Whenever I run my airconditioner, I seem to develop an odor in the boat. This is not a holding tank odor, but a kind of musty odor. When the airconditioner or heater are off the odor goes away Could there be something in the duct work?
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Is the smell comming from the bilge or the vents?
Where does the A/C discharge the condensation, to the bilge? Is it coming from the vents? If its in the bilge, then you could have stagnant water in there. If its in the vents, your A/C drain could be clogged, the only way to tell is to clean it.
Where does the A/C discharge the condensation, to the bilge? Is it coming from the vents? If its in the bilge, then you could have stagnant water in there. If its in the vents, your A/C drain could be clogged, the only way to tell is to clean it.
It's most likely molds etc from humidity in ducts
I recently tripped over a product that should take care of the problem...it's very similar to an Australian product called Gelair http://www.gelair.com.au/index.html (which several professional megayacht captains I know swear by), but made here and available for a LOT less $$. Comes in a little tub...just take the lid off and stick it in a return. That carries it throughout the ductwork to kill all mold etc spores. I put a tub of it in the return for my HVAC system at home...the stuff works! It's sold mostly through HVAC distributors under several different private label brand names. Carrier's Totaline parts distributors sell it as "TotalFresh." The mfr is a company in TX called North American Research Corp (NARCO)...give Bobby Clarke a call at 800-527-7520 to ask him for a source for it in your neck of the woods.
I recently tripped over a product that should take care of the problem...it's very similar to an Australian product called Gelair http://www.gelair.com.au/index.html (which several professional megayacht captains I know swear by), but made here and available for a LOT less $$. Comes in a little tub...just take the lid off and stick it in a return. That carries it throughout the ductwork to kill all mold etc spores. I put a tub of it in the return for my HVAC system at home...the stuff works! It's sold mostly through HVAC distributors under several different private label brand names. Carrier's Totaline parts distributors sell it as "TotalFresh." The mfr is a company in TX called North American Research Corp (NARCO)...give Bobby Clarke a call at 800-527-7520 to ask him for a source for it in your neck of the woods.
Captain...
as Peggy suggested, go to an HVAC supply distributor and get a gallon of non-acidic "coil cleaner" (it's basically a soap/alcohol mix). Pour some into an old Windex bottle and spray down your AC's condensor coil fins. Let it work briefly and then spray again with very hot water to rinse them off. The process will clean the condensate tray and line as well. Look inside the duct work at the AC unit end for any molds as well. You can use Lysol Wipes to eliminate any found. Run the unit and spray a little Lysol disinfectant in the intake to knock out any residual odors as well.
as Peggy suggested, go to an HVAC supply distributor and get a gallon of non-acidic "coil cleaner" (it's basically a soap/alcohol mix). Pour some into an old Windex bottle and spray down your AC's condensor coil fins. Let it work briefly and then spray again with very hot water to rinse them off. The process will clean the condensate tray and line as well. Look inside the duct work at the AC unit end for any molds as well. You can use Lysol Wipes to eliminate any found. Run the unit and spray a little Lysol disinfectant in the intake to knock out any residual odors as well.
Hmmmm...
Link worked for me. Try it again: http://www.gelair.com The site is being rebuilt, but the parts that explain how the stuff works was still working last night. The HVAC industry has quite a few products that can do the job on boats. I've seen everything from solvents that'll "unfreeze" any metal valve to coatings for metal condesate pans to the stuff I recommended above. So y'all might want to get spend some time prowling the shelves in a local major distributor's showrooom. Wholesalers are more likely to have showrooms than retail contractors, and they may not be able to sell direct to you...but they'll be glad to refer you to an HVAC contractor who'll order anything you want for you for next day pick-up. Even though you'll have to pay "retail," HVAC retail is at least half the price of anything labeled "marine." I did have second thoughts about what might be causing the odor in "captain's" ac system. Onboard heat/ac systems draw their air from the bilge...and a wet dirty bilge is a primordial soup that stinks. So the FIRST thing I'd do is clean the bilge...really CLEAN it and then flush all the dirty water out with plenty of clean fresh water, instead of just dumping in more bilge cleaner and/or bleach and letting the bilge pumps do the rest. Would you just dump some more detergent into a sinkful of dirty dishwater, pull the plug and expect to have a clean sink? Then why would expect to have a clean bilge if all you do is dump in some bilge cleaner and do nothing more than "pull the plug?" Really CLEAN your bilge and you may get rid of the odor in your heat/ac system without any other help. If that doesn't work, the problem is in your ductwork...the stuff I recommended will take care of it.
