Flushing AC line

[Mr Salt]

Just had my engines done with Rydlyme and the air conditioners were done at the same time. I have a single line that does all air conditioners I immediately noticed increased water flow coming out of the discharge. The stuff worked really well. Engine operating temperture dropped some 5 degrees after the cleaning.

 

[Asureyez]

I flush the AC water lines annually. its not a messy affair, but it takes some planning and some time as I do it. I give the entire process discussed below two nights.

Supply list:

1. 2. ea. 5 Gal plastic buckets
2. Sufficient plastic hose to span the units.
3. Small internal float switch 500 GPH float Rule Bilge pump with small battery clips for power
4 1/2 gal of Barnacle Buster acid
5 1 large box of Baking soda
6. Hand full of hose clamps
7 perhaps a blue tarp
8 One should wear eye protection and rubber gloves.
Okay the process goes like this.
1. Disconnect first raw water feed line at AC pump manifold and make a short extender to get that line to attach to the Bilge pump now in bucket #one
2. Remove second feed line from manifold and extend to drop in to bucket as it will be your return line.
You could feed pumped solution through the raw water intake side of the strainer if you want, but that gets complicated.
3. Inside the boat, remove the output line from unit one and attach a new hose from unit one out to unit two OUT line. Clamp very well
4. You now have a continuous circuit from bilge bucket to AC 1 in, then from AC 1 out to AC 2 OUT, and AC 2 Out back to bucket.
The two discharge lines are not used and only cleaned by city water pressure from your dock hose.

5. Now in the bucket fill with about 3 gallons of water and start the pump observe for circulation and quickly check for leaks in the circuit. The bucket will quickly fill with loose crap, dump it and refill with about three gallons of water. Add 1/2 gal of Barnacle Buster, and start pump.

6. Check for leaks periodically and allow to run for a 2-3 hours. The acid in the bucket will look trashy but the lines will be clean.

7 After elapsed time. bring in bucket 2. Fill with fresh water and drop pump in it and start circulating fresh water, but catch the dirty acid water in the acid bucket.

8 When the water runs clean, drop return line into clear water bucket and circulate, dump baking soda in to clear water bucket, stir and neutralize the acid in the circuit. When it stops foaming in the return line you can stop the process.

9 Now drain the lines from the AC units back to the bucket by gravity and then re install the AC raw water feed lines from the AC pump and the discharge lines. Really clamp well. Re secure the raw water feed lines at the pump manifold, clamp well. turn on AC pump and start circulation and check everywhere for leaks. You will notice a dramatic improvement in cooling from the units.

Now you have a few lengths of hose and nipples to stow, But you may not be done with that bucket of acid yet. Raw water heat exchangers and coolers can be cleaned using this existing solution to recirculate from the Raw Water Strainer through the circuit to the raw water line to the riser. Set up similar jack rig for the Generator and shazam, the system is clean, and rescaled, run two hours. But you are still not not done, now do the Mains from Strainer to discharge to Riser, you'll need to add a bit of mixed solution for greater volume required in the main raw water cooling system. (Note to file this process requires you remove zincs from brass and reinstall the brass. The acid will be spent eating up the zinc otherwise. (After install new Zincs)

Believe this or not, but a half gallon of BBuster will clean two AC systems and lines, a Generator, and two Big ass diesels, chemicals about $40.00. And you are still not done with this stuff.

Take the dirty acid bucket to the dock, and drop in rusted tools, hardware and such and allow to soak for a half hour maybe more. Wire brush as needed, rinse, and drop in the Baking soda bucket rinse again. When you can think of nothing else to de-scale or de-rust, dump it in the drink, its 100% Bio Degradable. Believe it or not, mix that bucket with a 100 gallons of water and you could fertilize your yard with it!

This process can be set up and completed while the boat is dry for you North Country fellas as it all takes place in a closed circuit in buckets.

 

[wet ever]

I'm in a warm salty environment and I flush my A/C cooling coils annually with diluted phosphoric acid.

what ratio????

 

[CAMELLA]

what ratio????

1:1

 

[fwebster]

1:1, water to the Prep N Etch product from Home depot is strong enough if your system is maintained. If you have an accumulation of crud, it might take 100% Prep N Etch.

 

[SeaNile]

My issue isn't so much the discharge line but rather the condensation line. I have a metal pan under my AC unit but will slowly and carefully pour some white vinegar down the condensate line. Seems to eat up the minerals and the flow is much better.