Escapees September-October 2023

mark, my words

Clogged A/C Drain Q. I have a Duo-Therm roof AC on my RV. It worked fi ne in West Texas where I live, but I’m in Arkansas now where the humidity is higher. We have developed a problem with it dripping water through the intake vent. I had it serviced in May, before we started our trip, and I have opened the cover and checked to ensure the coils are draining properly, and they are basically dry with no frozen water. I noticed a cover over the area where the cold air is cooled in the RV but didn’t open it. Should I take it someplace to have it checked and possibly cleaned in the ducted part, or is there something I can do to see if the water can be reduced? I have two units, and the one in the rear is the only one doing this. Gary A. In most cases, if you are getting condensation water from the air condi tioner dripping into the inside of the rig through the air conditioner vents, you have a clogged drain on the unit. Here is some general information on opening the evaporator case and cleaning the drains. Most roof airs have two plastic drains for condensation water, located on the sides of the air conditioning unit baseplate. These will often become restricted by a buildup of dirt and goo, and that can cause the condensate water to fi nd a new path, like into the interior of the coach. The cure is a simple clean ing of the drains and the evaporator compartment. Shut the unit off and, to be extra safe, either unplug from shore power or turn off the breaker that serves the air conditioner. On the roof, remove the plastic shroud. Remove the cover over the evaporator core. Use a spray cleaner, like Fantastic or 409, and clean the evaporator coils and the drip pan. Use a small brush or apieceof fl exible wire to clean out the little plastic drains that are found on each side of the baseplate. Button it up, and you should be good to go. I found this webpage with pictures and info to help you do the job: bryantrv. com/roofacleaks.html. There are a lot of videos on YouTube as well. Take a look before you get on the roof. As always, don’t take on a task unless you feel it is within your abilities. If you prefer, most RV service providers can do this for you, and it is a fairly easy job, so it should not be expensive. A recent question in your column was about dash A/C not being enough to keep driver and passenger cool during driving, and we have come up with an easy solution. We purchased a tension rod from Walmart and rigged it behind us in the driving area. On it, we placed a simple $1 shower curtain liner which extends down to the fl oor. It keeps the a/c in the front where we need it, and we don’t burn any extra diesel fuel while we travel by adding the roof air run by the generator. I hope this helps with anyone having this problem. It also works when we travel in the cold weather to keep the heat up front where we need it. Pizma D Reader Response: Dash A/C Tip

Squirt, Then Stop Q. The ceramic toilet in our Sunnybrook RV has a spray hose next to it that is mounted on the wall. When you step on the fl ush lever, a small amount of water squirts out and hits you. It should only operate when the lever on the spray hose nozzle is pressed at the same time you are stepping onthe fl ush lever. What could be causing this small squirt? Robert A. The sprayer is only supplied withwater

pressure when the toilet fl ush

valve is open. If the valve on the sprayer gets sticky or dirty, it will often exhibit that kind of “squirt, then stop” problem when the water pressure fi rst hits the sprayer as you fl ush. The fi x is easy and inexpensive, since this

hose sprayer is essentially the same type you fi nd on kitchen sinks, make a trip to your near est home improvement store and buy a replacement sprayer head. They are typically univer sal, but you can always take yours along to compare. Just be sure not to fl ush the toilet while the sprayer is missing, or you might get a major surprise. (Hint: remember to warn your travel companion!) “The fi x is easy and inexpensive…”

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR MARK? Submissions must not contain commercial advertising or consumer advocacy issues. Due to the large volume of material and correspondence submitted, we may be unable to reply or acknowledge receipt of your material. Material will be edited. Questions and answers with the highest general interest may be repeated in subsequent issues. Questions can be sent by mail to “Mark, My Words” Column, 100 Rainbow Drive, Livingston, TX 77351-9300 or to techquestions@escapees.com.

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September/October 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine