Not a Head, BUT .....................

[Gordon Myers]

The Air Conditioners & Ref./Freezer on our h450 use a condensing system using sea water. The sea water enters through a seacock, then strainer, pump, the unit & then back out through another seacock. Normal maintenance includes check & cleaning the strainer. At this time of the Summer, strainers can get real dirty real fast (almost clogged in a short period of time) due to all of the growth taking place in the water of the Chesapeake Bay.To clean the strainer is real easy, but and here are the questions) ...............1. Is anyone concerned about the dirt / growth in the plumbing lines & units?2. How do or would you clean the stuff out of these lines & units?3. Are there any additives of solutions that should be run through the lines & units and if so how often used?Peggie, not a "head" question, but perhaps you might be able to respond.Thanks to all in advance.Gordon (s/y Utopia III)

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

What do the lines look like?

And smell like? If the strainer is keeping the animal and vegetable life out...there's no buildup in the lines...no odors...I'd say it ain't broke and doesn't need fixing.

 

[John K Kudera]

What I do

Our unit is a Mermaid, heat and AC,to keep water in the bilge at a minimum, I made a short length of hose with a gate valve. I remove the hose outlet on top of the pump, attach the valve'd hose, turn on the dockside water hose connected to the valve,open it, and pressure clean the pipes and exit hose.(a good amount of gunk is visible at the thru hull when I do this! After cleaning the strainer, I apply some pressure to the dockside hose, then open the seacock, that reverse flushes the intake part of my system.I have also used this device when I lost prime to the pump.Hope I was clesr in the detail. Good luck!

 

[Gordon Myers]

Peggie, there is no odor but

the hose lines & the units themselves must be collecting a build-up of crud. I have thought of flushing the lines out using a external hose / water line under it's normal pressure as John Kudera suggested. But while this would probably help remove some of the supposed build-up, I was wondering if there is a cleaner that could be added to the water system to be left inside the system (similar to winterizing a line) for a period of time before flushing.

 

[Peggie Hall/HeadMistress]

You may be jumping to conclusions.

You're only assuming that the lines "must be" collecting a buildup...you don't know that they are. And I'm reluctant to recommend putting anything in your heat/ac or refrigeration system...those systems are outside my area of expertise. I suggest you call the mfrs of both and ask them what, if anything, to use.

 

[John H380 1999]

A Little bleach

I clean my sea water A/C by filling the plastic filter housing half full of bleach every time I clean it and turn it on to run it through the pipes right away. Also do the refrig sea water hoses that way every weekend since they gunk up too.

 

[Joe Barrett]

My A/c guy uses an acid wash

Once a year. Other than that I will take the hose off the top of the water pump and blow water to clean out the gunk. That's all you need to do!