A/C on all the time...

[Southpaw II]

For you leaving the A/C on all the time, aren't you afraid that a hose could pop off allowing the sea water pump to sink your beloved boat????

It certainly is possible. A hose from a seawater connection could fail at any time, which brings up another question...does anyone close (all) their seacocks when they are away from the boat? I never have, but do know of people that close them during the winter months when the boat remains in the water.

Don

 

[WDCboater]

We leave our AC on around 76-78 during the week. We're at our boat every weekend and it's nice to arrive to a cool cabin. I have also noticed that we have yet to have any moisture problems or mildew smells. I think the system does a good job of keeping the humidity down.

 

[copb8tx]

You can set the fan to where it only runs when the compressor runs.

HOLY C**P, I didn't know that!

It has always irritated me having the fan blowing humid tepid air in my face when the compressor wasn't on.

Well, I guess it's unavoidable, I'm going to have to swallow my pride and read the damn manual.

 

[jason78]

HOLY C**P, I didn't know that!

It has always irritated me having the fan blowing humid tepid air in my face when the compressor wasn't on.

Well, I guess it's unavoidable, I'm going to have to swallow my pride and read the damn manual.

Just make sure you refer to the manual I posted or check to make sure your paper manual has a Revision Date on 7/22/05. If you have the prior manual you will be pulling your hair out trying to do the programming.

 

[Gofirstclass]

I don't leave the A/C on or use the dehumidifier when we're not on the boat. Our slip is covered so the boat doesn't bake. We live in a desert area where the humidity is seldom higher than 35%-40% so I don't use the dehumidifier.

When I'm not on the boat I open the four windows in the salon just a couple of inches and that lets some air flow through the boat so it doesn't get stale. I have screens on all those windows so there isn't a problem with dust, and with the screens you can't tell from outside the boat that the windows are open.

I did have a hose blow off one of the compressors in the salon last winter when I had the heat on. Fortunately we were on the boat and noticed the water almost immediately. It flooded a small area of carpet but most of the water just went down into the bilge and was pumped overboard. Scary to think of what might have happened had we not been on board.

 

[Alex F]

I assuming you have the SMXir Control Pad

Fan Mode
(Factory Default: Continuous)
You can select continuous fan operation or instruct the fan
to cycle on and off with the setpoint.
To select continuous or intermittent fan:
• Enter the programming mode: Press OFF, Press SET
• Press DOWN, FAN and UP simultaneously.
• Use the UP or DOWN key to select C (continuous) or
I (intermittent).​

• Press OFF to exit the programming mode.


Full manual is available here- http://tinyurl.com/3gewmwe

****Make sure you refer to this manual when making changes. You will notice there is a Revision Date of 7/05 on this manual. My paper manual was printed before this revision date and has several typos or ommissions. I thought my system controller was bad until I discovered my manual was bad and the new manual was corrected. Now I have had no problems programming it with the updated manual.

Thanks for the steps and link to the manual, Jason.

A quick question guys, why would you change the default "HU" runtime interval? I thought that it had good enough interval.

 

[Skuza]

Only when it's real hot and you know your coming back the next day or so. I don't like the thought of a hose failing either. Last year I let it run for week and it started to slime up the lines and discharge.

 

[Bottom Line]

I assuming you have the SMXir Control Pad

Fan Mode
(Factory Default: Continuous)
You can select continuous fan operation or instruct the fan
to cycle on and off with the setpoint.
To select continuous or intermittent fan:
• Enter the programming mode: Press OFF, Press SET
• Press DOWN, FAN and UP simultaneously.
• Use the UP or DOWN key to select C (continuous) or
I (intermittent).​

• Press OFF to exit the programming mode.


Full manual is available here- http://tinyurl.com/3gewmwe

****Make sure you refer to this manual when making changes. You will notice there is a Revision Date of 7/05 on this manual. My paper manual was printed before this revision date and has several typos or ommissions. I thought my system controller was bad until I discovered my manual was bad and the new manual was corrected. Now I have had no problems programming it with the updated manual.

Thanks Jason...good stuff!!

 

[All's Well]

I usually set the aft cabin to dehumidify setting and the forward to A/C at about 80 - 85. They work together just fine, you have a cool cabin to return to and the humidity stays low(er)

 

[copb8tx]

If you have the prior manual you will be pulling your hair out trying to do the programming.

Thanks, but unfortunately I no longer have to worry about pulling my hair out. Living with 3 women will do that to a guy ya know.

 

[billnpat]

I'm too chicken to do so. I shut everything off before I leave the boat, only thing on is a refrigerator and the battery charger.

+1 :smt001

 

[Pietro]

You can set the fan to where it only runs when the compressor runs. That was the first thing I changed when I bought my boat. That fan running constantly was down right annoying.

Great idea, thank you!!! I've just reprogrammed mine!

Now, does anybody know if I can change my old three-knob control I still have in my stateroom with the new digital type???

