How does a boats Airconditioner work?

quote:
Originally posted by zebramussel1

Thanks all! TGE II: In the aft bed area I do not remember seeing a panel or some type of access to AC point, I may be wrong. Is there a way to get at the AC?

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Not trying to give you a hard time, but now is the time you need to get to know your boat up close and personal.
Open every hatch and opening you can find. Stick your head in with a good flashlight and identify everything you see. Find all bilge pumps, thru hulls, sump pumps and identify what each is used for. Find all componants of your A/C system including the water pump and it's thru hull.
On my boat, I have 3 A/C units, 3 bilge pumps, 2 sump pumps and 8 thru hulls. Without looking, I can tell you where they all are and what each of those 8 thru hulls are used for.
 
Bill,
Blowing the system out with air will also blow out any debris ( sand ) in the lines. ( its just like blowing out ur lawn sprinklers ) I under stand the concept of air running over the top but if u apply enough pressure ull surely get all the water out. We use the same principle for blowing out large refrigeration lines when compressors go BOOM. Oil and metal shavings have a heavier specific gravity then water. So an air compressor or compressed NITROGEN will work fine for this application. If u have multiple units ull need to isolate them and blow each line seperate. Antifreeze is alot easier way to go.

Rob
 
just a note...after pumping in the pink stuff, go to the outside of the boat where the thru-hull is, use a cleaned out shop vac and suck out the remaining pink stuff. You can then reuse this pink stuff for winterizing the head and holding tank. As a matter of fact I first run the pink stuff thru water lines,dump it into the shower sump,collect it from the shower sump thru hull,use it in the ac system, then dump in the head. If you shop vac all the lines first before putting in the pink stuff there will be very little water left in the lines to dillute the pink stuff. Saves you alot of pink stuff $$$$.
 
If you suck out all the water with a shopvac and don't leave the antifreeze in the lines, why use it at all?
 
ok A/C troubleshoot time. Boat is an 1989 as is the A/C. Raw water pump crapped and I'd like to do a refresh on everything to improve the A/Cs performance .... so questions for the DIY guy:

1) Raw water pump I assume is 120Volt as it runs only when A/C is plugged into shore or running off genny. Good sources for replacement pumps?
2) Looking to flush it out while I am at it...thinking of hooking up a 5 gallon bucket of water with ???? in it to descale the internals and run water though it for a few hours. What should I put in the water and how much?
3) Would like to top off the "Freon"". Again this thing is a 1988-89 so I assume it is old school Freon which is tough to find these days....sources?
4) Other than cleaning the fins on over what look like coils - anything else I am missing?

Hoping to improve her over-all performance. Before the raw water pump seized the A/C ran well and pushed cold air etc but the boat never lost humidity. In fact it seemed to get more moist in the cabin but cooler - sort of this weird damp thing going on....not real pleasant so hoping this will resolve the issue.

Thanks ALL!
 
1) Check out Sailorman and/or Mega Mart on Andrews for good used or new/used pumps. Other then that Lewis, West, Depco Pump, etc. have them. Get a March pump.

2) Use a small bilge pump in a bucket to circulate the water through the coils via hoses you hookup to the coils. Mix half a gallon of muriatic acid with 3-4 gallons of water. Let it circulate for 20-30 minutes. Then flush with fresh water or just hook the raw water pump up and run it for a couple minutes to flush out the acid.

3) You'll have to find an A/C guy with some R22. It's not cheap anymore. But you may not need much if any.
Call Tropic marine Air and ask for Howard.

4) Clean the sea strainer, clean the coils with spray coil cleaner you can get at HD, take a look at the fins of the blower fan and see if they need cleaning, clean out the drip pan and condensation drain line, check all the wiring connections, clean out the ducts if they are dusty and/or have mold in them, basically just clean everything. :-)
 
Yes, they are 110 volt.
The pump you are removing is probably a March pump. It may have a different name on it, but chances are it is made by March. I replaced mine last year and that was the case.
Just check the pump you are removing to get the gallons per hour rating on it, and then look around on the internet for a replacement.
Real easy fix.
 
Could be a Cal pump instead of March. If so, replace with a March pump. Cal pumps seem to be a problem for many.
 
Until they burn up as two of mine have. I now use March pumps.
 
As others have stated; I use no antifreeze when winterizing the two units aboard. With small compressor & correct rubber tip; I shoot air into discharge outlets in hull. I loosen upper part of pump & separate just enuff to let water blow by. Plus I suck out any water in A/C strainer. Must work did it this way from '93 to 2013 w/o any issues.
 
First I blow it out and then I pump pink anti-freeze in to the discharge, using a cheapo hand pump,until I see it come out pink through the intake on the bottom of the boat when I winterize the AC. It doesn't take much pink stuff at all.
I also blow out my fresh water system with air, and then follow up with some pink anti freeze to winterize the fresh water system.
I know that it probably isn't necessary to use the pink stuff after I blow everything out with air, but it gives me peace of mind to know that if there is a small pocket of water left in there I am covered, and the anti-corrosion stuff in the pink stuff doesn't hurt either. Then again, after bypassing the hot water heater, it takes very little pink to get the job done.
If it were a matter of it taking many gallon to get the job done I would probably feel differently, but for the price of 2 or 3 gallons, and an extra couple of minutes, I don't mind using the pink stuff.
 
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