Weird AC issue

[MikeChapelHill]

Hey all,


I hope this is not a duplicate post - I tried sending a post but got kicked out of my login.




I need some assistance with the AC on our van. Soon after we brought the van home 3 years ago, we tested the AC and ran it for 5-10 min.s, and have not used it since. Last week we needed to run the AC (no-see-ums!) When we started up the AC white flakes came out of the vents, coating everything in the van. When we got home I tried vacuuming the ducts with a shop vac, and turned the AC on for an hour, but we continued to get the white flakes. When I shut it off after an hour we were still getting a smaller fine white powder.

The filter and area around the coils were clean, and I vacuumed up around it. I did not see any powder/dirt/dust around the unit. It is a stacked unit; i.e., condenser and fan/refrigerator/micro wave/vents, bottom to top. I would hate to have to disassemble it all to trace down this issue (nothing ever goes back quite the same).


Would any one know what this is? Do we need to get the unit serviced? It did blow cool air, so I assume the refrigerant is fine.


Thanks,
Mike

[86Scotty]

Your font is overcaffeinated.

Just to be clear, you do not mean the chassis air conditioner (dash vents) but the camper's air conditioner? As in a Starcool system or the like that is used while on shore power/generator only?

[MikeChapelHill]

Correct, it is the camper AC on shore power. SMB build with pop top, so the unit sits inside the van, and not in the roof.

[BrianW]

Previous owner ran coke shipments and hid them in the AC system?

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by BrianW

Previous owner ran coke shipments and hid them in the AC system?

Lol, my thoughts exactly. Very weird.

OP, are you feeling unusually paranoid or amped up when this AC unit is running?

Have you gone through any border checkpoints lately?

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by MikeChapelHill

... and have not used it since. Last week we needed to run the AC (no-see-ums!) When we started up the AC white flakes came out of the vents, coating everything in the van. When we got home I tried vacuuming the ducts with a shop vac, and turned the AC on for an hour, but we continued to get the white flakes. When I shut it off after an hour we were still getting a smaller fine white powder.
Would any one know what this is?

I cringe when I say this, but could the 'white stuff' be powder from a Fire extinguisher (where at some point someone may have sprayed into the vent or exhaust because they suspected an 'issue') ???

[MikeChapelHill]

Here is a picture of the dust, this is after vacuuming the ducts with a shop vac, and then running for an hour. When it first came out the particles were approx. 1 mm in size. This would not be good to breath!


I am ignoring the attempts at humor. And no painting the interior white is not an option.

[MikeChapelHill]

I am the original owner, and never discharged a fire extinguisher in the van. But now that you mention it, it does look like that. I don't think that was a feature, and there is no switch for fire suppression.

[86Scotty]

Sorry for attempting humor. Seriously though, it's a very weird issue. Never heard of anything like it. Even stranger that you are the original owner since most really weird vehicle problems come from something strange that the PO did.

At this point my guess is that since it sat dormant for a few years some coating came off something in the system and has atomized, for lack of a better description.

I wouldn't be too excited about breathing it either.

[doublevan2]

Any chance the internal coils have disintegrated (aluminum?) and pressure of running the system blow the particles out ?