Dometic AC maintenance

[rideadeuce]

So the unit is over 6 years old, thought it might be time for some maintenance. 😁 Also, making some high pitched screams (fan motor?) occasionally. and not cooling as well sometimes. Took the shroud off by removing 4 phillips (easy). Found a birds nest from early this spring, I guess, 2 hatchlings didn’t make it. Probably hatched while in FL. The nest and eggs look fairly fresh. 

Took out the big and small capacitors (5/16 screw that is needlessly hard to reach), both tested WNLs (Big silver one 55/15 +/- 5% micro farads and small black one 43-53 micro farads). Fan shaft had some wiggle to it but pretty tight. Maybe a bearing went bad? Not sure if it was a good idea but sprayed the shaft toward the motor with some CRC power lube. Thought maybe it would help give me some time before replacing fan motor. Got pics of everything for later if I have to order.

Cleaned the coils with some mild soap detergent and low pressure water from hose. Let everything dry, cleaned the shroud and put everything back together. 

No noise and air coming out is definitely colder or I am just enjoying it more after being in the morning sun!

Hope it helps someone tackle their maintenance. Really not that hard. 

Best, 
Mike

 

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by rideadeuce

[BigTexas]

Thanks for posting Mike.  I'm a firm believer in having spare capacitors on hand as cheap insurance because you never know when they're going to stop working and their easy to switch out.   I'm using your pictures to order the spares. I'm guessing the black capacitor is an added on hard start capacitor?  Do you have the Oliver factory installed Micro-Air Easy Start option on your A/C unit?  I know the Micro-Air unit also contains a capacitor but I've not taken the time to look it up.  I'm thinking an A/C unit wouldn't have both a hard start cap and the Micro-Air.  I need to do some preventive maintenance on mine.  They're easy to forget about until they don't work.   

[rideadeuce]

@BigTexas Mine does have an easy start installed but I am not knowledgeable enough to know whether the black small capacitor is related to it or not.  I took pics to order the spares like you stated, hope it helped. Most likely a fan motor will be my first purchase. My Dometic Penguin II 13.5K has run continuously for 6 years, summer and winter, heat and air. It has been very dependable so far, albeit loudly. Looking at serviceable parts at this point and then replacement when the time comes. 

Edited June 16 by rideadeuce

[jd1923]

7 hours ago, rideadeuce said:

So the unit is over 6 years old, thought it might be time for some maintenance. 😁 Also, making some high pitched screams (fan motor?) occasionally. and not cooling as well sometimes...

I've been running mine daily lately, since I'm inside the Oliver lately on hot afternoons working on a kitchen faucet leak (done), rerouting furnace ducts (almost done) and other installations. The only good feature of this model is that on AUTO it will quit when down to temp, and for us out here that means it stays off all night and only runs a lot in the afternoons, set at 84 when I'm not inside.

Ours is getting to 9-years old now and we get the same "high pitched screams" on rare occasion. Is it really worth back-up capacitors and a new fan motor? Ours will be replaced before we travel this fall with a brand new non-Dometic product, most importantly something very QUIET!!! We have only spent one overnight with the AC on and that was enough. Noise-reduction headphones to watch TV and when the unit finally caught up and turned off for a while, I was able to fall asleep!