Air conditioning

T

teeg1961

New Member
Sep 9, 2009
7
Lake Michigan
Boat Info
1998 290 Sundancer
Engines
Twin Mercruiser 5.7 V8 w/ Aplha drives
Can anyone answer my question:

Should the air conditioning remain running during the week after running it on the weekend even though I'm not aboard?
I've heard that leaving it running will provide dehumidification in the cabin during the warm and hot days of summer. Is this true?

If so, is there anything special I need to do?
 
I'm in FL. When I'm not at the boat I leave it on @80 degrees . Just make sure all your hoses that are related to the A/C are new or have been checked.
 
I'm in TN and don't leave AC running when not at the boat. In two prior seasons had no issues with mustiness or mold/mildew growth, but decided to keep the DampRid habit I started during winter, and have noticed a little improvement in how towels, bed linens, etc. feel from visit to visit.

The major decision driver for me is financial--my old gal isn't very airtight, so I'd be paying to give dock neighbors a nice cool breeze. But other friends with newer, better insulated boats don't, either.
 
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We leave ours running all season set around 78 since shore power is fixed price. Its nice to come down to an already cooled off boat.
 
Here in NE GA, the summers are hot and can be very humid at times. I have a small fan running in the cabin and 4 damp rid containers set up. Never any mildew or mold and things always smell great. The fan to move some air is the key I think.

Bennett
 
I suggest checking, cleaning the A/C filter. Even with the cabin door shut, the filter gets dirty. This should be a monthly maintenance item for all A/C boats. May have nothing to do with mold however I like breathing clean air.
 
I guess it's personal preference, but I always subscribed to the thought to keep some air circulating in the cabin. On our cruiser, during the summer I left the system in the humidification mode, in winter I left the heat on the lowest setting in the cold dead of winter period, and off in the fall in spring I didn't really need heat or cooling.
 
It stays on all summer. I think 78 or 80 degrees. Any higher and the boat never got hot enough to kick it on and I had mildew galore. The difference between off and on high was less than 20 per month.
 
Mine runs all the time. I keep it around the 80deg mark in summer and mid 50s in winter. Everything is much fresher when I keep it on.
 
dpmulvey said:
It stays on all summer. I think 78 or 80 degrees. Any higher and the boat never got hot enough to kick it on and I had mildew galore. The difference between off and on high was less than 20 per month.
Click to expand...

That's where the de-humidify setting comes in handy. The units run on an adjustable interval, no matter the ambient temp.

Mildew is very happy at cooler temperatures, so good stretch of cold wet weather can be a problem if you just keep the AC on all the time.
 
Have ours on all the time about 70 F. Should perhaps put it up a bit higher. Also use a damp rid too.
 
I don't run mine when I'm not on the boat. Although I check hoses and clamps regularly, I don't want to take a chance.
But I do run a small oscillating fan inside the cabin on a low setting, and keep the cabin dark by covering the hatches with canvas covers. The cabin stays free of mildew, and relatively cool here in NY. In a more southern setting the results may be different.
The cabin is small enough that even when I return to the boat on a really hot and humid day, once I turn on the AC it is cold in there in a short time.
 
JVM225 said:
I don't run mine when I'm not on the boat. Although I check hoses and clamps regularly, I don't want to take a chance.
But I do run a small oscillating fan inside the cabin on a low setting, and keep the cabin dark by covering the hatches with canvas covers. The cabin stays free of mildew, and relatively cool here in NY. In a more southern setting the results may be different.
The cabin is small enough that even when I return to the boat on a really hot and humid day, once I turn on the AC it is cold in there in a short time.
Click to expand...
+1.
 
I do keep mine on when not at the boat. Setting to dehumidify mode. I'll check the hoses and strainers and such fairly regularly, although there is still some risk I suppose.
 
I'm in the northeast, so we have a short boating season. I keep the A/C running at 77 on shore power. Its really nice to come in to a comfortable boat and for the few extra dollars in electric for three months it makes sense. Of course checking hoses regularly is always important weather you run the A/C or not.
 
Here in Vegas, I leave mine on all the time. I turn it up to 80 when not on the boat and down to 72 when on.
 
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