Air Conditioning Questions

[Boatsb]

Wait a second. I drove out to clearwater, Charged up 3 AC units on freebird and gave Randy a bottle of goose. Did I screw up here?

By the way have you fired them up lately?

 

[Sparky1]

The original setup for the 41 was for a 16k btu split system just to cool/heat the salon, and a second, smaller system split between the forward and master staterooms. I an quite surprised to hear that your one functional compressor is split between the salon and the master. Are you positive? Someone must have bubba-ized it because the salon needs the most cooling (dedicated 16k btu) and to split that with the master doesn't sound like they are matched and could be a problem. A 16k btu compressor cannot run a 16k btu AND a 8 k btu air handler properly. The A/C experts here can elaborate further. I believe the master has an 8k btu air handler and the forward stateroom has a 4k btu, both originally run off a 12k btu compressor which is a perfect match....


Hope this helps.

Yes, that helps. Thanks.

As for the original AC set up, as far as I can see this boat never had an air handler in the forward stateroom. Was your 41 a DC or a TC? Could be the difference.

No doubt the salon would require the most BTU's to cool, and that would account for why there are two air handlers in the salon. I just assumed there was originally a 16,000BTU unit split between the one handler in the salon and the other in the master. The other handler would be hooked to a 8,000BTU for a total of 16K in the salon and 8K in the master. That way you'd have a choice of running both systems when extra cooling was required in the salon. That would make sense to me.

And Scott, as you may recall, I gave you a nice dingy for you efforts on the 58 in Florida which were very much appreciated. Not rubbing anything in, but I just want everybody else to know I'm not a total cheepskate.

I'll make you the same offer I made krush if you want to take a trip to TN. Meanwhile I think I'll start looking for some gauges and a tank of freon. I wonder if I can blow myself up doing this? God I hope so! LOL

 

[67hat34c]

Randy you only need ac guy if using split system, conensing unit with separate evaporating units like my set up. Of course if you have R22, guage set and a vacuum pump then why not DIYS.

 

[stormchaser]

I have found that one of the most common failure points is the coils in the condensing units. It's much more of a problem on diesel boats. I suspect the diesel fumes/solvents slowly erode away the very thin metal of the tiny little coil tubes? One thing that has worked for me for small/slow leaks is "stop leak". Depending on what type of refrigerant you have, you may evenbe able to get a can of it at you FLAPS.

 

[thoward]

Get a set of guages, a dye kit and a bottle of r22. Pour the dye in the fill hose and attach to the r22 bottle. You hook the blue side to the connector with the big tube and the red side to the small tube. There is a valve at the connectors which needs to be moved 1/2 turn like you are tightning a nut. Turn the r22 bottle upside down and turn it on. Fire up the AC unit and bleed in r22 in slow bursts with the blue knob. The blue side should read 37 degrees +/- a little. Once you are done and the AC is running you can inspect the connections with the black light and yellow glasses.

 

[Sparky1]

Thanks for the info Todd. You guys correct me if I'm wrong, but I was thinking you had to have some sort of license to buy R22. If not, where would be the best place to purchase it and the necessary equipment?

 

[stormchaser]

Even if there is a license for it, if it's as easy to get as the R12 license...ANYONE can get it. When I was a teenager, the R12 system in my old beater needed a recharge about every 6-8 months...then they made it so that you had to have a license/certificate to get it...I got it with EASE...seriously, any idiot could have passed

 

[TopHattandTails]

I'm no AC guy. But when my split system kept freezing up I immediately thought it was undercharged and needed a shot of freon as well. Not the case at all. The AC guy (a marine AC guy) tested it and just about fell over laughing at the HIGH pressure. The PO must have thought the same and every time it wouldn't cool - he must have shot it another charge. Absolute wrong thing in my case. He actually bled quite a bit off. He said there was water in the line and would need a total blow down and refill, but it seemed to work almost fine for the rest of the season - so I ignored the blow down... Still freezes occasionally (95 degrees and 90% humidity), but a quick rest and we're back off to the freezer zone. We'll see what happens this season...

 

[thoward]

Thanks for the info Todd. You guys correct me if I'm wrong, but I was thinking you had to have some sort of license to buy R22. If not, where would be the best place to purchase it and the necessary equipment?

A true good ole boy would never ask such a question. Yes you need a license to purchase but if you know anybody in the bussiness slide them a bottle of WHISKEY, as all southern gentlemen should drink, they can hook you up.

 

[krush]

The blue side should read 37 degrees +/- a little. Once you are done and the AC is running you can inspect the connections with the black light and yellow glasses.

Keep telling people that....it'll keep the A/C guys in business!

You need a license to buy r22. You are also required to properly recover and dispose of use refrigerant....the epa says so.

 

[stormchaser]

Let me say one thing about DIY A/C work or hiring the local semi-trained bubba to do it....the PO did exactly that to save a buck...and it cost ME $15,000! I somehow doubt his savings were greater than my cost. Unless it is a SIMPLE fix, like tightening a fitting, leave it to the experts unless you are willing to have a RUDE awakening when you have to dump many BOAT units unto fixing your screwup.

 

[Boatsb]

DIY is a general term. Some people have skills and some don't. Not only did I fix the AC in the boat that the professional installed but never worked ( a bad clickson on the compressor temp) when three companies could not figure it out. I also upgraded the AC in my house from end to end except for the ducting which was fine.

When I finished the house job by hiring a guy to do the duct board attachment to the new unit because I needed about 2 foot of material and could not buy a small Qty. The pro's commented on the way the job was done and the quality of the installation. I also made fittings to step up and down the copper instead of just crushing them on and brazing or soldering. All in all I have had a year of use for ac and heat and it has been flawless. Oh yeah I do not have a license Krush.

 

[stormchaser]

OK, clearly I did not mean someone of your skills. Of course DIY is fine if you actually know what you are doing...I mean if you don't know...don't guess or "try" fooling wit it too much.

 

[Boatsb]

Storm I had to do it but I am not without experience as I migh have made it seem.

My father had a wholesale food distribution company and I had to keep the walk ins running. I also had the help of my Step father who is an HVAC engineer.

Along with that the 43DC next to me was owned by a refrigeration engineer who was above decks reminding me of the basics as I probed the system that was not running. I was the recipient of a lot of assistance from my friends and family. Especially when I ran heat load calcs for the house and determined the correct unit I would need for it. DIY is probably a misnomer. More like DIWYF (do it with your friends).

 

[krush]

DIY is a general term. Some people have skills and some don't............. Oh yeah I do not have a license Krush.

And some people think they have the skills/knowledge when they don't. It sounds like you know your stuff, but there has been much advice on here about all kinds of things that is not correct.

The license is just an exercise done by the EPA. Study some, pass the test, good to go.