 

[Alex F]

I assuming you have the SMXir Control Pad

Fan Mode
(Factory Default: Continuous)
You can select continuous fan operation or instruct the fan
to cycle on and off with the setpoint.
To select continuous or intermittent fan:
• Enter the programming mode: Press OFF, Press SET
• Press DOWN, FAN and UP simultaneously.
• Use the UP or DOWN key to select C (continuous) or
I (intermittent).​

• Press OFF to exit the programming mode.


Full manual is available here- http://tinyurl.com/3gewmwe

****Make sure you refer to this manual when making changes. You will notice there is a Revision Date of 7/05 on this manual. My paper manual was printed before this revision date and has several typos or ommissions. I thought my system controller was bad until I discovered my manual was bad and the new manual was corrected. Now I have had no problems programming it with the updated manual.

Jayson,

I reprogrammed the unit and was happy to see that it's now working just like the home unit. Unfortunatelly, the strangest thing happened. As the thermostats (both of them do the same) somehow are getting confused with the new setting and display false TEPM reading. It reads 66-67 inside temp while it's in low 80s. I've noticed it the first night we slept with new setting. It would get too hot and while later the unit kicks off. The following morning I payed close attention to how the units were triggerring and sure enough found that something was confusiong the hell out of the thermostats. After monitoring this for sometime I have changed the setting bact to "C" and the issue was gone. I can't say that it's a unit problem as both behaved exactly the same.

Any ideas? Are there any additional steps to make this work 100%? I'd love to have the units programmed with "I" setting and leave them at 80-82deg vs HU mode.

 

[alnav]

Alex, I am guessing that your temperature probes are located on the face of the fan coils, which is usual. If so, the control units are displaying the temps from that location and that could be a lot different. I believe "C" may be the default to ensure continuous air flow over the probes and therefore a better read on compartment temps. You might try moving the probes a little (or even a lot) to see if you get better behavior.

 

[Alex F]

Thanks for the tip, Al. I'll give it a look next weekend. Logically, it should be the other way around where the probes should read higher temps since they're in a trapped compartment, which has higher temps. I don't understand how they can read lower temps in the hotter area.

 

[trit21]

I have seen the same thing Alex, I think what is happening is the coils are very cold and the radiant cool is keeping the temp probe (located very close to the coil) cold for a long time after the cabin heats up. Remember heat rises and my temp probe is very low next the coils so the temp probe stays cold for a long time without the cabin warmer air circulating across the probe and coils.

 

[alnav]

Logically, it should be the other way around where the probes should read higher temps since they're in a trapped compartment, which has higher temps.

I think it may be both depends on where the units are located. I believe that, since cold air tends to sink, units inside and low adjacent to the cooled compartment tend to read low just after the AC is off then go higher as that comparment gets hotter. That's what seems to happen with my inside units. In my cockpit, the air handler is under the helm seat and nowhere near an outlet so it always reads low; that's OK with me because it usually keeps the area nice and cool, at least relative to the outside.

 

[Alex F]

I have seen the same thing Alex, I think what is happening is the coils are very cold and the radiant cool is keeping the temp probe (located very close to the coil) cold for a long time after the cabin heats up. Remember heat rises and my temp probe is very low next the coils so the temp probe stays cold for a long time without the cabin warmer air circulating across the probe and coils.

Tom, were you able to fix the problem by moving the probes? It seams like the only solution, as Al suggested. I can't crack the temps down, b/c when the unit kicks off it'll run for long and it'll be colder than we want. I would assume it would also keep the probe at even colder temp. So, it's kind of catch 22 unless the probes are moved to a location where there's a true reading of salon temp.

 

[Jack380AC]

Leave ours at 80. Don't want to waste power but also don't want the boat to cook.

 

[alnav]

Interesting guidance from the Cruisair SMX installation manual:
"The TSE** inside thermistor is the device which measures the inside air temperature. This is the input data needed by the SMX to control the system. The sensor is the 1 inch long by 5/16 inch diameter device at the end of the two conductor shielded cable with a plug at the opposite end. For best results, the sensor should be placed in the system return air duct, but as far away from the system evaporator coil as possible. The best location is usually directly behind the return air grill. Under no circumstances should the thermistor touch the system evaporator or be placed in the system discharge air. If the thermistor is placed in the return air, use the preprogrammed mode of continuous fan operation. If intermittent fan operation is desired, where the fan cycles with the compressor, program accordingly (see owner’s manual), and move the thermistor to be wall mounted on an INSIDE surface, not subject to any influence from heat outside of the area. If the thermistor is wall mounted, there are four different color thermistor covers available from Cruisair. See SMX component list for the thermistor model numbers. The TSE is plugged into the three pin header marked “Inside TSE”. If there is not enough wire, the leads may be extended up to 100 feet by using an AWG 18 shielded pair of wires. If a shielded pair is used, GROUND THE SHIELD TO THE GROUND POST INSIDE THE RELAY."

If your thermister is attached to the air handler, which I think may be the way SeaRay installs them, if you move it just a small amount out into the return air path the behavior should get better. Mine all had a little extra wire already available for a short move.