Owning an RV is great because you can take road trips, travel across the country or continent while spending time with your family and friends. However, an RV can require a lot of maintenance.
One thing you should pay attention to while maintaining your RV is your air conditioner. Are you trying to hold a conversation, watch a movie, or even bop to your radio, but a constant loud RV air conditioner is making it difficult to hear? Don’t ignore it.
To quieten an RV air conditioner, open it up and perform a little routine maintenance. It could be worn out rubber pads, a loose screw, or just an old AC unit. If the noise is still an issue after tinkering around with it, then it’s time you get a new AC unit or buy an RV air conditioner silencer.
Throughout this article, we will go over issues that your air conditioner may be going through that is causing your unit to be so loud. We will also discuss specific ways to quiet your AC.
Next, I will suggest four brand new RV air conditioners you can buy if you can’t seem to quiet yours. Lastly, we will go over buying an AC silencer.
Why Is My RV AC So Loud?
Your RV air conditioner can be making a lot of noise due to a number of reasons. Here are six of them:
- Worn out rubber pads. In most AC units, there are rubber pads that allow for shock absorption. If the rubber pads wear down, the air conditioner may start rattling, vibrating, and making noise.
- Loose (or too-tight) hardware. If your air conditioner unit is making too much noise, then your screws, nuts, and bolts may be too loose. If your mounting screws are too tight, vibration can occur on the ceiling and walls of your RV.
- Dirty or loose fan blades. Your fan blades tend to collect dust and other debris in the air while circulating. Your fan blades may have also come loose. This may be the culprit for your noisy AC unit.
- Faulty fan motor. If your fan is not starting at all, intermittently starting, not blowing strong enough, or making a rattling or buzzing noise, then that could be the cause of your noisy AC unit.
- Old AC. Just like with any other appliance, older ones just don’t work as well as newer models. Air conditioners usually last about 10-15 years.
- Dirty or greasy ducts. Bugs, dirt, and other debris can be living in your air conditioner ducts and may be causing your AC unit to make noise.
How to Quiet My RV Air Conditioner
You’ve finally reached your campsite and have settled in for the night, hoping to hear just the crickets. But, alas, your AC is so loud, you can’t even sleep. Instead of turning it off and hoping you don’t sweat through your pajamas, here are six ways to try to quieten an RV air conditioner:
- Replace the rubber pads. If your rubber pads are completely worn out, then they’re not working properly and probably need to be replaced. Here is a 4 Pack Anti-Vibration Air Conditioner Shock-Proof Rubber Pads from Amazon. These rubber pads will absorb vibration, making your air conditioner unit quieter.
- Tighten (or loosen) the hardware. Check all of your hardware like screws, nuts, and bolts for any looseness, and tighten as needed. Do not tighten your mounting screws, however. These screws should be snugly tight to avoid excess vibration.
- Clean your fan blades. Vacuum out your AC unit’s fan blade and then wipe them down with a damp cloth. This made aid in noise reduction.
- Tighten your fan blades. Check your fan blades for any looseness. If a fan blade is loose, tighten it with a screwdriver.
- Replace the fan motor. If your fan motor is acting up, it may be time to replace it. It’s best if you call a professional for this job, as it could become complicated. If you decide to replace it yourself, here is a 2-Speed RV Air Conditioner Motor from Amazon that replaces a Fasco D1092. Make sure you get the correct motor for your AC unit.
- Clean your ducts. Cleaning your ducts may reduce the noise your AC unit makes. To clean them, turn off the air conditioner. Remove and clean the vent covers in warm, soapy water and make sure to dry them. Then, grab your vacuum and insert the attachment as far into the duct as you can reach. Lastly, replace the vent covers.
Buying a New Air Conditioner for Your RV
So, you’ve done all the above steps, and your air conditioner is still making noise. Or, even worse, your air conditioner is so old that they don’t make the part for the unit anymore. Well, you may consider getting a new air conditioner altogether. Here are three brand new RV AC units you can buy right now from Amazon:
- Furrion Chill RV Rooftop AC – This air conditioner is a 15,500 BTU unit. It is equipped with VibrationSmart Technology, which helps absorb any vibration that your air conditioner may emit. It’s important to note that if you buy this air conditioner, the electrical power supply must be connected by a qualified electrician.
- Dometic Brisk II Rooftop Air Conditioner – This unit has two options: 13,500 BTUs or 15,000 BTUs. It also comes in black or polar white. The Dometic Brisk AC comes equipped with dampening brackets to quell any vibration and reduce noise.
- Advent ACM150 Rooftop Air Conditioner – This air conditioner is 15,000 BTUs. It includes three fan speeds and six dense foam support pads.
- Dometic Penguin II Low Profile Rooftop Air Conditioner – This high capacity unit has a sleek design and comes in two colors, black and polar white, so you can match it to your RV’s interior. It is also a universal fit and is just under 10 inches high.
Buying an RV Air Conditioner Silencer
If you don’t want to shell about big bucks and replace your entire air conditioning unit, you can always buy an RV air conditioner silencer. Air conditioner silencers tend to be way less expensive than RV air conditioner units themselves, so it may be your best option.
This unit is so easy to install and it only takes fifteen minutes. Not only does it reduce noise, but it also increases airflow to your RV and has a better filtration system.
An air conditioner silencer may lower the noise level of your AC unit by 8 to ten decibels.
Conclusion
If your RV air conditioner is making too much noise, you may have:
- Worn out rubber pads.
- Loose (or too-tight) hardware.
- Dirty or loose fan blades.
- Faulty fan motor.
- Old AC.
- Dirty or greasy ducts.
If you do, don’t fret. There are many ways to solve these issues and help quiet your RV air conditioner. You can:
- Replace the rubber pads.
- Tighten (or loosen) the hardware.
- Clean your fan blades.
- Tighten your fan blades.
- Replace the fan motor.
- Clean your ducts.
If this doesn’t help quieten your AC unit, you can just buy a new air conditioner. In this article, I suggested three RV air conditioners from Amazon.
If you don’t want to spend much, you can always buy an RV air conditioner silencer to reduce your AC unit’s noise. You can save a lot by doing this, splurge on your next cross-country road trip in your newly quieted RV.
