Did a Dumb Thing...

manyman297

Just getting settled into our new 2021 400 BD. Went to test the AC...compressor kicked on once. After a while it turned off...and then I wondered why the compressor wasn't kicking on. Warm air was coming out of the vents. Finally dawned on me I forgot to remove the AC cover. Once I removed the cover everything worked fine. My question is have I done any harm to the AC by using it covered for an hour?

Also, and I'm assuming this is because there's hardly any insulation in the Tab...it it normal for the compressor to be constantly on and working? We're in the low 80s and I had the thermostat set at 68 just to test how well it would cool the space. It was on for hours and never shut off. It definitely got chilly in there and seemed to be working but I assume we just had the thermostat set so low that the space would never reach a stable temp in 80 degree weather. What do you think?

falcon1970

The thermostat that controls the AC is mounted right near the door.  If that door is open the stat senses outside air temps rather than the inside temps.  If you were moving in and out of the TAB frequently it probably never sensed the inside temp at all.
With the door closed, the CoolCat can make the inside of the TAB like a meat storage locker.  I don't know how effective the Air-8 system is.  I assume not very because nuCamp went back to the CoolCat.

manyman297

@falcon1970
It definitely got cold in there but not freezing. I guess I was expecting it to kick off after a certain amount of time but if it was set too low then it probably never would. Just wanted to make sure I didn't screw something up by leaving the cover over the vent on the outside.

Dutch061

As far as damage, I am going to say no. There should be sufficient protection built in (temp - psi) to prevent the compressor from continuing to run if the condenser can't dissipate the heat. I believe that Dometic has been around the block enough times to know that things like this can happen and have initiated satisfactory safety standards in their products. 

As far as continuous compressor operation, probably a few factors at play.

1. Inside temperature VS. set temperature
2. Humidity
3. Ambient temperature outside
4. Thermal load from the sun 

And as @falcon1970 mentioned, if you have the door open constantly it will greatly affect this too. From everything I have read and member input, the CoolCat is very solid.

Brad

manyman297

I'm thinking it was just the outside temps which were low to mid 80s. Once the air was turned off, the inside temp of the camper crept back up within maybe 15 minutes. We have some hot days coming up (mid 90s) and will be interested to see how well it does in that heat.

Regarding damage, the fan always was on but the compressor wouldn't kick on which tells me there's some sensor that prevents it from kicking on when it's too hot.

Dalehelman

Regarding damage, the fan always was on but the compressor wouldn't kick on which tells me there's some sensor that prevents it from kicking on when it's too hot.

I would agree.