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Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Mike on November 07, 2012, 06:46:19 pm

Title: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: Mike on November 07, 2012, 06:46:19 pm
We just took delivery on a 2551 recently. The A/C (heat pump) is very loud especially when the compressor is running. Is this a common problem or do I take in in for service? I need my sleep!

Thanks Mike
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: Carolp495 on November 07, 2012, 06:57:40 pm
Hi Mike:

We are sleepless in Florida.

We have a 2350 on the Sprinter Chassis ..... and .... I was wondering the same thing. We tried leaving the fan running constant on low all night with the a/c on and Vince my husband has resorted to wearing ear plugs and wrapping the pillow around his head .... I can't do either and when the a/c kicks on it is like an explosion  that almost blows you out of bed :'( .

I to thought that maybe something could be wrong .... does anyone else have the same problem ????

Being in Florida we HAVE to run the a/c
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: classact on November 07, 2012, 08:44:44 pm
The loud AC issue, caused primarily from the high fan speed required for the unit to operate efficiently, is a problem that's not unique to PC. We have a Jayco Melbourne and even on the low setting, our AC is loud enough to make casual conversation a challenge.  I was thrilled recently to read about Coleman's new Mach 8 AC unit, which is engineered with two separate motors.   Not only is the unit much more quiet, but it's 15 lb lighter than their other units.     As I understand it, Winnebago and a few other manufacturers are starting to install them.   I would think this would be something PC would have interest in incorporating into future models.   It rates high on my wish-list for our next RV.
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: ge_montana on November 08, 2012, 06:13:28 am
This is same on our unit soWe keep on low once the unit is cooled. Bride says helps to drowned out snoring.
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: TomHanlon on November 08, 2012, 06:48:15 am
Yep, both our 2350 and the 2552 have the same issue. After a while you kind of get use to it. Like living next to the railroad tracks or in the flight path of a major airport. At 6:25 am every morning the biggest, nosiest plane takes off and fly right over our house. The air port is about 20 miles away and this is the only time we hear planes. >(
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: gradygal on November 08, 2012, 07:57:03 am
I agree with Tom. In all three of our PCs, noise from the AC/heater and inverter disturb my sleep. I wonder if it is because the unit is not ducted. I know that Coach House has a ducted unit. Since I am a VERY light sleeper, here is what we do so that I can get a good nights sleep:

I always wear earplugs.
We turn off the inverter each night before bed and then I turn it back on in the morning. That fan coming on all night wakes me up.
I use a little fan that I bought at Walgreens to circulate air at night.
We also bought a small electric heater although we haven't used it yet (after a year of schlepping it around).

The noise does not bother George--he snores away--but I am another story.

Judi
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: classact on November 09, 2012, 07:17:51 pm
I agree with Tom. In all three of our PCs, noise from the AC/heater and inverter disturb my sleep. I wonder if it is because the unit is not ducted. I know that Coach House has a ducted unit. Since I am a VERY light sleeper, here is what we do so that I can get a good nights sleep:

I always wear earplugs.
We turn off the inverter each night before bed and then I turn it back on in the morning. That fan coming on all night wakes me up.
I use a little fan that I bought at Walgreens to circulate air at night.
We also bought a small electric heater although we haven't used it yet (after a year of schlepping it around).

The noise does not bother George--he snores away--but I am another story.

Judi

FWIW, our Melbourne IS ducted, but the noise is the same.   The fan speed required within the unti to keep it running efficiently creates the unwanted byproduct of noise.  Again, hoping for these new Coleman units that are much more quiet.
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: Jan and Dick on November 19, 2012, 08:09:49 pm
We had a serious vibration in our unit every time the compressor kicked in.  I talked to the factory rep at the Good Sam rally in Louisville who put in contact with a local service center.  They took one look at it and determined he compressor was bad.  The factory replaced the whole unit.  We have not used the AC much yet but have used the heat strips a lot on a recent trip to Maine.  I will say the blower is loud.  But the vibrations from the compressor seemed to be gone after a short test when  the new unit was installed.  I am not sure you can do much about the loud fan.  It does not seem to bother my wife or I when we sleep.  In fact we used the heat strip exclusively at night to heat heat the PC at night.  The noise from the fan was minor compared to the vibrations from the compressor.  I am no sure this helps you but you have my simpathy.

