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  1. #1

    Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    On my newer CrapAir unit, it appears the reversing valve is stuck. It will operate and blow heat like I've died and gone to hell, but it won't go the other direction and cool. Condensing unit runs, but just won't push the gas back the other way. Unit was new in December 2007, so I think it might still be under warranty, but I can't find a competent CruisAir-approved technician for warranty work in Miami. I've asked CruisAir for advice, but I'm still waiting on a response. Do you guys have any clue as to how I can fix this myself? The magnetic coil in the solenoid valve wasn't working, and I've just put a new one on there...still no joy.

    Whatever happened to "quality"? My 29 year old CruisAir units look great and run like Olympic champions - the new CruisAir stuff is crap and has brought me nothing but torture and grief.
    Ang
    1980 58MY "Sanctuary"
    www.sanctuarycharteryacht.com

  2. #2

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    Try tapping it and cycle it also. Just don't get to carried away hitting it.
    Dan
    End Of The Line II
    1967 34C

    EOTL II Rebuild Web Page

    ><(((º>´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸><((((º>`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><(( (( º>¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸¸><(((º>

  3. #3

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    I agree the rubber mallet works like a charm

  4. #4

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    If the reversing valve is where I think it is, it's buried in a rat's nest of wires and tubing and I'd need a teeny tiny hammer to tap on it.

    What I can say, is that I will not buy CruisAir again. Ed and I are noodling the idea of installing 4 self contained units in place of this monster (and they won't be CruisAir either!). We need to calculate the required size and the electric draw.
    Ang
    1980 58MY "Sanctuary"
    www.sanctuarycharteryacht.com

  5. #5

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    When I go to the master switch, the HEAT/COOL switch in the master SR that contols the entire system as to whether it's in heat mode or cool mode, I can hear a click (coming from the ER where the condensing unit is located) from OFF to HEAT, and another click going back to OFF when I move the switch back and forth. No click between OFF and COOL. The click occurs without any equipment firing up which is normal.

    For those of you who have had a stuck valve, is this a symptom of a stuck valve, or could this somehow be electrical at the valve, but not at the switch. The reason I rule out the switch is because when in COOL, the termostats do kick the compresor on when you lower the temp on the dial. If the main switch didn't work, it wouldn't know it was in COOL mode and tell the condensor to come on.
    Ang
    1980 58MY "Sanctuary"
    www.sanctuarycharteryacht.com

  6. #6

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    Start with a known good. Get yourself a multi-meter and make sure when the thing is in cool mode that power is getting to the valve. Got power, move on.

    The valve doesn't actually operate solely by the solenoid--the solenoid opens a small pilot hole and the pressure in the line actually moves the "plunger". What this means is that you need pressure in the system to "stroke" the valve.

    What I would do is turn on the system and have the compressor running. Then I would get to the wiring on the valve and stroke it back and forth. You can do this at the thermostat, but you need to make sure the compressor stays on continuously. When you switch from heat to cool, you go through off and the compressor may not like that.

    While stroking bang it with something metallic.

    But as always, check the simple stuff first.

  7. #7

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    Yesterday, while working on the boat I walked up to the parking area to get something out of the car. There was an ac guy in his truck. I had been needing a new 230VAC trigger - my forward ac unit would not turn on the sea water pump. I bought a trigger from him (30 bucks) and we ended up talking about ac. He's a Cruisair and Webasto dealer.

    He said what some have said here...current Cruisair is junk compared to the old stuff and their warranty is now based on time of purchase AND hours of use. He recently was called to work on one that was within the warranty period as far as purchase date but was over warranty on hours of use by TWO HOURS and the factory would not authorize warranty repair. To service the new stuff he has to plug a computer into it which reads out all the appropriate data - sort of like OBDII on your car. So if the computer shows you are a minute out of the "hours" warranty or shows anything that indicates a "user error," whatever that might be, NO Coverage!

    They are built totally to price point, with quality designed to get the equipment through the warrantly. As he pointed out, lots of folks have ac units purchased in the 60s that are still running. You WON"T buy one today that will be running in 2050...You'll be lucky if it's running in 2015!

    Thought it was interesting coming from a dealer...
    Mike P
    San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Kent Island MD; San Antonio TX
    1980 53MY "Brigadoon"

  8. #8

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    The reversing valve on ours is in plain view. It is a little 1 1/2" cube thing that is mounted sorta crooked on the front of the unit. Angella, this problem sounds like a wiring or thermostat problem to me. Those things almost never stick in the heat mode because the units are almost exclusivly used to cool, especially in Miami. You could move to the Great Lakes. You would be much happier with that heating unit.
    Maynard
    UNITY '86 36C

  9. #9

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeP View Post
    Yesterday, while working on the boat I walked up to the parking area to get something out of the car. There was an ac guy in his truck. I had been needing a new 230VAC trigger - my forward ac unit would not turn on the sea water pump. I bought a trigger from him (30 bucks) and we ended up talking about ac. He's a Cruisair and Webasto dealer.

    He said what some have said here...current Cruisair is junk compared to the old stuff and their warranty is now based on time of purchase AND hours of use. He recently was called to work on one that was within the warranty period as far as purchase date but was over warranty on hours of use by TWO HOURS and the factory would not authorize warranty repair. To service the new stuff he has to plug a computer into it which reads out all the appropriate data - sort of like OBDII on your car. So if the computer shows you are a minute out of the "hours" warranty or shows anything that indicates a "user error," whatever that might be, NO Coverage!

    They are built totally to price point, with quality designed to get the equipment through the warrantly. As he pointed out, lots of folks have ac units purchased in the 60s that are still running. You WON"T buy one today that will be running in 2050...You'll be lucky if it's running in 2015!

    Thought it was interesting coming from a dealer...

    Everything went to hell when Dometic bought Cruisair . When Cruisair was privately owned, they were one of the finest companies to deal with. It is epidemic in the industry that excellent companies that made an excellent product are being gobbled up by big conglomerates. Then the great companies are absorbed and you only have the option of the inferior junk product. Hynautic and Morse being bought up by Teleflex is a perfect example. Try to get Hynautic parts anymore.

    Same goes for Detroit Diesel. More and more DD parts are being discontinued and a lot of parts have increased in cost by 400%. I guess MTU thinks we will buy new engines from them when the price parts out of our reach or just plain can't get parts.

  10. #10

    Re: Freeing a Stuck Reversing Valve on AC

    Quote Originally Posted by krush View Post
    Start with a known good. Get yourself a multi-meter and make sure when the thing is in cool mode that power is getting to the valve. Got power, move on.

    The valve doesn't actually operate solely by the solenoid--the solenoid opens a small pilot hole and the pressure in the line actually moves the "plunger". What this means is that you need pressure in the system to "stroke" the valve.

    What I would do is turn on the system and have the compressor running. Then I would get to the wiring on the valve and stroke it back and forth. You can do this at the thermostat, but you need to make sure the compressor stays on continuously. When you switch from heat to cool, you go through off and the compressor may not like that.

    While stroking bang it with something metallic.

    But as always, check the simple stuff first.

    On marine units the Rev valve is energized in the heat mode. No power in cool mode.

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