Danby AC not working 2018 T@B

PNWtabber

I have a 2018 320S, purchased from the original owners in September 2020.  I have rarely used the Danby Air Conditioner.

I am preparing for an upcoming trip, where AC might be nice to have, so I gave it a test run yesterday.  Uh oh!
Trailer is plugged into shore power.  I turned on the fan switch on the wall and tried the different settings on the AC unit.  I can here what sounds like a fan, but the sound of the fan does not change as I change settings (e.g., low vs high), AND I do not feel any air coming out of the Danby at all, cool or otherwise.   

I consulted the Danby Manual which said to clean the filter.  Which I did.  But it doesn't make a difference.

I don't have a lot of experience with these AC units.  None of the other options in the troubleshooting section of the manual seem to apply to my situation.
Any suggestions on what the problem is and how to fix it?

Also, I didn't pay close attention when I removed the filter.  Which way does it go back in?  Does the plastic grid frame face out or in?  Does it matter?

Thanks!

Marceline

Are you sure that there's even power to the Danby? The ventilation fan is a completely separate unit. Even if the compressor in the A/C isn't kicking on, if there's power I'd think that it would at least be blowing air. 

VictoriaP

Agree with @Marceline, the first two things I’d check would be the AC plug/outlet, and the corresponding fuse circuit breaker (edit) in the converter box. The wall fan switch only controls the vent fan that helps circulate air in the AC cabinet, and that fan only has one speed. I’d do all my testing from here forward with the wall switch off to make it easier to confirm whether or not the Danby is responding.

On my Danby, the bottom dial switch controls the fan only & AC settings, top dial switch controls the air temperature. The Danby plug itself has a Reset button on it, and should have a lit green LED if the unit has power.

Edit to add: The Danby website still has this model, it’s a whopping $220. Not exactly the most expensive unit to replace if it has failed (though a nuisance), and I know a few folks on here found better models that also fit the space.

PNWtabber

Thanks @Marceline and @VictoriaP.  Somehow I thought that wall switch was some sort of shut-off for the entire AC.

There is no test light glowing on the plug.  I unplugged the AC and tested with another, known functional, electronic device.  Conclusion is there is no power going to that outlet.

Next stupid question:  where are the fuses?  Are they inside this black box (see photos)?  How do I access the fuses?  I hate messing with electricity.  

I may have to ask my son to help.  

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber Yes, inside the converter you have pictured. There's a spot to push (top center) and that front panel flips down to show you the fuses and circuit breakers. With any luck, they are labeled.

Have you checked the other 110v outlets to confirm the trailer has power? Knowing that would narrow it down to just the one circuit.

PNWtabber

VictoriaP said:

@PNWtabber Yes, inside the converter you have pictured. There's a spot to push (top center) and that front panel flips down to show you the fuses. With any luck, they are labeled.

Whew!  I am relieved to hear that front panel opens.  I was envisioning having to screw off the back.  Hoping that is the answer!

PNWtabber

Alrighty, I opened the "black box" (can I reiterate how much I hate working with electricity?).
The circuit breakers are all in the "on" position, so I moved on to the actual fuses.  They are labeled for amperage, but not usage.

Searching the forum for clues, I found this thread:  https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/8400/inverter-question/p1

@dsfdogs (who also has a 2018) had a post in that thread said they talked to Creed (?) and got this information (photo credit to @dsfdogs ):


So, I'm wondering if it is Fuse 4 (12-volt outlet) that is the problem?  I guess the only way to know is to pull the fuse and take a look?  It has been ages since I dealt with an automotive fuse problem.   

Do I just pull the fuse out?????

Of course, if the fuse is bad, the next question is, what blew the fuse????  That is a 15 amp fuse.  The Danby manual says it requires a 15 amp fuse, so that would seem to be copacetic.

Mickerly

The AC outlets should have circuit breakers, like in your house. 

Inside the power converter door, there is a sticker explaining the 5 circuit breakers. On my 2018, the AC CB is the second from the front of the trailer. Look at the sticker to make sure yours are the same. Then plug the trailer in with an extension cord. There may be a cooling fan running in the power converter. If the fan isn't running, you can check there is AC power by plugging a light into another outlet. This way you know the converter is producing 110 volt AC for the trailer. When the air conditioner outlet has power, the plug will have a greenish light. There is a push button on the plug, the air conditioner's own circuit breaker.

We have the same Danby unit. As Victoria alluded, we are replacing during this winters down time. It has worked fine for two summers, we just want one with less noise and a thermostat. 

