[Nebster]

So, I'm having problems with my two new Thomas compressors. Well, 2 years new.

We're in the deep cold. It's getting close to 0F at night.

The primary just... puttered out... the second day we were here. It will only make 40psi, and it sounds like the gasket has failed on the top. I talked to TCAT, and they will send me the rebuild kit for the price I was quote two years ago, $280. Or they will sell me a new one for the "new price" of $580.

I pulled the 40psi one and mailed it back to TCAT for a look today. They said it could be a warranty repair, or not.

Meanwhile, I switched to our backup Thomas compressor (identical, purchased new at the same time). Last night, it blew its fuse at 5F. I looked up the datasheet on these things, and they're only rated down to 50F. Obviously they seem to work okay well below 50F, but I don't know how much that's contributing to their seemingly short lives.

I've added a space heater to the compressor bay for now.

I've also started looking for an alternate compressor, at least one that I can switch to when we are in cold climates. All the wobble-piston style compressors seem about the same, and there aren't many being made in our size and space constraints. Most of the diaphragm-based designs can't produce the 125-130psi that my Newell tank wants to fill to.

Viair, with whom I am familiar from our Newmar days, does make some sealed units that are rated for much larger temperature ranges. They are 12/24VDC units, but I could put a power supply inline without much trouble. I wonder how loud they are. I wonder if Newell ever looked at using one of them.

I think the Jun-air and the dental units I've looked at are too big for my space. At least if I want to have two, which I'm pretty sure I do, given how crippling it is if we lose house air.