I am installing an A/C unit on our 84 H34, and have chosen the space under the chart table as the home for this unit. My question is this, will I cause problems if I run the cooling water intake from the thru hull that was for the head? It is a distance of about 23' from the thru hull, back to the area I chose. I plan for the pump and filter under the galley sink, with a new thru hull for overboard discharge near the unit. Ideas anyone? Thanks, John
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Jeff Jones
Slope that line!
John, You will want to make sure that the line from the thru-hull to the filter and then to the pump is all uphill. If it is not, the pump can (will) airlock (unless you use a self-priming pump, which is an option, although more expensive and noisier). Our boat is put away for the winter, so I am going from memory here, but…I don't see how you would route from the starboard thru-hull to the galley unless you mount the filter and pump up higher in the galley cabinet. Limited space, except for the dry good storage area? Not very sound proof? What about putting a new thru-hull (I know) in the engine compartment. There is plenty of room for filter and pump with easy routing to the nav station area too. Just a thought. As for the discharge, don't put it up higher than 8 inches or so. It makes too much noise, especially if you sleep in the quarterberth. Good luck! Jeff Jones '85 H34 Escapade
John, You will want to make sure that the line from the thru-hull to the filter and then to the pump is all uphill. If it is not, the pump can (will) airlock (unless you use a self-priming pump, which is an option, although more expensive and noisier). Our boat is put away for the winter, so I am going from memory here, but…I don't see how you would route from the starboard thru-hull to the galley unless you mount the filter and pump up higher in the galley cabinet. Limited space, except for the dry good storage area? Not very sound proof? What about putting a new thru-hull (I know) in the engine compartment. There is plenty of room for filter and pump with easy routing to the nav station area too. Just a thought. As for the discharge, don't put it up higher than 8 inches or so. It makes too much noise, especially if you sleep in the quarterberth. Good luck! Jeff Jones '85 H34 Escapade
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Clyde Lichtenwalner
Water supply
If you are going to share a salt water supply thru hull, why not use the engine supply. I put a 3 way valve, and strainer right at the engine thru hull. The engine and air can not be run at the same time (I can't use the air away from the dock anyway), but otherwise it makes a nice installation. The air conditioner pump is located aft of the engine compartment (just follow the route taken by the exhaust system). It is a shorter run from there to the chart table than from the head thru hull, and the pump discharge hose can be slanted upward almost continuously from the engine compartment to the air conditioner. This helps prevent pump priming problems due to air locks in the line. Yes, there is a valve to remember to change whenever you run the engine, but we have always made it a habit to shut the engine seacock when the boat is at the dock and nobody is aboard anyway. So opening the engine seacock before starting is an established habit. I think your location choice is good in that you are using what I consider wasted space on the port side of the boat where you want the extra weight to counterbalance the built in list. In addition you have a good shot both forward and aft for your air discharge ductwork. Good luck however you decide to route your water supply.
If you are going to share a salt water supply thru hull, why not use the engine supply. I put a 3 way valve, and strainer right at the engine thru hull. The engine and air can not be run at the same time (I can't use the air away from the dock anyway), but otherwise it makes a nice installation. The air conditioner pump is located aft of the engine compartment (just follow the route taken by the exhaust system). It is a shorter run from there to the chart table than from the head thru hull, and the pump discharge hose can be slanted upward almost continuously from the engine compartment to the air conditioner. This helps prevent pump priming problems due to air locks in the line. Yes, there is a valve to remember to change whenever you run the engine, but we have always made it a habit to shut the engine seacock when the boat is at the dock and nobody is aboard anyway. So opening the engine seacock before starting is an established habit. I think your location choice is good in that you are using what I consider wasted space on the port side of the boat where you want the extra weight to counterbalance the built in list. In addition you have a good shot both forward and aft for your air discharge ductwork. Good luck however you decide to route your water supply.
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Ed Schenck
Where Clyde?
Where did you find the 3-way valve? Is it a seacock? My A/C unit will go into a port side cabinet on my H37C. It is only three feet to the engine seacock. I would love to not add another thru-hull. John, my A/C instructions state that the strainer and pump should be within three feet of the thru-hull. There is nothing written about hose length limits from the pump to the unit. It is clear that the pump must be lower than the unit. And did you understand the comment about the height of the discharge? I did not. Was that eight inches above the waterline?
