cleaning a/c water lines

[bluebelly]

I cleaned out my strainers today and noticed that the A/C strainer was really gummed up with marine growth (I am in fresh water). I suspect that my water lines feeding each a/c unit are also gummed up. The water that flows out of the thru-hull for the forward v-berth trickles out and runs down the side of the boat instead of exiting out with any authority. When the boat was new it flowed out pretty good. Does anybody know what I should do to clean them? I am thinking about a chemical treatment of some type.

 

[Hampton]

You can use acid, but I use crumbles of Pool Treating Chlorine Tabs. Crumble some up, place in strainer, turn A/C way down so the chlorine will not concentrate and eat the strainer basket, let run for a day or two, remove chunks.

If not good enough, search this site for how to rinse lines with various kinds of acid. Mix in bucket, draw into system, turn off, wait an hour or so (not sure), drain out, rinse system, repeat as required. Can use pool acid, but cheaper versions avail. Frank Webster gave some good info. Search his sign-in name and a/c or cleaning...

Keep up with pool chorine, and you will not need acid (I think).

 

[Michael]

Easy fix! Take a male hose adaptor, either use one that comes with your replacement head filter for the boat or get one at your local hardware store. Put it onto the line(s) that feed from your intake (pump) to your units (usually white hose). Connect that male hose adaptor to your dock hose and turn her on. That will flush the entire gunk out of the lines.

 

[Robski97]

Michael beat me to it. To fine tune michael's post Do as he said but after the pump. Also if u can locate the splitter that seperates the supplpy line to each a/c unit . That woould be a better place to connect to. U want max water pressure. ( u wont hurt anything )

Also Acid is a last resort. The material used in these units is getting cheaper and cheaper. Acid will just expedite replacement IMHO

Rob