Shower - A/C sump

[JimmyDubai]

Hi there,

This is what is happening at the moment: before I leave the boat in the Marina I switch everything off, including the battery master switch and off I go.

A few days later I come to find that the A/C condensed water (which ends up in the shower sump) has flooded, all because the pump is not connected straight to the batteries....


Do you guys have the same issue? Did you separate the circuit? I wonder why this came from the factory like that? I know that the easiest solution is NOT to switch the batteries off; but we all know that the master switch is there for a reason... to preserve the batteries and for safety.

Thanks

 

[mquiet]

It could be connected straight to the batteries, but you are turning the master switch off, so you are turning everything off from the batteries. Leave batteries on and manually turn everything off. This will leave the dumps up and running in case of emergency.


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[Mike Blake]

Hi there,

This is what is happening at the moment: before I leave the boat in the Marina I switch everything off, including the battery master switch and off I go.

A few days later I come to find that the A/C condensed water (which ends up in the shower sump) has flooded, all because the pump is not connected straight to the batteries....


Do you guys have the same issue? Did you separate the circuit? I wonder why this came from the factory like that? I know that the easiest solution is NOT to switch the batteries off; but we all know that the master switch is there for a reason... to preserve the batteries and for safety.

Thanks

When your gone is the boat on shore power? If so why worry about the switches being on?

 

[mjmason1]

On my boat the shower sump goes through a breaker panel and not directly to the battery. My breaker is near my battery switches not on my main panel. If you are shutting everything including the batteries off, how is you ac still running?

 

[mquiet]

AC would be on the A/C side of the panel. Sumps are DC.


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[mjmason1]

AC would be on the A/C side of the panel. Sumps are DC.


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That is correct. The poster states he shuts everything off. I am assuming he means the A/C side of the panel as well.

 

[JimmyDubai]

Ok, some explanations here...

The boat came with the A/C on a separate circuit so even if I switch the batteries off, the A/C still works. That is a good design.

You are right, I shouldn't be worried about batteries being discharged if I leave the system ON but I don't know, I was always told that the master battery switch should be OFF while you are absent??? At least that is what the instructor of my class said (requirement to get my boat license).

On a positive side, if I leave the system on (and the AC Converter switch ON in the panel) the battery charger is ON so that would take care of any battery being discharged for any reason. At the marina we have the cleaners that visit our boats 2 times a week and, even though I've told them a few times not to touch any switch in the dashboard, I've found the water pump switch on, the bilge pump on, the navigation lights on........ that's why I don't like to leave the battery switch on..... if that makes sense?

 

[Mike Blake]

I leave my 12 alone. The charger is always on, plus the A/C . Never had one problem doing it that way.

 

[mjmason1]

I don't know the weather there. I assume it's hot. I would definitely leave the A/C on to keep the humidity controlled. With the ac on and the battery charger on, there is no real need to
turn off the battery switches. If you lose electricity for some reason you have the batteries on to keep the refrigerator running. If you were leaving the boat for months at a time I would switch them off. I definitely wouldn't do it for short term leaves.

 

[HardHead]

I've had similar issues with the shower sump, but it with the float switch. Mine are Atwood (which I change every couple of months)we use the shower alot. My pump is wired directly to the battery , much like your high water bilge pumps.

 

[JimmyDubai]

I don't know the weather there. I assume it's hot. I would definitely leave the A/C on to keep the humidity controlled. With the ac on and the battery charger on, there is no real need to
turn off the battery switches. If you lose electricity for some reason you have the batteries on to keep the refrigerator running. If you were leaving the boat for months at a time I would switch them off. I definitely wouldn't do it for short term leaves.

Yes, very hot over here (115 in summer and pleasant 75 in winter). I will have to change the habit of switching the batteries off, at least when I am hooked up to the marina power point.
Thanks

 

[JimmyDubai]

I've had similar issues with the shower sump, but it with the float switch. Mine are Atwood (which I change every couple of months)we use the shower alot. My pump is wired directly to the battery , much like your high water bilge pumps.

I don't recall the brand of the one I have but they are so far so good. I've used the shower a couple of times and it seems to be working fine; it is just the constant water stream flowing to the sump from the A/C as a result of the high humidity over here, but they do the job anyway.
Cheers