’t tried to do that yet. The rig is in the shop or else I would be out playing with it. I should also mention there is an “Auto” mode where anytime the inside temp differs from the set point by more than 2 degrees, the thermostat will utilize the appropriate component (Furnace or A/C) to bring the two back together. That is impractical for us as we want a setback in temp at night (which would force the A/C to run to drop the temp) and we like different temps when heating v. cooling.

Thanks for the PDF. You are right I had one but I am receiving copies daily

[jackel1959]

Okay, more info on the thermostat change over. Because we have two air conditioners, I contacted Dometic again today and confirmed that I would need to purchase two control boards at the tune of $118 each.

After reading Butch's posts, it doesn't sound like this is really the type of programmable thermostat I had in mind. And for $300 plus to do the conversion, I can drag my butt out of the warm bed in the morning and turn the furnace on.

But now we and everyone else who has been thinking about the conversion has all the info.

Jack