Leak around roof air conditioner

[MinnesotaTom]

Sent: 7/26/2008

This has NOT been a good week. I arranged my schedule and get a day off from work to work on Sunny's immediate needs (currently suffering from alternator issues, the leaking rainwater at the roof air, and roof air needs for final re-wiring to get it operational). I spend all of Wednesday getting filthy and burned (it's HOT on that black roof in July! Instead of having an operational a/c unit in a tight and dry Winnie though, I have a still disconnected unit in a coach that now has no electric, and since that rain storm this morning has shown it's still &^%$ing LEAKING around the roof air!

Sunnybago better be glad I'm attached to her (though sometimes I wonder why.....) because a stick of dynamite under her belly about now.....

Suggestions on sealing the leak? What material to use? The PO appears to have used caulking cord (pliable putty like caulking comes in a roll) between the roof mounted surface plate and the a/c unit itself. I expanded on that using a whole roll of the glop, lifting the unit, supporting it with wood scrap, outlining the opening with the caulking, then lowering it back into place as straight as I could and sandwiching the material like peanut butter between two slices of bread before cranking the four hold downs down tight. It still leaks in the same place, same corner it did before. I was thinking tonight, maybe some type of gasket is called for here.. Rubber instead of the glop, maybe?  Maybe I need to make something. Ideas?

Tom

[HAL]

Sent: 7/26/2008

There is a foam seal located under the a/c unit and 2 foam strip that go on the compressor side of the a/c unit to keep the unit level. I got mine from a rv repair shop.

Hal

[Oz]

Sent: 7/27/2008

As per Hal... there should be a compressible foam seal between the AC and roof.  These are as common as horse crap on an Amish farm.  You really don't need anything other than that.

~ Phåråoh ~

[MinnesotaTom]

Sent: 7/27/2008

Hal and Mark; thanks.

Sometimes the obvious just eludes one....Okay....it's a foam seal I'm missing. This caulking stuff MIGHT work, but the other sounds better....and shouldn't be hard to find...

Roof is leak free now ( I hope!!!!). I pulled the unit again completely, moved it OFF the hole and tipped it up so I could get at the bottom side. A little close study revealed the PO missed a small spot with his caulking cord, a spot that eventually started to leak. It wasn't obvious unless you really tipped the unit nearly up on it's side. Along comes Yours Truly who then reinforces the caulking job (presumably using the same method since the results were the same) , proceeds to miss the identical spot, and worsens the problem since the (missed in the caulking job) opening is now bigger.  A trip to Menards yielded the waterproof compressible high density foam tape you were talking about. 10' for $3.49, I think. I scraped all the gook off the bottom of the unit and mounting plate, getting about 1/2 a small coffee can full of material. The 3/4" tape fit perfectly in the gap (where it obviously belonged when you knew what you were looking at). Bolted it all down, called my daughter out for "Water Observer" duty, climbed to the roof, crossed my fingers, and turned on the hose. THIS time I pooled the water up about an inch deep against the unit, kept it there, and held my breath. "it's okay, Dad!!!" Dry. Thank gawd.

And, thanks guys. Now, on to the electrical problems....or maybe a bit later.....