We have a 34 Hunter - year 2000 with a Dometic air conditioner - VTD12K-410A. Basically, the A/C is coming on, getting cool and then after about 10 minutes it shuts off. Display goes blank, then I hear this clicking sound on AC that clicks about every 15 seconds. It does this for about 5 minutes and then powers on again and then repeats this off and on thing. Any ideas? - Presley Broussard
Dometic Air Conditioner Not Staying On - then clicking
- Thread starter Presbrou1
- Start date
Sounds to me you have lost cooling water flow. Even without cooling water it will work and cool for a few minutes before it gets too hot, then an automatic safety breaker on the unit itself should trip. After it cools a bit, the compressor will try to restart. It will run for a minute or two, then cut out again, and again, and the unit could be ruined if the cooling water is not restored. That is why I never run an onboard A/C unit when I'm not aboard. One bit of weed or a plastic bag can cost one a couple of grand, if no one is there to tend to a unit if something clogs the intake.
Odd. Why isn't the automatic safety breaker a manual safety breaker ? When a manual safety breaker trips, it stays tripped until a human hand resets it.
When the unit overheats, you have a real problem and want someone to attend and inspect that failure. Hopefully, they will correct the problem and then reset the safety breaker. A far more desirable outcome, rather than waiting for the A/C destroy itself as the OP's unit is about to do.
Makes sense when you look at it that way. Ensures that you will likely be replacing your A/C long before it is worn out. If all small A/C manufacturers agree to this little back room deal, everybody profits except for the consumer of course
. And the planet as well when you look at the CO2 output to manufacture the next unit to replace the one that just burned out, again and again ad infinitum.
Yup, that breaker is usually attached to the top of the compressor case .. These are set for some pretty high temperatures depending on the compressor itself. The rotary compressors run quite hot normally.
The black "pod" on top of the compressor (in the attached) houses the high temp "protector" This would be the first thing to trip on loss of cooling water flow from a plugged strainer, closed thru-hull (?) or otherwise fouled water intake.. another hidden trip is internal to the sea water pump itself . A bad motor or restricted water flow will overheat the motor and the temp trip will open. It also resets when it cools a bit.
The black "pod" on top of the compressor (in the attached) houses the high temp "protector" This would be the first thing to trip on loss of cooling water flow from a plugged strainer, closed thru-hull (?) or otherwise fouled water intake.. another hidden trip is internal to the sea water pump itself . A bad motor or restricted water flow will overheat the motor and the temp trip will open. It also resets when it cools a bit.
Can ANYONE explain why theses high temperature trip devices reset automatically ?
That is the LAST thing on the face of this planet that should be automatically resetting until it finally destroys itself.
I think "cheap" is the word.
A simple bimetallic disk which pulls its points open at a set temperature.. it is a snap action disk ; you can hear it reset.
Seems like ASHRAE (the standards guys for HVAC) would have required manual intervention on the temp switch..??
A simple bimetallic disk which pulls its points open at a set temperature.. it is a snap action disk ; you can hear it reset.
Seems like ASHRAE (the standards guys for HVAC) would have required manual intervention on the temp switch..??
From my experience, I remember simple electro/mechanical trips being just about the same price whether auto or manual reset. Same body, just stay OFF when they trip.
Don't know if they have any interest in the best equipment design but they certainly don't show any interest in this design.
That unit seems to be the same as the old Cruisair. On our Cruisair, if it was a high pressure shutdown, the display would indicate “HP” and then countdown from 99 before restarting. After 3 restarts it would stay off.
Stopping with a blank display (or dashes) may mean a bad board. We did replace one for that.
You might want to check the Start-Run capacitor. It's cheap and easy to replace. Take precaution by removing the power cable/connection to aircon 1st, than use a screw drive shaft to short the Leads of the capacitor before disconnecting & removing. Stored charge within the capacitor can gives a nasty shock/burnt to fingers.