It seems pretty simple. Set the temperature and forget about your RV’s air condition. All is good until you notice the air conditioner is working harder than normal, or worse it just quits. Taking the time to clean your air conditioner will help it run more efficiently and will keep you cooler. It is a good idea to look at your air conditioner at least twice a year, or sooner if you notice problems.
Many RVs have two or even three air conditioning units that work hard to maintain a cool and comfortable temperature inside of the RV. Just like anything mechanical our air conditioners need some maintenance in order to work efficiently and help us avoid costly repairs. If you have not looked at your air conditioners now would be a good time to do so. When you look at your ceiling you should see filters on the ceiling that filter the return air. Most of these filters are easily accessible by the RV owner and can easily be washed in the sink to remove dirt. Just make sure they are dry before reinstalling them into the return vents. This is also a good time to take a close look at the unit on the roof of the RV.
If you are not confident in doing this or getting on top of your RV then consider hiring a mobile tech to come and look at your air conditioning units. It is common for the air conditioner coils to get clogged with dirt that does not get trapped by the filters inside of the RV. One the coils get clogged your air conditioner has to work harder to cool the air, and does not do so as efficiently as clean coils. In addition to cleaning the coils we want to examine the fins on the coils for bent or damaged fins. Bent or damaged fins can also cause the air conditioner to not work as efficiently.
Cleaning your air conditioner coils can be done by using a coil cleaner product from one of the big box home improvement stores. Just follow the directions on the canister and disconnect the electricity from your unit before working on the air conditioner. When using water to flush the cleaner and dirt from the coils only use a small amount of water at low pressure so you don’t cause damage to the fins or flood your RV.
