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Loose wire on A/c unit

Yahoo Message Number: 620

I just keep finding problems.... Last fall the front a/s quit working, and since it was cooler, i didn't try to find the problem. Since it is starting to heat up in southern California, today I began to try to get things working again. The fuse in the thermostat was ok, and the breaker had not popped... I checked all the fuses I could find, thinking one might just be connected to the a/c unit somehow...

Finally, I pulled the filter cover off the a/c unit, and up inside there was a black box with wires going to it... I thought there might just be a breaker or reset button in the box, so I took it down and opened it... after flipping the breaker.

Inside, I found the 120 volt house wiring had been connected to #10 stranded wire with a yellow twist-on connector. The white (neutral) wire was barely inside the yellow connector, and when I started to remove it, the wire came loose. Both wires had been burned, the yellow connector had partially melted, and the ground wire was blackened from the other wires burning. I cleaned the wires, and replaced the butt connector. Now I wonder if the 120 volt system shares the same ground with the 12 volt system thru the genset. If so, that may explain why I have had to replace most of the 12 volt bulbs in the coach.

If anyone has an opinion, I would appreciate the info. Meanwhile, I will be posting the burned wiring on my blog.

Denny


The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there.

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 621
Years ago we were in Oregon for some electrical work on our rig. The guy doing the work was sort of a guru electrical legend in those parts. He'd started at Country Coach, then Marathon and later moved to Monaco all the time doing high-end coaches & bus conversions & in the evenings he moonlighted doing custom work. He reached in his pocket showed me one of his favorite "special tools" which turned out to be a very well-worn guitar peg winder (a plastic wrench-like gadget used to tighten guitar strings). He went on to explain that wire nuts were notorious for loosening over time from road vibrations. His time-tested procedure was, after finger-tightening a wire nut connection he would get out his peg winder, which slipped nicely over the "eared" wire nut, and then he would torque it some more. Said he and every tech he had taught this trick to had never had one come back for re-work.
Bill

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 622
Quote
I just keep finding problems.... Last fall the front a/s quit
working, and

Quote
since it was cooler, i didn't try to find the problem. Since it
is starting

Quote
to heat up in southern California, today I began to try to get
things working

Quote
again. The fuse in the thermostat was ok, and the breaker had not
popped...

Quote
I checked all the fuses I could find, thinking one might just be
connected to

Quote
the a/c unit somehow...

Finally, I pulled the filter cover off the a/c unit, and up inside
there was

Quote
a black box with wires going to it... I thought there might just be
a breaker or reset button in the box, so I took it down and opened
it... after

Quote
flipping the breaker.

Inside, I found the 120 volt house wiring had been connected to
#10 stranded

Quote
wire with a yellow twist-on connector. The white (neutral) wire
was barely

Quote
inside the yellow connector, and when I started to remove it, the
wire came

Quote
loose. Both wires had been burned, the yellow connector had
partially melted,

Quote
and the ground wire was blackened from the other wires burning. I
cleaned the wires, and replaced the butt connector. Now I wonder if the
120 volt

Quote
system shares the same ground with the 12 volt system thru the
genset. If so,

Quote
that may explain why I have had to replace most of the 12 volt
bulbs in the

Quote
coach.

If anyone has an opinion, I would appreciate the info. Meanwhile,
I will be

Quote
posting the burned wiring on my blog.

Denny


The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the
Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music.
(http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

I READ THESE THINGS normally I would be supprised that things like
this could happen. But my repair process starts looking for
connection and fuse failure. My a/c was working ok went to clean
filter, a noticed rattle caused me too look further found a yellow
scotch lock rolling around. All connections were in tact but one
connection the scotch lock was loose. All connections now are butt
spliced and that should do it. As RV experience grows I'm no longer
supprised at anything.

Mike

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 623

Mike,

If you could clarify.... I'm guessing that a "scotch lock" is like the yellow plastic cone shaped connector I have pictured in my blog.. www.rvfactor.blogspot.com where I describe the problem, and a "butt splice" is a coupler where an end is inserted in each end then crimped down? Are the butt splice connectors U/L approved?

Denny

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 624
I suppose one could squirt silicone caulk into the wire nut and it
might help keep the nut from coming loose.
Anybody done this?

