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AC heat pump zone control


pcpronze

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I have a 05 40' PDQ Navigator with two ac/heat pump units and an Aqua hot heating system.   I have replaced the rear AC unit with the new Penguin 2 unit and installed the new CCC2 thermostat.   The unit powered up and showed me zone 1 only.   The duo therm system had two zones, one for the bedroom and one for the bath area.   The ac/ heat pump, since ducted is fine but now I have no way to turn on the bath area Aqua Hot unit.   I have removed the false wall section behind the thermostat in the bath room and did not find anything except the line that goes to the thermostat and then up to the roof unit.   I have called Aqua hot and Dometic with no luck in solving this problem.  I would like to stay with the CCC2 thermostat and leave the control board in the AC unit alone but do not know how they accomplished this feat.

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If your front A/C is original, it is not compatible with the CCC2 thermostat.  You can get an adapter control board for your new Penguin II to work with the old 5 button thermostat.  Or you can also replace the front A/C with a new one.  

You also need to set the dip switches on the new unit for the proper zone and if there is a furnace connected.  

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I did replace the front unit with a new Penguin 2 along with the thermostat and it works fine.   The rear is the issue it does not recognize the 2nd zone.   The coach has 3 heating zones.   The rear thermostat controls 2 of the zones and the front thermostat controls one of the zones.   I have set the rear dip switches in 3 different configurations and it makes no difference.  Dometic seems to think there is another circuit board somewhere.    If there is I can't find it.

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I am following as we have done the exact replacement of both AC’ w/ Penguin 2 and new controllers. Our 04 Dynasty 38 has 3 zones as well. One qualified tech was also looking for another circuit board with no luck and another certified tech found our bath radiator fan had no power. We were told that the AH supplies the power for that switch but either of us didn’t have a other day, so put it on the back burner to finish later.   We also had no issues with the older 5 button T-stat. 

Edited by Ukulelemark
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I have talked with 2 Dometic techs with no help they said it was Aqua Hots problem.  Aqua Hot says it gets its signal from Dometic.    It just seems odd that none of the drawings show where the control is wired into.   I put the CCC2 in to modernize verses continue with the 5 button.   

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This is a relatively uncommon issue but it is documented. In order to make a 2-roof-unit system have 3 zones, Monaco hid a Dometic control board (just the board) somewhere in the cabinetry, usually in the vanity-shower-lavatory area. That board is connected to the rear roof unit by a data cable with a RJ-11 plug. The board’s DIP switches are set to enable “furnace”, and the two 12VDC control wires for the Aqua-Hot zone are connected. As you’ve already learned, the Dometic board controls the Aqua-Hot. You should have seen those wires, which are blue, in the other roof unit installations.

To address your situation, you’ll have to find that second Dometic control board. As the data cables and Aqua-Hot control wires generally run through the ceiling, it’s probably mounted high up. Generally, this would mean behind a false wall area in the vanity or lavatory cabinet, whichever is located closest to the rear roof unit.

Once located, you simply need to replace it with a CCC2 compatible control board, which I think Dometic sells $eparately. Connect the data cable and furnace wires, and you should be good to go.

Hopefully, someone who has actually resolved this will chime in to confirm and/or expand on this explanation. Our 2005 Exec has 3 roof units, so I didn’t have this particular issue when upgrading.

Edited by georgecederholm
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Thanks for the response.   That is the story I have picked up but the real question is where they hid the board.   The false wall section behind the thermostat has the data cable headed up toward the ceiling.   The next area I am thinking about is where the actual temperature sensor is located, which is on the other side of the room at the bottom of a vanity cabinet.  I well report back on my findings.

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21 minutes ago, pcpronze said:

Thanks for the response.   That is the story I have picked up but the real question is where they hid the board.   The false wall section behind the thermostat has the data cable headed up toward the ceiling.   The next area I am thinking about is where the actual temperature sensor is located, which is on the other side of the room at the bottom of a vanity cabinet.  I well report back on my findings.

Well, the remote temperature sensor also has to connect to the control board (usually a white dipole connector), so that would be the logical place for the control board as well. On ours, those vanity cabinet walls run top-to-bottom, so there would be plenty of room in there for the control board (~4x5x2?). Monaco was known for taking the easiest path for construction, so it would be logical that they would have run the data cable and Aqua-Hot control wires together. 

Happy hunting!
 

 

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I just went through this same thing, but I have three AC's and 4 zones. I replaced all three ACs and the thermostat. From everyone I have talked to the hidden control board which is also the AGS board will be behind a false wall right above or right below the thermostat. On mine I had to take the false wall out of the pantry and it is right above the thermostat. I suspect yours will be as well. Most have been able to remove the thermostat from the wall and look in the hole and see them. About a 5x5 metal box.

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This thread got me to thinking about my set up. I have a 04 navigator 40' 3 slide. PO changed the bed ac and t stat and I only have 1 zone on both stats. According to the manual and everything I have read the bed t stat should have had a second zone for the bath aqua hot (only 2 ac's). Started looking and looked all over around the medicine cabinets and by the bed t stat. Finally found the extra board behind the living room t stat. Behind a false wall in the pantry. Don't know why but when I read the earlier posts I had it in my mind it was by the bed thermostat. Thought I would pass this along incase it helps someone else. 

I need to do some research now and see this is the original or an updated board. On my system when I start either the electric or diesel burner pump 2 starts pumping even if it's not calling for heat. I guessing this is not normal? Also my bath fan was not getting power. The ground wire was dead. If I pick up another ground it would run all the time unless switched off. Hopefully athe correct board will correct these issues. 

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Everything reads off of the #1 AC control board. In my coach I only have one thermostat. In the cases of there being two the hidden board will be near the living room thermostat. I have yet to see or hear of on NOT very close to the main thermostat.

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5 hours ago, Brett63 said:

Everything reads off of the #1 AC control board. In my coach I only have one thermostat. In the cases of there being two the hidden board will be near the living room thermostat. I have yet to see or hear of on NOT very close to the main thermostat.

Brett,

Good info. For the original poster with two thermostats, he may need to check near both, even though the rear (bedroom) thermostat was the one initially configured to control the center (non-roof-unit) zone.

When I finished upgrading our roof units and new thermostats, I moved the center (shower/lavatory) zone to the front thermostat because I needed to replace the data cable anyway. I did this because our 3-A/C system has the "center" roof unit in the kitchen area and I found it easier to use that way. I retained the bedroom thermostat, although I sometimes wish I'd just eliminated it and run all 3 zones off the front thermostat.

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Thanks for all the info I did find the control board behind the front thermostat.   It was in a false wall in a cupboard in the kitchen area.   I took the metal box out that had most of the wires cut off since there is no AC unit to go to and replaced the circuit with one just like the existing one in the new AC unit, which I had on hand.    I did not notice the false panel at first due to the hinge placement and the location of the screws on the door.   The unit is up and running and I now have two zones on the rear AC/heatpump area.  I had checked all areas in the zone two which were the false wall behind the thermostat for zone 1 and 2 and under the false floor under the two sinks and under the floor of one of the cabinets with the heat sensor.   Thanks for all you help.

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