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AC Condensation leak? 2018 320s.

SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Tracking a source for water seeping out below the shower wall at seam between floor and shower, my previous thread inquired if water was from city water connection, but now I think it is from AC condensation while AC was running on very hot & humid days. I've searched previous discussions on this topic but still not clear if AC condensation drainage could send water to that location.

Tab 320s Boondock
TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    Do you get condensation draining from the pipe/hose under the TaB in front of the driver side wheel?

    Have you pulled out the AC to see if the pan is full or draining?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
    I haven't checked the drain pipe area under the tab; didn't know there was one (DOH). But have't noticed any puddles. Will test and check that. Have not pulled the AC out because it looks like quite a job. 
    Tab 320s Boondock
    TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    When you run the AC, do you tilt the tongue down?  You can access a view of the clear AC hose under the far right side of the driver side bench.  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
    I have not been tilting down, just getting level. 
    Tab 320s Boondock
    TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    The drain is in the right front corner of the pan as you face the A/C inside the TaB.  A tongue down position assured that the condensation will reach the drain hole.  In addition, a slight passenger side down may help, but most important is tongue down.  I think if you do that you will see drainage under the TaB.  
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
    Thanks Sharon, very helpful.
    Tab 320s Boondock
    TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • BrianZBrianZ Member Posts: 1,763
    edited July 2020
    @Sneakle, here are some photos showing where the drain & hose are located..
    Below is the a/c cabinet where, towards the bottom right a small square part of the drain pan extends inside the wall where the drain hose is connected..

    Heres a close up of the drain.  Hose is attached below the drain hole inside the wall & goes down through the floor..

    This view is from inside the hole in the wall behind the television.  The white arrow is on the clear drain hose..

    So, you might be able to look &/or feel for leaks where the tube connects to the drain pan and maybe at the floor level inside the wall.  Maybe a light and a mirror could help, or a small remote camera if available to look inside the wall space at both ends of drain tube.  The tv is easy to remove from the wall by just disconnecting the mounting arm from the wall, pull some excess cable from the wall & set the tv on the seat, then remove the plastic cover from the hole in wall.  Easy to do.
    If water is leaking from a/c pan into the wall space, it could be a cracked drain pan, loose drain fitting, or hose has come loose from drain pan drain fitting, or lower end of hose is loose from hole in floor, or hose is leaky.  Another possibility is that the hose is plugged and drain pan is overflowing into the wall, but this would require a nose-down position.  You could remove the A/C unit, or just check the drain tube function by pouring some water into the drain pan to see if it leaks or comes out under the trailer as it should.
    -Brian in Chester, Virginia
    TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
    RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods 
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  • SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
    Good pictures, thanks. I will trace the drainage flow from top to bottom. I suspect a clog.
    Tab 320s Boondock
    TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • ColleenD2ColleenD2 Member Posts: 411
    edited August 2020
    I haven’t had this issue but I am hoping someone can explain the delicate balance between level for the fridge and then the tilt for a/c. I’ve only seen actual drainage once when we first got the T@B and never again and we have a 320 U which the ac is on the floor. I need to watch and make sure water is coming out. I appreciate this thread, very helpful.
    2019 Custom T@B 320 U Boondock Lite-ish
    We slept in 34 states, 2 countries & counting.


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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    edited July 2020
    @ColleenD2 - Does your floor mounted A/C have the large grill on the outside?  If so, it may drain out the drivers side.  

    PS:  I just looked at your TaB photos and you do have the grill.  Maybe tilting slightly driver side down while on shorepower and run your frig on shorepower - not LP?  Does the frig need to be level on shorepower?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • tabiphiletabiphile Member Posts: 426
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
      Does the frig need to be level on shorepower?                                      
    The frig only needs to be level when running on propane.... level is not a concern on shore power.
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  • VictoriaPVictoriaP Member Posts: 1,492
    edited July 2020
    tabiphile said:
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
      Does the frig need to be level on shorepower?                                      
    The frig only needs to be level when running on propane.... level is not a concern on shore power.
    Not true, unfortunately. @Sharon_is_SAM, a 3-way fridge (absorption type) needs to be as level as possible on all three power sources. It has to do with how the ammonia reaches the evaporator, and the ammonia is circulated for cooling in the same way regardless of which power is used. Running it off level will eventually damage it. Excellent article here with much greater detail:  https://lifeonroute.com/why-your-rv-fridge-needs-to-be-level/ (2 way fridges are less sensitive.)

