AC intake sucking plastic bags

M

MichaelNJ

Active member
Joined
Aug 8, 2004
RO Number
14778
Messages
1,142
I'm really frustrated. Two years ago, I had low water flow through the raw water section of my AC system. turned out to be a plastic bag caught in the inlet strainer. 7 years in the same marina and never had the issue. I figured it was a fluke. Last year it happened again. Now it happened again yesterday.

The only way to remove it is to get in the water. I tried flushing out through the seacock from the bilge with a garden hose and an air pump. Didn't work. I had to hang on to the side of the boat and grab it with my toes. Fortunately, I have long legs and the intake is not to far from the side of the hull. The water is real cold right now and I really don't feel like going in. More importantly, why does this keep happening.

The AC is the only thing running when I'm not on the boat so it makes sense that this is the only intake that I'm having a problem with. I'm thinking of installing a scoop over the intake. Has anyone had this issue and is there a solution?
 
Not sure why a scoop would keep you from sucking up plastic bags? That's one of the reasons mY AC doesn't run when I'm not on the boat.
 
Does the through hull look like this?

13834.jpg


or like this?

91533234.D6WYE01S.jpg
 
This keeps happening because of slobs who let their plastic bags fly off and end up in the water...

Whether you have the scoop with slots (likely) or the basic mushroom once that gets partially sucked in it is usulaly stuck in there. Sometimes taking the boat out and uo on plane is enough to clear it, here on biscayne bay, getting in is the easiest way... Even in January, :)

The only type of thru hull cover which prevents this are the screens, aka South Bay strainers. I have installed them on all four Ac intake on the boat I run and in 4 or 5 years I never got a plastic bag issue. I didn't out them on because of bags but because of sea weed clogging the strainers too quickly,

Cheap and easy to add at your next haul out,
 
Whenever I see something like that in our harbor I pull it out and throw it away. It's just a good practice to avoid issues like this.
 
Pacal is correct about the southbay strainer over the scoop.

That is the only chance you have to stop the bags from getting sucked up.

Get one large enough to spread out the suction from the ac.
 
I sucked a jellyfish once, even with the southbay strainer. Made its way all the way to the pump. Not as bad as cleaning a clogged head but still nasty.
 
Thanks everyone.

On the advice of someone else, I did some circles in reverse and that pushed the bag off (assuming that's what it was this time)

KiDa, I have the slotted strainer.

Pascal, I also would have thought running on plane would knock it off but it didn't. It takes going in reverse to push it off. I guess forward just pushes it into the strainer, even at speed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top