Dick
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: TomHanlon on November 20, 2012, 07:59:32 am
When I owned a Chinook we had a "serious vibration " in the A/C one time. It rattled the whole camper. :'( I called service at Camping world and they knew right away what it was.  (nod) They told me to remove the cover and look at the fan. So I did that and found a small brown mud darter (bee) nest. >( I cleaned it out and all was well again. 2o2 Live and learn. roflol
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: Carolp495 on November 20, 2012, 10:58:34 am
Well we live in a small airpark community in Florida (my husband is a private pilot) and our community butts up againt I-95 .... and I am use to the small planes taking off and usually sleep through that ... and I-95 for the most part I look at that noise as ocean waves (ha-ha) but I can not get use to the noise of the 2350's a/c unit ... I have found that ear plugs and a nice glass of wine before bedtime have done the trick so far  :)(: but if we put the a/c on auto ... when that kicks on and off it is with a vengenance .... so we have kept the fan on low as Judy I think suggested and that with the earplugs seem to help.  Will have to check out the fan as I notice when I am outside the unit and the a/c kicks on it seems like a clunk or vibration sort of noise when it first starts up .. so maybe we have something on the blades ... I doubt it but I'm always looking for things !
Carol

Yep, both our 2350 and the 2552 have the same issue. After a while you kind of get use to it. Like living next to the railroad tracks or in the flight path of a major airport. At 6:25 am every morning the biggest, nosiest plane takes off and fly right over our house. The air port is about 20 miles away and this is the only time we hear planes. >(
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: gradygal on November 20, 2012, 11:32:09 am
Frogs!!!!!! Not Kermit The Frog but the tree frog variety living in the blades--at least I think that Kermit is not a tree frog (WH)

While at Stephen Foster State Park, I heard this horrible noise when we started up the air. George climbed up on the roof, took off the cover of the air conditioner and low and behold there was a frog. He took it out and while up there found another squished frog.

You Never Know what lurks in the air conditioner!

Judi
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: BarbRN on July 02, 2013, 08:58:45 am
We can hardly hear each other talk on the sofa.  Also, at 100% volume on the TV, we can't hear it over the A/C.  Is there a way to make it louder?  Seems the speaker on the TV is partially covered up by upholstery.  Is there a way to use the auxiliary speakers with the TV if you aren't watching a DVD?
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: TomHanlon on July 02, 2013, 10:46:26 am
Yes, turn on the sound sound (DVD) player, go into the menu and change the input setting to ??? Until the sound comes out the five speakers. I think it is set to aux, but not sure.
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: Shipper on July 02, 2013, 05:20:26 pm
When we looked at PC our biggest concern was the non-ducted A/C. We had had other units that were very noisy, but had read that the Coleman Mach 8 had two motors and was very quiet on low. When we ordered our unit, we had Kermit install the 15K Coleman Mach 8 heatpump. It costs a little more but on low it is truly quieter than the Dometics that PC uses. The two motor system enables low to be "LOW". You can talk above it, watch and hear the TV, and sleep at night with it running on low without the cycling bothering me like some other unducted units. It also has the advantage of being one of the lowest and lightest units on the market. That's my plug for the day!
 ;)  
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: KB9OMH on July 02, 2013, 10:00:24 pm
Hi,
     I must need hearing aids, we have 2 ac units in our 3100, and we run both of them at night when it's hot. sleeping is no problem for the both of us. watching tv is not a problem, most of the time, if the living room ac is on low, with high then we have a problem.


Jim & Rae Anne
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: 2 Frazzled on July 03, 2013, 06:01:17 am
We haven't slept with the AC on yet but have a different problem. When the the AC compressor kicks on, the TV goes out for a few seconds then comes back. We were hooked up to shore power and didn't get any errors on the outside surge suppressor. Anyone have the same problem or have suggestions? We leave Friday for a three week trip out to the Black Hills and back and expect we'll be using the AC a lot.

Holly
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: KB9OMH on July 03, 2013, 08:51:02 am
Holly,
      Check you shore power, sounds like you are drawing too many amps and drawing down the voltage when the compress come on. Check your power plug and see if it's getting warm. If it is then get a volt meter and check out the voltage at the plug

Jim
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: BarbRN on July 04, 2013, 12:03:44 am
Yes, turn on the sound sound (DVD) player, go into the menu and change the input setting to ??? Until the sound comes out the five speakers. I think it is set to aux, but not sure.

Yep, Aux2 did it and the volume knob on the unit helps to turn it up too.  Lots better now. Thanks.
Title: Re: Duo Therm Penguin A/C
Post by: 2 Frazzled on July 04, 2013, 06:20:36 am
Holly,
      Check you shore power, sounds like you are drawing too many amps and drawing down the voltage when the compress come on. Check your power plug and see if it's getting warm. If it is then get a volt meter and check out the voltage at the plug

Jim

Thanks Jim, we are still learning all this and haven't bought all the right tools yet. The volt meter just jumped to the top of the list.