How to Recharge a Dometic RV Air Conditioner: Easy Steps to Follow

When living in your RV, one of the crucial components to stay cool and comfortable. To make sure it operates well, you need to recharge it when needed. Yes, your air conditioner, just like your RV, requires charging now and then!

This is because your RV air conditioner uses refrigerant for cooling the air when it passes over your evaporating coil. The refrigerant would maximize your A/C’s efficiency, and if low, you can refill it to the necessary levels.

But when you run out of refrigerant, then you’ll need to recharge the entire air conditioner. Recharging your RV air conditioner varies by brand, but the instructions are general. If you own a Dometic RV, what should you do?

Read on as I show you how to recharge a Dometic air conditioner properly!

How to Recharge a Dometic RV Air Conditioner

While recharging a Dometic RV air conditioner is straightforward, it’s a bit more challenging compared to recharging a typical home air conditioning unit.

When doing so, follow these steps:

1. Get Good Refrigerant

Before recharging your Dometic air condoner, identify the type of refrigerant the unit uses. You can see what kind of refrigerant the RV uses when reading the nameplate or you check it in the owner’s manual. If you’re still unsure of what refrigerant to by, you can also contact Dometic customer service or ask a specialist in your local store for help.

I do NOT recommend that you get just any type of refrigerant, as it differs depending not only on your RV brand but the model and make. When selecting refrigerant, consider its quality, reputation, package, and budget. If you’re

2. Cut Off Your Power Supply

Once you have gotten the correct refrigerant for your RV’s air conditioner, now’s the time to start adding refrigerant.

First, locate your Dometic RV’s breaker panel. You can find it using your owner’s instruction manual. Make sure that you switch off any breaker which supplies power to your air conditioning unit. Double-check and make sure all is off, as this can be a safety concern and risk electrical shock!

3. Remove Its Plastic Casing

When your air conditioning unit receives no power, open up the unit. Opening it up depends on your Domestic RV’s model and make, so you’ll need to check your owner’s manual. If not, you can examine the unit’s exterior, checking for any clasps holding the casing.

Be sure that you don’t break the air conditioning casing and that you do so carefully, watching out from insects entering your unit. This is normal especially when you own a rooftop air conditioning unit. If you see any nests, hives, or insects in the unit, take safety precautions.

4. Check Your Refrigerant Levels

When you have successfully opened your air conditioner casing, you can now start recharging it.

But before you add any refrigerant to the unit, use a refrigerant gauge to identify the levels you’re currently at. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to check with a Dometic RV, though this still depends on its model and make. It can be difficult since in most RV air conditioning units, there aren’t areas to check the refrigerant places and you’ll need to install a line tap.

Line taps are small mechanisms that open the refrigerant line to attach a gauge into. The tool will then put a small hole within the refrigerant line. You have to be careful when setting this up because if not done properly, it will cause damage to the air conditioner.

It may be much better to take the RV to a professional when installing the line tap and gauge. Once installed, you’ll be able to check the refrigerant levels to know exactly how much you need to add. You should only add enough amount your air conditioning unit can hold.

5. Test Your Air Conditioning Unit

Now that you’ve completely recharged your Dometic RV’s air conditioning unit, you may now test it out.

Hopefully, it’s now working. But if it’s producing warm air or not putting out the desired airflow, recheck the unit to see if it has any problems. If there aren’t any or you’ve already fixed them, then consider taking the RV to a mechanic for professional repairs.

6. Tips to Maintain Your Air Conditioner

Besides learning how to recharge your air conditioning unit, you also need to learn other maintenance tips. This will help ensure that your air conditioning unit works well even after it’s recharged. Leaking, clogged filters, freeze up, wiring, and motor faults are some common portable air conditioner issues. Proper maintenance and cleaning are essential to get rid of this. Here are some quick tips you can follow:

• Clean your filter, which is the first thing you should do to ensure it stays clean and works properly. It’s best to clean it with a vacuum, doing so at the start and end of the camping season.
• Clean your air conditioning unit’s upper compartment, which is mostly exposed to water, rust, and critters. Focus on the condenser and evaporator coil, its motor, fan, and fluid lines. When cleaning this area, there are special cleaning products to do this.
• If you’re not familiar with how t clean the air conditioning unit, it’s best to leave it with a professional to prevent the risk of damage.
• Make sure that you monitor the air conditioning unit works properly and that it has been charged effectively, with the lid in place.

Read More: Why Does My Rv Fridge Keep Shutting Off? Possible Causes and Solutions

Do you want to learn more about maintaining a Dometic RV? Check out this helpful video:

Wrapping It Up

One of the things you need to care about when maintaining your RV is its air conditioner. Fortunately, recharging your Domestic RV air conditioner is pretty easy, with anyone being able to do it. Just make sure you have the tools and follow the instructions well to stay safe!

I hope that this article on how to recharge a Dometic air conditioner helped you out! If your air conditioner is out of battery and needs a boost, you now know what to do.