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  1. #1

    Dometic AC thermostat/display

    I've got a Dometic VCD10k/1 dated 2002 that I picked up at the Dania flea market in 2008. I bought it for my Roamer but decided to go with new Flagship units instead. I've also got a Chris Craft Commander 42 (our knockabout boat during the Roamer refit), and it's got a really lousy system for cooling the V-berth. Basically, you just have to wish very hard that cool air will go down into the V-berth from the salon. There's a duct, but it's incredibly lame. I've never cared because we rarely use the V-berth.

    But now the missus has invited a guest to stay with us over the summer. So getting AC in the V-berth has become a bit of a priority. I've got a hanging locker that's got plenty of room for this self-contained Dometic unit, and I can easily connect it to the existing pump relay box. The existing AC units are OEM Cruisaire split systems that are still working great.

    What I'm having trouble with is figuring out what to use for a thermostat. The manual says to use a Passport display panel, but Dometic's website doesn't appear to understand what that is. The plug for the panel in the unit's electrical box looks like Cat5, but I have no idea if it runs on line voltage (like the Cruisaires) or ???

    Does anybody have older Dometic self-contained AC? What thermostat are you using?

    Cheers,
    Q

  2. #2

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    How about adding a little inline fan to the duct to induce flow into the V-berth? If it doesn't work that well, they won't stay that long.
    Robert
    MANCHIONEAL
    1973 43DC #365
    Mattox Creek, VA

  3. #3

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    Coastal Climate control uses a Cat5 to the thermostat panel. I wonder if its like that. You should call Coastal. They know about every system out there because they have to be able to tell people how to wire their stuff to all of those systems.
    Sky Cheney
    1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
    ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI

  4. #4

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    Thanks, Sky. I'll give 'em a call.

    Jammin', this isn't an unwanted guest. And the OEM salon AC system is just barely adequate for the salon/galley. It would become inadequate if I invested the time and effort to revamp the ducting and added a booster fan. Adding a booster fan by itself would be a waste of time and money. If you saw it in person, you'd immediately understand. The solution is a self-contained unit...I just need to find a way to control it.

  5. #5

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    Same boat. Same problem.

    To fix it we added a second ac unit in the aft cabin (didn't come with one originally) and sized it for the cabin and the main salon and then replaced the original in the salon so it blows cold air into the galley and forward V berth.

    Definitely agree with your approach, however I'd look at putting it in the "basement" which is what we call the space right under the galley floor rather than lose space in the forward hanging locker. We ran the ducts through the bottoms of the hanging lockers and then out each side at the base of the V berths.

    Can't help with thermostat info as we have different brand units.

    Sorry to clutter up this wonderful Hatteras forum with "other brand" info"
    Brian L

    IMPETUOUS - 1984 Hatteras 53 ED MY Hull #CN720
    GOD'S GIFT - 1972 Chris Craft 42 Ft. Commander
    QUEEN B - 1974 Century 24 Ft Buccaneer
    GOD'S LITTLE GIFT - 1962 Johnson 19 Ft. Runabout
    MON AMI - 1984 Catalina 30Ft. Sloop

  6. #6

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    We "other brand" guys gotta stick together against the Hatterii mob. LOL

    That approach makes sense, but my 'basement' is full of pooh tankage.

    Where did you put your air intake?

  7. #7

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    Air intake for the salon ac unit remained the same as original. Brushed aluminum grille and air return located at the bottom of the galley locker next to the fridge.
    Brian L

    IMPETUOUS - 1984 Hatteras 53 ED MY Hull #CN720
    GOD'S GIFT - 1972 Chris Craft 42 Ft. Commander
    QUEEN B - 1974 Century 24 Ft Buccaneer
    GOD'S LITTLE GIFT - 1962 Johnson 19 Ft. Runabout
    MON AMI - 1984 Catalina 30Ft. Sloop

  8. #8

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    Well, I finally got the electrical and water systems installed for that Dometic VCD10k/1 AC unit. I couldn't find any new Passport IO displays. I did find some guys selling lightly used ones on a forum or two, but they didn't respond to my inquiries until it was too late. I ended up buying a Microair 402-IO Control Display, which needs an 8-conductor control cable they also sell. I put the unit in a cabinet under the starboard side V-berth bunk. I'll remove the cabinet door and install a filtered intake grill there.

    I'm still waiting for the grills and duct plenums from MSI, but the 5" insulated duct is waiting to go in. I'll have one outlet in the V-berth (it's pretty small) and the other in the galley to bolster the salon/galley AC unit.

    Funny story--once I had the water, electrical, and display panel installed, I hit the GO button, lights came on, a solenoid clicked and the water pump turned on. Another one clicked and the fan turned on, then a final click and the compressor turned on. Booya! It was just a test run to make sure things were working, but then I noticed it wasn't getting cold! I'm thinkin' OH MAaaaan! I felt the discharge side tube on the compressor...it was getting warm, but the suction side just didn't feel as cool as I thought it should be.

    That's when I realized I'd shut off the raw water seacock when I was installing the hoses earlier this morning. I shut everything off, climbed into the "basement," turned on the seacock, turned on the unit and...CLICK CLICK CLICK...cold air started blowing!

    I have to say, even though this unit is from 2002, it's incredible how much quieter it is than the OEM Cruisair split systems that came originally with the boat.

  9. #9

    Re: Dometic AC thermostat/display

    I'm having trouble with this Dometic AC unit. The fan, water pump, and compressor all come on as they should...sometimes. But most of the time, only the fan and water pump come on. The compressor doesn't fire off. I've wiggled wires and nudged things on the control board and had the compressor come on, but not consistently. So I took a good look at the main control board and think I may have identified why it was for sale at the Dania FL flea market back in 2008.

    I think I see a burnt cap in the center of the board. Thing is, this appears to be a sandwiched PCB. There's no access to the pins on the back, though the transformer and other large capacitor pins go all the way through. This isn't looking serviceable to me. Thoughts?
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