AC Compressor

F

Frank Iezzi

Member
Apr 15, 2018
38
Boat Info
1987 Sea Ray 340 EC
Engines
454 Mercruiser
I have a 1987 Sea Ray 340 EC and suspect that my Cruisair 12000 BTU AC compressor has a leak. New systems are unaffordable. Does anyone know what model it is and if anyone does repair on them?
 
About the only thing you can do is get a tech to find the leak. If they can find it and it is repairable (two big ifs) then you can probably get it recharged with R22 which will cost a small fortune.

Not too many marine AC units make 34 years. "Unaffordable" and boats go together.
 
Most of the leaks are the Schrader valves, easy fix and r22 is expensive the system only holds a few pounds so don’t give up yet
 
Frank Iezzi said:
I have a 1987 Sea Ray 340 EC and suspect that my Cruisair 12000 BTU AC compressor has a leak. New systems are unaffordable. Does anyone know what model it is and if anyone does repair on them?
Click to expand...

A new system can be had for under $2,000 and fairly easy to install.
 
I could not justify the cost of tracking down the leaks in a 20 year old unit. I replaced my 12,000 BTU with a 16,000 BTU did it with the help of a couple of buddies. The new unit was about $2300.00 and I was getting quotes of around $500.00 to repair my old one.
 
Just be careful. With AC bigger is not always better. An oversized unit could short cycle, the cabin will cool quickly and get very cold but short run cycles will not take out humidity. It could feel cool and clammy.
 
PlayDate said:
About the only thing you can do is get a tech to find the leak. If they can find it and it is repairable (two big ifs) then you can probably get it recharged with R22 which will cost a small fortune.

Not too many marine AC units make 34 years. "Unaffordable" and boats go together.
Click to expand...
Tru dat!
 
Frank Iezzi said:
I have a 1987 Sea Ray 340 EC and suspect that my Cruisair 12000 BTU AC compressor has a leak. New systems are unaffordable. Does anyone know what model it is and if anyone does repair on them?
Click to expand...
Frank, Let's circle back to "why do you suspect a leak"? I think this went off topic. What are your symptoms? Has anyone put gauges on it yet to measure pressures? Does it run at all? Does it cool at all?
 
ocgrant said:
Frank, Let's circle back to "why do you suspect a leak"? I think this went off topic. What are your symptoms? Has anyone put gauges on it yet to measure pressures? Does it run at all? Does it cool at all?
Click to expand...

I had the AC service tech come back down to the marina a month after they serviced the system and got it cooling again. Now they say that it could only be a leak in the compressor and would not be economical to attempt a repair on the unit.
 
Frank Iezzi said:
I had the AC service tech come back down to the marina a month after they serviced the system and got it cooling again. Now they say that it could only be a leak in the compressor and would not be economical to attempt a repair on the unit.
Click to expand...

When most of us hear about ac leaks we think of a physical leak of freon which is detectable with a electronic leak detector. In your case, it would seem that your compressor is leaking internally which would mean it can no longer create sufficient pressure to turn the freon into a gas. This is easily observed with a set of gauges attached to the unit. I believe your tech is speculating unless he attached his gauges to your system.

It may be worth it to get another opinion. Why? Because a compressor doesn't heal itself. If they got it cooling again on the last visit.....they did something that had nothing to do with the compressor leaking internally.
 
Frank Iezzi said:
Thank you, but still unaffordable for me
Click to expand...
Frank Iezzi said:
I had the AC service tech come back down to the marina a month after they serviced the system and got it cooling again. Now they say that it could only be a leak in the compressor and would not be economical to attempt a repair on the unit.
Click to expand...

You're throwing good money toward bad. If you are successful, you'll have spent half if not more to repair an old unit that will probably keep failing.

Here's a MarinAire https://www.marinaire.com/Marine-air-conditioner-11000-btu-110V-p/msba11k2.htm

$1,649.00
 
PlayDate said:
When most of us hear about ac leaks we think of a physical leak of freon which is detectable with a electronic leak detector. In your case, it would seem that your compressor is leaking internally which would mean it can no longer create sufficient pressure to turn the freon into a gas. This is easily observed with a set of gauges attached to the unit. I believe your tech is speculating unless he attached his gauges to your system.

It may be worth it to get another opinion. Why? Because a compressor doesn't heal itself. If they got it cooling again on the last visit.....they did something that had nothing to do with the compressor leaking internally.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I believe that you are correct
 
Frank Iezzi said:
But that means that I have to also get a new evaporator?
Click to expand...

All in one. You have to hooked up the duct box, two water lines and two sets of electrical (power into the unit and then power to the water pump).
 
PlayDate said:
When most of us hear about ac leaks we think of a physical leak of freon which is detectable with a electronic leak detector. In your case, it would seem that your compressor is leaking internally which would mean it can no longer create sufficient pressure to turn the freon into a gas. This is easily observed with a set of gauges attached to the unit. I believe your tech is speculating unless he attached his gauges to your system.

It may be worth it to get another opinion. Why? Because a compressor doesn't heal itself. If they got it cooling again on the last visit.....they did something that had nothing to do with the compressor leaking internally.
Click to expand...
The compressor doesn’t turn the refrigerant into a gas. The refrigerant is evaporated into a gas in the evaporator coil. The compressor compresses the refrigerant into a high pressure liquid. There’s many times where I could not find a leak with an electronic leak detector. Sometimes because the leak is too small and sometimes because the leak is in the water coil.
 
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