Where did you find the 3-way valve? Is it a seacock? My A/C unit will go into a port side cabinet on my H37C. It is only three feet to the engine seacock. I would love to not add another thru-hull. John, my A/C instructions state that the strainer and pump should be within three feet of the thru-hull. There is nothing written about hose length limits from the pump to the unit. It is clear that the pump must be lower than the unit. And did you understand the comment about the height of the discharge? I did not. Was that eight inches above the waterline?
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Jeff Jones
Yes, the waterline
Sorry, I should proof read better. I did mean to install the discharge no higher than about 8 inches from the waterline. If too high, it sounds like a fountain! Just listen to most of the powerboats with AC located in the bow. They generally put the discharges up around 1 1/2 to 2 feet above the waterline. You can really hear when their AC is running! Jeff
Sorry, I should proof read better. I did mean to install the discharge no higher than about 8 inches from the waterline. If too high, it sounds like a fountain! Just listen to most of the powerboats with AC located in the bow. They generally put the discharges up around 1 1/2 to 2 feet above the waterline. You can really hear when their AC is running! Jeff
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Clyde Lichtenwalner
3 Ways
Available from West Marine. I visited the Annapolis store and found a supply of .75" 3 ways and everything else I needed. They are in the catalog as well. No they are not seacocks, just bronze ball valves. My boat has the typical thru hull and valve (ball valve in my case) leading to a nipple and the three way. No more holes in my boat. Too many in the bottom already. If you want to run the air while motoring, I would not do it this way.
Available from West Marine. I visited the Annapolis store and found a supply of .75" 3 ways and everything else I needed. They are in the catalog as well. No they are not seacocks, just bronze ball valves. My boat has the typical thru hull and valve (ball valve in my case) leading to a nipple and the three way. No more holes in my boat. Too many in the bottom already. If you want to run the air while motoring, I would not do it this way.
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Ed Schenck
Thanks Clyde.
It's in there, I looked more closely and it is in the new West Marine catalog. At the boat show a vendor told me it would void the warranty if the unit did not have it's own thru-hull. Well I called the company(Mermaid) and they said not true. But they also said there was a danger of losing prime and burning up the pump. I don't understand this. Why would a 3-way valve be any different than a single on it's own thru-hull?
It's in there, I looked more closely and it is in the new West Marine catalog. At the boat show a vendor told me it would void the warranty if the unit did not have it's own thru-hull. Well I called the company(Mermaid) and they said not true. But they also said there was a danger of losing prime and burning up the pump. I don't understand this. Why would a 3-way valve be any different than a single on it's own thru-hull?
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Clyde Lichtenwalner
Losing prime
I really have no answer for the manufacturers reluctance to allow a shared thru hull. A closer look at the West Marine catalog will show any number of fittings to allow the creation of a salt water manifold. It may have more to do with people forgetting the correct valve position to operate. I always make sure I can hear the water discharging when the air is turned on the first time for the weekend. I have used my Marine Air unit for one year now and it never lost prime in normal use. However, I have had some trouble reestablishing prime after cleaning the raw water strainer. The installation has a gradual rise from the 3 way to the strainer to the pump (which is, of cours, below the waterline). I think the problem is in the strainer itself. I think it allows an air pocket to form internally when opened for cleaning. I made a few modifications this winter to allow for easier winterization and hopefully made it easier to reprime should it become necessary. Incidently, these pumps do not burn out that easily when run dry. But, they cannot be left to run dry indefinately, they will fail. Anyway, the shorter the run from the thru hull to the pump and the steeper the incline to allow air to burp up through the pump the better. Keep in touch, I'd like to know how your installtion went. I love the air, it is one of the best additions we made to our H-34.
I really have no answer for the manufacturers reluctance to allow a shared thru hull. A closer look at the West Marine catalog will show any number of fittings to allow the creation of a salt water manifold. It may have more to do with people forgetting the correct valve position to operate. I always make sure I can hear the water discharging when the air is turned on the first time for the weekend. I have used my Marine Air unit for one year now and it never lost prime in normal use. However, I have had some trouble reestablishing prime after cleaning the raw water strainer. The installation has a gradual rise from the 3 way to the strainer to the pump (which is, of cours, below the waterline). I think the problem is in the strainer itself. I think it allows an air pocket to form internally when opened for cleaning. I made a few modifications this winter to allow for easier winterization and hopefully made it easier to reprime should it become necessary. Incidently, these pumps do not burn out that easily when run dry. But, they cannot be left to run dry indefinately, they will fail. Anyway, the shorter the run from the thru hull to the pump and the steeper the incline to allow air to burp up through the pump the better. Keep in touch, I'd like to know how your installtion went. I love the air, it is one of the best additions we made to our H-34.
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