Does anyone know of a app or service that works through FaceTime to help with wiring of a marine air conditioner?
Need help wiring my new air conditioner
- Thread starter FDICsailing
- Start date
Webasto FCF Platinum 16,000 BTU Marine Air Conditioner - 115V
I’m trying to use the attached wiring diagram and don’t understand what colors or wire go on which terminal to connect it.
I’m trying to use the attached wiring diagram and don’t understand what colors or wire go on which terminal to connect it.
For a specific unit you should be able to get support from the manufacture.
If the problem in not understanding line, neutral, ground, and the use of a multimeter, the smart decision is using an electrician. It's OK to not know what you don't know. Electricity is not a good place to guess or to try and see. It needs to be 100% right.
If the problem in not understanding line, neutral, ground, and the use of a multimeter, the smart decision is using an electrician. It's OK to not know what you don't know. Electricity is not a good place to guess or to try and see. It needs to be 100% right.
A new install can be challenging but it can be accomplished DIY.
As far as the wiring goes, break it into steps.
1. Breaker and feed to the unit.
2. Power out to the water pump.
3. Power out to the condensate pump, optional.
4. Thermostat.
Do you have a plan for the water pump and thru hull?
Condensate discharge? I prefer to pump it overboard.
Running the air distribution ducts can be a challenge.
I replaced a nonfunctional 12KBTU on my boat with a 16KBTU. At the same time I upgraded the duct in the main cabin from 4 inch to 5. The lack of space in my boat was the biggest challenge. It was a lot of work but the system works great now.
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As far as the wiring goes, break it into steps.
1. Breaker and feed to the unit.
2. Power out to the water pump.
3. Power out to the condensate pump, optional.
4. Thermostat.
Do you have a plan for the water pump and thru hull?
Condensate discharge? I prefer to pump it overboard.
Running the air distribution ducts can be a challenge.
I replaced a nonfunctional 12KBTU on my boat with a 16KBTU. At the same time I upgraded the duct in the main cabin from 4 inch to 5. The lack of space in my boat was the biggest challenge. It was a lot of work but the system works great now.
.
I am replacing a non-working AC. I have completed the connection for the water into and overboard and ducting. The wiring is my challenge; reading the wire diagram imagine and matching it up with the correct colors on my cord.
In the upper left you have ”Power“ and “Pump”.
“Power“ has a terminal for “L” (Line), “N” (Neutral), and “PE” (Ground). From your main distribution panel, Black wire to “L”, White wire to “N”, and Green wire to “PE”.
”Pump” has a terminal for “P” (Hot or Line), “N” (Neutral), and “PE” (Ground). The wires to you water pump attach here. Black wire to “P”, White wire to “N”, and Green wire to “PE”.
It might be a good idea to post some pictures of the wiring before you power it up.
Thank you so much sir! I appreciate you taking the detailed time to explain the process and colors. I will work on this in the morning and like you advised, I’ll post pictures before I power it up. Again thank you kindly!! Chris
Remember the other details.
- The water intake must rise steadily, with no high spots, to the unit. Otherwise it is likely to get air pockets and require priming.
- The strainer should be located for easy cleaning, with valves on both sides.
- Seal the duct insulation jackets at every end or you will get condensation and mold in the insulation.
- Cool comes out low. The duct size should be in the correct range to get good air mixing.
- Keep the thermostat probe away from the cold air duct discharge and out of the sun. In or near the return is best.
Here is the finished writing. Does it look correct? For the power I had to use an orange extension cord. The one the hardware store sold me wouldn’t fit in the already existing cord. See attached.
The placement of the wires looks correct. But it seems to me there is too much copper exposed on the hot and neutral wires. Bare copper shouldn’t extend much outside the terminal. It looks as they could make contact with the case which isn’t good. If you don’t have enough cable to shorten the exposed copper, maybe add some heat shrink to the individual hot and neutral wires. Also, realize that all wiring should be stranded... solid copper weakens with vibration and my break. So if you have the opportunity you should consider replacing the pump wiring with stranded boat cable.
A few issues.
From your wiring photo it looks like you may be using some sort of non marine wiring as the white neutral pump wire is a single, solid strand to the pump. Wiring to the unit itself looks like it may be extension cord wire? Is it 12, 14 or 16guage?
Extension cord you show indicates you are plugging in to either a 15 or 20 amp outlet? Manual indicates a recommended breaker of 25 amps which would normally have a different configuration of plug. System is likely intended to be hardwired into a system utilizing a 30amp shore connection. It “may” work on a plug in 20 amp circuit but I suspect it would fairly consistently trip a 15amp breaker on start up. From the manual it looks like start up current might be as high as 54.5 amps.
You “might” be able to get it to work on a 15amp breaker using a soft start capacitor.
what amperage is your seawater pump using?
manual specs located here:
https://defender.com/assets/pdf/webasto/webastofcf_install_manual.pdf#page29
From your wiring photo it looks like you may be using some sort of non marine wiring as the white neutral pump wire is a single, solid strand to the pump. Wiring to the unit itself looks like it may be extension cord wire? Is it 12, 14 or 16guage?
Extension cord you show indicates you are plugging in to either a 15 or 20 amp outlet? Manual indicates a recommended breaker of 25 amps which would normally have a different configuration of plug. System is likely intended to be hardwired into a system utilizing a 30amp shore connection. It “may” work on a plug in 20 amp circuit but I suspect it would fairly consistently trip a 15amp breaker on start up. From the manual it looks like start up current might be as high as 54.5 amps.
You “might” be able to get it to work on a 15amp breaker using a soft start capacitor.
what amperage is your seawater pump using?
manual specs located here:
https://defender.com/assets/pdf/webasto/webastofcf_install_manual.pdf#page29
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That's some really odd looking supply cable, solid neutral? I wonder if the white wire is supposed to be the ground. Check it at the breaker and see how it's wired there.