Air conditioner not pumping water

Hampton said:
This isn't that hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take the hose off on the supply side of the pump and allow water to run in (like someone said really early in this thread). .....

You'll need to do this everytime the boat is taken out of the water, most likely.
Click to expand...

Not that hard.... hmmmmm let's see ..... The boat gets lifted after each ride, so everytime I want to turn on the air, I just need to get out the tools, crawl in the engine compartment, unclamp a hose....... Not that hard, but I don't see my wife ever getting the air on without me.

Not what I was thinking when I bought the boat, but there are a lot of things I am learning too. I really enjoy the mechanics at the dealer talking to me like I'm a freakin 2 year old, saying I need to adjust my expectations ... GRRRRRRRRRR :smt013

Not trying to sound like a smarta$$, and I appreciate the responses. I'll go with closing the stopcock after I get it primed, before I lift it. That sounds really easy and I can put it on the check list for the shutdown so the wife can do it, too.
 
Just to add more fuel to this fire... on my 2007 260 Sundancer, which I keep at a dry marina, so far I have never had to manually prime the AC pump. Each time the boat goes in, I turn the AC on and it works OK. I think the location of the pump with respect to the waterline matters and I believe on the 260 the pump is at a good height which doesn't need the priming.

Esteban
 
As I said earlier in this thread, I've never had to prime mine either and my boat is lift kept. I'm wondering if your pump can be remounted lower in the bilge to create a bit more water pressure and easier for the pump to pick up a prime??? :huh:
 
I just joined the Sea Ray owners club to get this type of info. but this thread seems to be from 2007 and before. But, I'm having the same problem when I put my 2004 280 SD in the sling. My question, which seems to be a new one, is can we put a check valve into the hose between strainer and seacock??
 
Never have had to prime mine after the spring launch, but our last boat needed a prime each time we were out of the water. Both had their A/C pumps below the water line. Not sure what makes the difference. :huh:

When a prime was needed and the boat was not yet run up to plane, we would just hold a running water hose against the A/C water outlet and force water to flow through the system in reverse. Once the bubbles stopped from under the stearn, we turned on the A/C and it was primed enough that the water would once again flow properly. :smt038

Obviously you need a water supply hose and to have the thru hull fitting within reach of your dock (unless you want to get wet).:grin:
 
I just open the strainer and let some water flow out the top when mine gets vapor locked. Works everytime.
 
I had the exact same problem on my 2006 240 Sundancer. The dealer did not know the root cause, and he also suggested several work-arounds.

I got to the bottom of it myself and it self primes every time now by itself, without any of the work-arounds that other folks wrote in about. Several of the work-arounds will get you up and running, - but they miss the root cause, and they are a pain that you should not have to deal with on a new $60K boat. And I trailer mine all the time. I don't have to run the boat first, etc.. I had a post about this in the past...but basically:
The AC water pump should self-flood every time the boat is in the water, even when dead still and even with the AC pump turned OFF.

The pump is supposed to self-flood or "fill" (or "prime") with water simply due to the fact that it is installed below the water line and there is nothing to stop the water from filling it as long as the sea cock is open and the strainer is not plugged. It is an open path all the way through the AC unit and out the side of the boat. So the water should freely enter the pick up strainer on the bottom of the boat and equalize to the same level as the water line on the boat. From that point uphill its all air, buts that's OK because the pump impeller is submerged, just waiting to start spinning and force water through the line when you turn it on.


On my 240 however, this would not happen because Sea Ray had installed the wrong fitting on the seacock, which in turn made the rubber hose between seacock and sea strainer point up, then the hose had to bend into a very subtle upside-down "U" shape and over to the seacock. It was just enough to trap a small air pocket in this high point in the hose, effectively preventing the pump from self flooding like it should.

So I replaced the straight brass fitting with an elbow, turned the elbow to point right at the sea strainer, and then the hose required was short and straight with no high points to trap air. After I reconnected the hose, its been perfect ever since. I don't shut the sea cock before taking the boat out of the water or anything. Soon as the boat floats, the AC pump is primed and works, period.

I say it was the wrong fitting for 2 reasons:
1) Sea Ray's very own parts manual clearly shows an elbow fitting there, which turns the bend for the hose, and so prevents the hose from being bent into an air-trap shape, yet they built mine with a straight fitting, pointing straight up in the air that forced the hose into that air-trap shape in order to reach the strainer.
2) The pump installation instructions from Dometic (the pump manufacturer) clearly direct the installer to absolutely avoid any up & down dips, high point air trap bends, etc....all the way from the bottom thru hull fitting (water in) to the discharge thru hull fitting it should shoot out from. They also clearly show with diagrams that the path should continuously slope up all the way from the water pick-up on the bottom of the boat through all the components, and to the thru-hull discharge. Any place that the line dips, then goes up and back down upstream of the pump can trap an air pocket and prevent it from self-flooding or "priming".

sorry I wrote so dang much but your story just got me PO'd all over again. We are still working through the last defects in our 2006. It has been a long list. But we do love it and all the time we spend on the water.

I hope your fix is that easy. If you need 'em, I might have some before and after pictures I could post.
 
This thread has been around a while but I had this problem and seem to have it fixed. My boat is in a sling and I like to run the air w/o putting her all the way down.

US Plastics (800-769-1157) makes a check valve part # 022211 and fittings 061149 for less than $10.00. Plumb in series with AC's seacock and strainer. I now only let the boat down til hull touches the water and it keeps prime. Before, I had to connect a garden hose to get prime back.

Roger
 
Here is a very simple solution that works for me every time. Just as they are going to splash the boat i have a cut hose with an adapter that screws onto their hose where the water gun would be. I nsert it into the opening on the hull that the water comes out of (prior to this i make sure my sea cock is open. wehn the splash the boat I turn on the water forcing water into the line from the hull, boart my boat and start my gen and start my air. As soon as the compressor starts usualy a few seconds i pull the hose out. Works every time. Also if i close my sea cock before they take the boat out of the water the water that is trapped usually keeps the lines full for two weeks and then have no need to use the hose trick.
 
roger275 said:
This thread has been around a while but I had this problem and seem to have it fixed. My boat is in a sling and I like to run the air w/o putting her all the way down.

US Plastics (800-769-1157) makes a check valve part # 022211 and fittings 061149 for less than $10.00. Plumb in series with AC's seacock and strainer. I now only let the boat down til hull touches the water and it keeps prime. Before, I had to connect a garden hose to get prime back.

Roger
Click to expand...
I know this is an old thread. But did you use Teflon tape on the fittings? I just got the parts in the mail today and i'm going to install the check valve tomorrow.
 
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