PNWtabber

Mickerly said:

The AC outlets should have circuit breakers, like in your house. 

Inside the power converter door, there is a sticker explaining the 5 circuit breakers. On my 2018, the AC CB is the second from the front of the trailer. Look at the sticker to make sure yours are the same. Then plug the trailer in with an extension cord. There may be a cooling fan running in the power converter. If the fan isn't running, you can check there is AC power by plugging a light into another outlet. This way you know the converter is producing 110 volt AC for the trailer. When the air conditioner outlet has power, the plug will have a greenish light. There is a push button on the plug, the air conditioner's own circuit breaker.

We have the same Danby unit. As Victoria alluded, we are replacing during this winters down time. It has worked fine for two summers, we just want one with less noise and a thermostat. 

Thanks, @Mickerly

• None of the circuit breakers has tripped, all are in the correct position.
• The trailer is connected to shore power at my house.
• The AC plug is not glowing and I tested the outlet with another electrical item (my camera's battery charger) and the outlet does not have power.
• So I am looking at fuses now?  

I rarely use the AC, of course, no telling what the prior owners did.  But it appears to be the outlet, not the AC unit itself.

Am I missing something?

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber No, @Mickerly is correct and caught me in an error. The circuit breakers are for the 110v circuits, including the AC unit, the fuses are for the 12v DC circuits (anything that can run off battery) and shouldn’t be an issue here.

That said, if it were me? Assuming you’ve confirmed other outlets do have power, my next triage step would be to flip the AC & Main breakers to off, wait a minute, flip them back on and plug the AC back in. I have a breaker in the house that will zap itself without actually flipping to off (yes, I need to bring in an electrician), and just like a computer, flipping them off and back on sometimes resets things.

mytabbys701

I agree with @PWNtabber - not all AC breakers will show tripped when tripped (just a slight move) -- and see if other AC/house outlets in the T@B have power (thought here is that not all the AC breakers would be tripped).

Also - if you have an extension cord, you could always unplug the AC unit from beside the cabinet and plug that into extension cord just to reassure yourself that the AC unit works.

good (electrical) hunting.

BrianZ

Probably.  Have you checked the light on your T@B's electrical cable plug that is plugged into the the outside of your trailer?  Is it glowing?  If you're plugged into a 15 amp house outlet, you may have tripped the circuit breaker inside your house or on the house outlet itself where the trailer power cable is plugged in.  Are any other AC outlets working on the trailer?

dsfdogs

To add on to what BrianZ said, if no other AC outlets are working in the trailer, then the GFCI could have popped (just like in your home). The outlet right next to the converter has the red button you can push to reset.

Mickerly

The technique is following the power. We know there is no power to the air conditioner outlet. That one outlet has it's own circuit breaker. Reset and see if the outlet has power. If that doesn't work, you need to see if power is coming from the power converter: is the power converter cooling fan running, do the other outlets work, does your battery power panel show 13+ volts? If those don't work, is power available from your extension cord. As you move backwards down the line, you are looking for the first thing with power. The device before that is broken.

PNWtabber

Occam's razor rules the day.  This is so embarassing!

After confirming that NONE of the outlets was working, and having reset all of the breakers.  I turned off the battery and discovered not even the lights were working off of shore power.

The LED on my power cord doesn't work, so I went in the garage and discovered the lights on the surge suppressor were not on either.  So I checked the plug and discovered it was not fully inserted into the wall socket.  **facepalm**  Once I seated it properly, the surge suppressor lights came on.   Back at the trailer, the AC is working.

This experience reminds me of a friend in college who, along with our Physics professor, spent literally hours trying to troubleshoot an instrument only to finally discover it was unplugged, Oops!!!

I cannot thank you all enough for your patience and help.  It was not a wasted effort, the experience forced me to get more familiar with the electrical system than I was prior, and reminded me to always employ the KISS principle (hoping I don't have to explain that one).  I think I have been paranoid that something major is going to go wrong at some time, so jumped to conclusions.

Now I can focus on other things as I get ready for my next trip. 
Y'all rock!!!!!!!!!!

VictoriaP

@PNWtabber Happens to everyone in one form or another, no worries! Glad to hear it turned out to be a non issue.

Mickerly

No worries. You learned something. All is good.

dragonsdofly

@PNWtabber someday soon this event will lend itself to a great campfire story. Tuck all learned and experienced info under your cap for just such an occasion. Happy t@bbing.

Grumpy_G

LOL I was thinking about suggesting to check the basics first but I thought "Nah he's not a noob"....