Link worked for me. Try it again: http://www.gelair.com The site is being rebuilt, but the parts that explain how the stuff works was still working last night. The HVAC industry has quite a few products that can do the job on boats. I've seen everything from solvents that'll "unfreeze" any metal valve to coatings for metal condesate pans to the stuff I recommended above. So y'all might want to get spend some time prowling the shelves in a local major distributor's showrooom. Wholesalers are more likely to have showrooms than retail contractors, and they may not be able to sell direct to you...but they'll be glad to refer you to an HVAC contractor who'll order anything you want for you for next day pick-up. Even though you'll have to pay "retail," HVAC retail is at least half the price of anything labeled "marine." I did have second thoughts about what might be causing the odor in "captain's" ac system. Onboard heat/ac systems draw their air from the bilge...and a wet dirty bilge is a primordial soup that stinks. So the FIRST thing I'd do is clean the bilge...really CLEAN it and then flush all the dirty water out with plenty of clean fresh water, instead of just dumping in more bilge cleaner and/or bleach and letting the bilge pumps do the rest. Would you just dump some more detergent into a sinkful of dirty dishwater, pull the plug and expect to have a clean sink? Then why would expect to have a clean bilge if all you do is dump in some bilge cleaner and do nothing more than "pull the plug?" Really CLEAN your bilge and you may get rid of the odor in your heat/ac system without any other help. If that doesn't work, the problem is in your ductwork...the stuff I recommended will take care of it.
Gelair
Thank you Peggy the link worked this time In response to your comment about the air being sucked up from the bilge, I have cleaned my bilge many times, and I have stuck my nose and my wife's nose into the bilge and it is odor free. I am concvinced it is not the cause of the odor. I am going to try the Gelair Will contact Yacht Spares ( US Distributor), Monday to order some I'll let you know how it works Thanks again
Thank you Peggy the link worked this time In response to your comment about the air being sucked up from the bilge, I have cleaned my bilge many times, and I have stuck my nose and my wife's nose into the bilge and it is odor free. I am concvinced it is not the cause of the odor. I am going to try the Gelair Will contact Yacht Spares ( US Distributor), Monday to order some I'll let you know how it works Thanks again
Why pay the price for Gelair when you can get the
The same stuff from an HVAC dealer or direct from the mfr in TX for about $5 a tub?
The same stuff from an HVAC dealer or direct from the mfr in TX for about $5 a tub?
Captain,
I've had several HVAC techs (including a rep. w/ Cruisair at the Annapolis Boat Show) suggest putting 2-3 small (1") pool chlorine tablets (every month or two during the season) in the condensate pan and in the raw water filter (ahead of the raw water circulating pump). The slow release chlorine tablets will kill algae in the pan and marine growth in the plumbing and heat exchanger. Simple, inexpensive and effective. May not remove odor sources in the ductwork (if that is the source of your problem), but otherwise effective preventive maintanance.
I've had several HVAC techs (including a rep. w/ Cruisair at the Annapolis Boat Show) suggest putting 2-3 small (1") pool chlorine tablets (every month or two during the season) in the condensate pan and in the raw water filter (ahead of the raw water circulating pump). The slow release chlorine tablets will kill algae in the pan and marine growth in the plumbing and heat exchanger. Simple, inexpensive and effective. May not remove odor sources in the ductwork (if that is the source of your problem), but otherwise effective preventive maintanance.
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