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 625
, "roger.swann"
wrote:
Quote
I suppose one could squirt silicone caulk into the wire nut and it
might help keep the nut from coming loose.
Anybody done this?

I have done this in wet field conditions when I did installations years
ago. I never thought about it for vibration. Last name sounds familiar?

Mike Swann

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 626
--- In KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Quote
Mike,

If you could clarify.... I'm guessing that a "scotch lock" is like
the yellow plastic cone shaped connector I have pictured in my blog..
_www.rvfactor.blogspot.com_ (http://www.rvfactor.blogspot.com)
where I describe the problem,

Quote
and a "butt splice" is a coupler where an end is inserted in each
end then

Quote
crimped down? Are the butt splice connectors U/L approved?

Denny

In a message dated 2/12/2008 7:09:13 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
swan617@... writes:

All connections were in tact but one
connection the scotch lock was loose. All connections now are butt
spliced and that should do it. As RV experience grows I'm no
longer supprised at anything.


The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the
Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music.
(http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

Denny,
Thats correct they are known as wire nuts also. A field connector
where the wires are twisted togther and the "nut" is twisted on tight.
Works great in a stationary junction box.
"Scotch Lock" or "Scotch" which sets the standard for this stuff
Scotch is the brand name and are great but not for automotive, marine
or aircraft. This is where the crimped and or soldered and
heatshrink.

Mike

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 627
--- In KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Quote
Mike,

If you could clarify.... I'm guessing that a "scotch lock" is like
the yellow plastic cone shaped connector I have pictured in my blog..
_www.rvfactor.blogspot.com_ (http://www.rvfactor.blogspot.com)
where I describe the problem,

Quote
and a "butt splice" is a coupler where an end is inserted in each
end then

Quote
crimped down? Are the butt splice connectors U/L approved?

Denny

In a message dated 2/12/2008 7:09:13 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
swan617@... writes:

All connections were in tact but one
connection the scotch lock was loose. All connections now are butt
spliced and that should do it. As RV experience grows I'm no
longer supprised at anything.


The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the
Grammy Awards. Go to AOL Music.
(http://music.aol.com/grammys?NCID=aolcmp00300000002565)

Denny, a postscript they are like the ones pictured but there are
tones of look a likes "remember lowest bid".

Mike

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 628

Thanks, Mike, I noticed Four Winds used "Ideal" which is a quality brand... I did notice in the wire nut that melted that the wire coil inside also melted into ash...when this happens, there is no holding power left...I guess one is called a "wire nut", and the other a "wing nut."

Denny

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 630

I like the brand name...."Scru-it".... I'd like to tell Four Winds they should ....

Denny

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 631
Denny, you didn't let me down. I just had a feeling that would be your reaction.

D


On 12-Feb-08, at 9:15 PM,

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 633
That's what age gets you I guess. :)

D


On 12-Feb-08, at 11:56 PM,

Re: Loose wire on A/c unit

Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 634
Quote
A bit of history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marrette

In Canada an many other countries they are referred to as
a "marrette"

Quote
as noted. When I used that world here in the US I got blank
looks. :)
Quote
Don

On 12-Feb-08, at 6:38 PM, Dmyhre943@... wrote:

Thanks, Mike, I noticed Four Winds used "Ideal" which is a
quality brand... I did notice in the wire nut that melted that the wire
coil inside also melted into ash...when this happens, there is no
holding power left...I guess one is called a "wire nut", and the other a
"wing nut."

Denny

In a message dated 2/12/2008 3:36:09 P.M. Pacific Standard Time,
swan617@...

Quote
writes:
Denny, a postscript they are like the ones pictured but there are
tones of look a likes "remember lowest bid".


The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy
Awards.

Quote
AOL Music takes you there.

I gotta agree with Deeny on this one, I traded in my 2004 Fourwinds
that I bought brand new, for a 2006 GS Endura. reason for the trade
is problems I had with FW. Fluffed of by FW with we can do no wrong
attitude. I have problems with the Endura but Gulf Stream and Camping
world are making good on warranties and taking care of problems. But
I have learned all MO/HO and r/v have problems how they are handled
makes the difference.

Mike