Maintaining Marine Air Conditioners

If your boat is equipped with a marine air conditioning unit, you are enjoying these hot Hawaiian summer days in your cool interior. Marine AC’s are self contained units that are usually stored in a hidden area of your boat. Since they are out of sight, it is important to remember to conduct the proper maintenance. The following maintenance should be performed every 1-3 months depending on use:

Clean the air intake screen.

An intake screen or filter is very important to ensure is installed and cleaned on a regular basis. Your boats AC unit will quickly lose its efficiency if the cooling fins become clogged with debris.

Clean your AC units water strainer

Marine AC units are dependent on a good steady flow of water through the unit to transfer the heat from your boats interior to the sea water. You should remove and clean your strainer on a regular basis. It is also important to have a diver clean the external screen. AC water pumps are not self priming so you may need to prime the water pump after cleaning the strainer.

Check for leaks

Nothing will ruin your AC unit faster than a small salt water leak slowly corroding away the AC unit. It’s a good idea to inspect the unit while it is running to look for any leaks.

Clean out the condensate Venturi strainer.

A great feature for marine AC units is a Venturi suction which discharges the condensate out with the seawater discharge. Mermaid Manufacturing makes a great Venturi system called the Mermaid Condensator. It is important to clean the strainer once a month and to run some vinegar through the system once a month to kill any growth in the lines. If the Venturi gets clogged, the condensate will build up in the drain pan and eventually spill over into the bilge.

Clean the seawater hoses and pipes

Once a year, it is a good idea to run a muriatic or phosphoric acid solution through your AC system. Barnacle Buster is a great product to run through your AC system.

Summary

Marine AC systems do not require an extensive amount of maintenance but conducting the above maintenance on a regular basis will ensure your AC system will last 15-20 years. Proactive Yacht Service inspects each of your boats AC units every month. We clean the strainer, air filter, Venturi screen, check for leaks and abnormal operation. When you hire us to maintain your boats systems, you can rest assured that your boats AC units are receiving excellent care.