How to Manage Winterizing Boat AC System This Year
You actually don't want to wait around until the very first hard freeze in order to start winterizing boat ac system components, because by then, the harm might already end up being done. If you've ever had to change a cracked warmth exchanger or the split water series, you know exactly exactly how expensive a bit of left over water could be. It's one of all those chores that isn't exactly "fun, " but it beats the particular heck out of writing a four-figure check to some water mechanic come early spring.
Most people believe about the motor and the plumbing first, but the air fitness unit often gets overlooked. Since these systems use organic water—that's the stuff you're floating in—to cool the refrigerant, they are incredibly vunerable to freezing. When that water turns to ice, it expands. Since your AC's plumbing is usually made of firm copper or plastic material, something has in order to give. Usually, it's the most expensive section of the unit.
Why the Natural Water Loop is definitely the Real Problem
The main reason we focus a lot upon winterizing boat ac system parts is the natural water loop. As opposed to your AC in your own home, which uses surroundings to pull warmth away, a boat's AC pulls in water from outdoors. This water runs by way of a pump, a strainer, and after that through a distilling coil.
Even if a person drain your boat's main tanks, there's almost always the "belly" in the AC hoses or a pocket associated with water sitting within the pump head. If that drinking water stays there and the temperature drops below 32°F, you're looking at a recipe for disaster. The goal here is basic: obtain the water out and obtain the "pink stuff" (non-toxic ocean antifreeze) in.
Getting Your Supplies Prepared
Before a person crawl in to the bilge or start pulling hoses, make sure you have got everything you require within arm's achieve. There's nothing even worse than being halfway by way of a messy job and realizing your own screwdriver is upon the dock.
You'll want a several gallons of non-toxic propylene glycol antifreeze. Make sure it's the pink things rated for plumbing related and engines, not the toxic natural stuff you place within a car. You'll also need a bucket, the short duration of backyard hose or strengthened PVC hose that suit syour sea strainer, plus some basic hand equipment like an electric screwdriver or a nut drivers for all those hose clamps.
It's also a good idea to have some towels or an oil-absorbent pad perfect. Even if you're careful, you're heading to spill a little bit of water or antifreeze, and keeping the particular bilge dry is just good exercise.
Cleaning the Strainer First
One mistake I see people make whenever winterizing boat ac system setups is skipping the strainer cleaning. You're already there, and you're about to run antifreeze through the whole collection. If the strainer is full of lawn, mud, or these tiny little barnacles, you're just going to push that junk further in to the system or restrict the circulation of your antifreeze.
Pop the particular top off the strainer and dump the particular basket. Give it the good rinse. While you're at this, take a look at the O-ring on the strainer lid. If it looks cracked or even flat, replace it now. It's the five-dollar part that will will save a person an enormous headache following season when the pump won't prime because it's drawing air.
The Antifreeze Flush Method
A few couple of ways to try this, but the "gravity feed" or even "bucket method" is usually usually the most reliable for DIYers.
Initial, you need to close the particular seacock (the valve that lets drinking water in to the boat). In the event that you don't perform this, you're simply going to push antifreeze out directly into the lake or even ocean, or even worse, you'll you should be fight against the drinking water pressure. Once the valve is close, disconnect the hose pipe from the result side of the strainer or the input side associated with the pump.
Connect your "winterizing hose" to the particular pump intake plus put the other finish in your bucket of pink antifreeze.
Running the Pump
Now comes the part where a person need a little coordination. Switch on the AC unit and arranged the thermostat mainly because low as this goes so the cooling cycle kicks in. The AC pump should start whistling and begin tugging the antifreeze out of the bucket.
Pro suggestion: Watch the thru-hull fitting on the aspect of the boat where the AC water usually secretions. You're looking regarding a solid stream of bright pink liquid. As soon as you note that pink color coming out of the side associated with the hull, you know the entire line is guarded. Switch off the AC immediately. You don't wish to run the particular pump dry once the bucket is definitely empty, as that will can damage the impeller.
The particular Pour-In Method
If your strainer is situated above the particular waterline and is easy to get to, you can occasionally just pour the antifreeze directly into the strainer casing while the pump motor is running. You'll need an assistant for this. One person stays on the electrical panel to switch the switch, and the other pours the pink stuff in as fast as the pump motor sucks it lower. It's faster, but it can be a bit more splashy, so keep those bath towels ready.
Don't Forget the Condensate Skillet
While many of the focus of winterizing boat ac system routines is for the water lines, the condensate pan requirements love too. This is actually the tray underneath the particular evaporator coils that will catches the trickles when the AC is using the summer time.
Generally, this pan drains into the bilge or a sump box. However, in the event that the boat isn't perfectly level upon its winter hindrances, water can pool in a corner of that pan. If this freezes, this can crack the particular plastic tray or maybe the drain fitting.
I generally want to pour a cup or 2 of antifreeze straight into the pan. This makes sure that any standing water is usually displaced and that the particular drain line itself is filled up with antifreeze. It also helps kill any funky smells or slime that might have developed over the particular humid summer months.
Checking Your Tubes and Clamps
Since you're already poking round the AC unit, this is the perfect time to do a quick safety examination. Check every line connection. Are the hose clamps rustic? Most boat builders use stainless steel clamps, but also those can rust over time in case they're constantly subjected to salt air.
If a person visit a "trail" of dried salt or even crusty green things near a fitted, that's an indication of a gradual leak. Tighten the particular clamp or substitute the hose if it feels brittle. It's much easier to fix this in November once the boat is high plus dry within September when you're away on the water and the bilge security alarm starts screaming.
Coping with Multiple Devices
If you're fortunate enough to have got a boat with multiple AC devices (say, one for that salon and one for the master stateroom), you need to make certain you've flushed just about all of them. Often, these units discuss a single large water pump and a manifold.
When winterizing boat ac system setups along with manifolds, you might need to operate each AC device individually to make sure the antifreeze makes it through every branch of the plumbing. Don't assume that because you discover pink coming out of one thru-hull, the other one is safe. If there's an air wallet in one range, the water might simply stay there, waiting around to freeze and cause trouble.
Wrapping it Up
Once you've obtained pink slush or liquid coming out of most the discharges and you've treated the condensate pans, you're pretty much established. I usually like in order to finish by closing the seacock tightly and hanging a little tag around the AC control screen that says "WINTERIZED. " It seems silly, but arrive spring, you may forget about you closed that will valve. Looking to run the AC with a closed seacock is an excellent way to fry a pump within about thirty secs.
Taking the time for winterizing boat ac system components properly is just one of those "responsible boat owner" things. It doesn't take more as opposed to the way an hour or so once you obtain the hang of this, plus it provides a lot of reassurance when the snowfall starts flying. You'll sleep a lot better knowing your own heat exchanger isn't turning into the block of ice while you're hot and toasty in home.
Now, go get a heater plus start on the particular rest of the boat—there's often something else to perform, right?