Air Conditioning won't work after 5 day sail
- Thread starter Suspicious Behavior
- Start date
I saw this item on one of the previous posts. Looks like a convenient device to flush the air conditioner cooling water lines or to eliminate an air lock when it occurs. It fits Groco strainers. Simply remove the strainer cap and install the Trac FlushCap. Attach a dockside waterhose and flush the system. I definitely plan on purchasing; much easier than removing hose clamps and detaching a stubborn hose and much less mess. Check it out--- http://boatingworld.com/gear/trac-flush-caps
Now this is way cool!
Luckily Hunter installed just one size for all my sea water strainers.
Now add this or similar injector and put a mild (environmentally safe) cleaner into the water hose.
http://www.lowes.com/pd/G-CLEAN-High-Pressure-Detergent-Injector/50152522
and maybe this...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FENUGW...UTF8&colid=F4YB2UW81A1O&coliid=I35U6WS8CGLDYG
Now we might have a cooling systems maintenance.
Jim...
Could you use it on your engine raw water intake, to flush the sea water side of things? Or would there be some potential overpressure issue, since you are taking freshwater off a city system at whatever the city pressure is?
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no i am not...... lol i got friends in low places lol.....municipal marina on the pier
No to flushing the engine raw water circuit with a pressurized water system fitting like this. The engine needs to be running and pumping the raw water at design pressure/volume, and the exhaust blowing it out. hydro-lock. This gizmo would be fine for the A/C however.
if you have the standard water pump like the March or the Cal, there is a cover plate with screws. under the cover plate is the impeller. shut off the h 2 0 supply into this AC pump. clean the water filter through which the water passes to enter the pump. no need to remove hoses to the pump, just take off the cover plate and try to spin the impeller by hand and clean out any junk that made it past the filter. (DO Not drop the small metal drive plate washer into the bilge, that attaches the impeller to the drive axle or the impeller won't spin when the motor runs. ask me how i know this. )c heck the outlet side of the pump for an airlock . to cure airlocks on both of our AC units (1 a cruiser 1 a marine air ) we cut the outlet hose 16 inches after the pump and before the compressor, and installed a threaded T fitting with a cap. we take off the cap and dump h 2 0 in with a funnel till there are no more air bubbles.
Thank You for all who contributed. I am back on the Boat and the AC is now working. Thank You. Thank You.
Now. Is the Heat going to work or is that purely electrical ?
Now. Is the Heat going to work or is that purely electrical ?
The heat should not be a problem. Most systems are set up for reverse cycle. So instead of cooling the air in the boat and dumping hot water back into the marina, you will be heating the air in the boat and dumping cold water back into the marina.
When the water gets real chilly, you may get A/C trips due to low pressure. My unit has shutdown a time or two when the water temperature was in the low 50's. But my unit may be a little low on freon.
When the water gets real chilly, you may get A/C trips due to low pressure. My unit has shutdown a time or two when the water temperature was in the low 50's. But my unit may be a little low on freon.
fwiw,
On a Dufor I crewed on, owner added a hose bib and valve to the input to the a/c line to prime the pump, after numerous problems with airlocks and priming problems.
the only issue was the water in the hose after getting the prime and draining it into a bucket vs on the cabin sole.
On a Dufor I crewed on, owner added a hose bib and valve to the input to the a/c line to prime the pump, after numerous problems with airlocks and priming problems.
the only issue was the water in the hose after getting the prime and draining it into a bucket vs on the cabin sole.
On my 2013 Marlow-Hunter 36, the AC raw water strainer is below the AC cooling pump, so when I would clean the strainer, all the water between the strainer & the pump would drain out into the bilge. This would then necessitate bleeding the air out at the pump (xtra work + pain in the ass). My solution was to install a ball valve just forward of sea strainer to keep 99.5% of the water in the line. I also need to fill the clean strainer cup with water and tighten it in place. I then just open the valves and no more air lock! The ball valve cost me $10 plus clamps.
Fortunately for me, my AC cooling pump is below my boats water line and thus self priming.
This true, if and only if, the pump discharge line is open to above water line discharge.
This is entire thread is very useful to maintain your...
AC Cooling System in good working order.
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I have since changed my Bromine Tablet "Algae Shock" to Chlorine Tablets, since my Groco Stainers have clear ABS plastic and Bromine had a negative effect on ABS.
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Another tip came from @BigEasy about another way to prime and flush your AC Cooling water side by using this.
Amazon.com: Trac Ecological 1285-A FLUSHcap - 2.25" (Small): Automotive
Also other great products from...
Marine Products – Green Cleaners | Trac Ecological
Jim...