    That said... @ColleenD2, the fridge has a little leeway in being off level, and it doesn’t take much tilt to get water to run off correctly. The most common recommendation I’ve seen is to level the trailer for the fridge, then tilt the nose down 1/2 crank to get condensate in the A/C pain to flow to the front. That should put it off level enough to drain, but not enough to affect either the fridge or things on the counter/stove, or your sleep if you lay front to back.
    2019 320s BD Lite, white with blue (“Haven”)
    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6r (unsafe 200lb tongue weight limit until 2020 models)
    2020 Subaru Outback XT
    Pacific NW
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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    @VictoriaP - do you know where the drain is located for the floor mount A/C?
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • VictoriaPVictoriaP Member Posts: 1,492
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    @VictoriaP - do you know where the drain is located for the floor mount A/C?
    Unfortunately not, I have the wall mount and haven’t seen a pic of the floor mount. I’d say contact the dealer or nuCamp if the unit is too big to pull and look.
    2019 320s BD Lite, white with blue (“Haven”)
    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6r (unsafe 200lb tongue weight limit until 2020 models)
    2020 Subaru Outback XT
    Pacific NW
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  • tabiphiletabiphile Member Posts: 426
    VictoriaP said:
    tabiphile said:
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
      Does the frig need to be level on shorepower?                                      
    The frig only needs to be level when running on propane.... level is not a concern on shore power.
    Not true, unfortunately. Excellent article here with much greater detail:  https://lifeonroute.com/why-your-rv-fridge-needs-to-be-level/ (2 way fridges are less sensitive.)

    That is great information. Thank you!
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  • ColleenD2ColleenD2 Member Posts: 411
    So we did the one crank tilt and nothing is coming out. We do have the ac grill on the drivers side. I will crawl under there tomorrow and take some pics. Weird question, this is basically a “window unit” for a home. Do those drain? I’ve only ever had central air but never noticed it when my brother had window units.
    2019 Custom T@B 320 U Boondock Lite-ish
    We slept in 34 states, 2 countries & counting.


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  • VictoriaPVictoriaP Member Posts: 1,492
    @ColleenD2 Yes, window units drain. (So do portables.) You usually don’t see it happen because it’s a little at a time and outside, but they produce condensate which must drain off.

    Some thoughts:
    - If humidity isn’t high, there won’t be much condensate, and what there is may evaporate before it could drain.
    - The drain may be in a different direction than on the wall units.
    - The drain may be blocked near the top (construction debris).
    - The drain may be blocked near the bottom (road debris, mud dauber wasps, spider nests)
    2019 320s BD Lite, white with blue (“Haven”)
    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6r (unsafe 200lb tongue weight limit until 2020 models)
    2020 Subaru Outback XT
    Pacific NW
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  • ColleenD2ColleenD2 Member Posts: 411
    I bet it is blocked. Humidity is insane here. I’ll check tomorrow for sure. Thank you!
    2019 Custom T@B 320 U Boondock Lite-ish
    We slept in 34 states, 2 countries & counting.


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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    I think the floor mount A/C just drains out over the side out the grill.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • VictoriaPVictoriaP Member Posts: 1,492
    Sharon_is_SAM said:
    I think the floor mount A/C just drains out over the side out the grill.
    Typically residential window mount A/C units (which the 2019 “floor mount” is) drain out through a very small weep hole on the bottom underside of the unit. I’m not sure how you’d manage to get that to drain out of the grill in the sidewall without some sort of hose and spout, which I would think would be visible through the grill.
    2019 320s BD Lite, white with blue (“Haven”)
    2015 Subaru Outback 3.6r (unsafe 200lb tongue weight limit until 2020 models)
    2020 Subaru Outback XT
    Pacific NW
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  • Sharon_is_SAMSharon_is_SAM Administrator Posts: 9,484
    Ok, I guess I was thinking about the floor mounted Cool Cats that drain out the side.  

    I read some older posts of owners with floor mounted window units and their drains were in the center of the pan and then down through the floor.  One said that you can see the pan through the grill.  They were also able to poke something up through the underside drain and relieve a blockage (wasp).
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Denny16Denny16 Member Posts: 5,445
    The CoolCat on the TaB400, drains out the back vent at the forward corner.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • SneakleSneakle Member Posts: 131
    Update on my original inquiry: I set the driver's side up a bit higher than level and put the tongue down a bit below level. Running the AC today I do see the condensation coming out the tube under the Tab. So on next trip I'll level that way. Just seems the tray under the AC unit should have a high enough lip to drain at level before spilling over. 
    Tab 320s Boondock
    TV: Toyota 4Runner
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  • BrianZBrianZ Member Posts: 1,763
    Agree, @Sneakle, that tray should drain even if slightly off level unless the drain tube is plugged.  I don't see how being a little off could cause overflow into the wall space.  
    -Brian in Chester, Virginia
    TV: 2005 Toyota Sienna LE (3.3L V6)
    RV: 2018 T@B 320S, >100 mods 
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