Carver 3607 A/C Smells TERRIBLE

S

stirlingp

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
RO Number
26845
Messages
38
Hi,
My '86 Carver 3607 has 3 A/C units (fore, aft, salon). ONLY since I had the boat de-winterized this spring, the salon A/C units SMELLS (kind of like sour milk), but the other 2 units do not. I've checked every bilge and have had my face in every orifice 20 times -- they're all innocent. I find it funny that the intake grill was left unscrewed from below the dinette seat. Oh, and not to suggest anything (honestly), my mechanic & I haven't been agreeing lately (he also ruined the carpet with antifreeze which was also spilled on the outside fibreglass). Can anyone help with a possible source of this SMELL?

Thanks very much. Glad it's spring!!!

Stirling
saprb2@gr5thtc.net
 
How's your holding tank condition. It's under the opposite dinette seat. Mine was leaking enough to smell but not enough to see it until I pulled the tank and discovered the mess... The other possibility is it is pulling stale fumes from the bilge.
 
Thanks for the response. That's the only thing I have NOT tried, because it's not a "toilet" smell and it should have been emptied when winterized anyway -- there certainly wasn't any amount of waste to speak of last fall (nor smell). Having said that, the toilets are not used much (I'm in a marina & don't get out often). I'm puzzled because I've literally had my head (and nose) down close to every sub-floor area & I can't find the "rat"... The smell only appears when the fan for the salon A/C unit is turned on. By the way, the intake for the forward A/C unit is only a few feet from the salon intake & the forward A/C smells fine.

Thanks again ---- the input is really appreciated!

Stirling
saprb2@gr5thtc.net
 
I have the same model Stirling, only 4 years older. My fwd AC smells fine whenever my salon AC develops an odor. My year 3607 has a POOR design on where the salon AC pulls its air from. It's usually time for me to clean my fwd bilge when that occurs and my problem immediately goes away. I end up doing this 1-2x per season when the admiral starts complaining.

Pull both the floor access panels for that front bilge and stick your nose in there. If that's not it, I'm stumped and apologize that I was not more helpful.
 
Thanks to you both for the tip. I'm going to the boat tomorrow & I'll try out the suggestions. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Stirling
 
I have a similar problem, and because the boat sat before I bought it last year it accumulated mold. I suspect mold on the coil face and maybe even in the duct. Also is your drain pan that the coil sits over clogged? Another mold source.
 
An old trick for automobiles is turn on the a/c, set the blower/fan to full blast, (but not on re-circulate) and spray Lysol into the fresh air intakes. Be sure no one is sitting IN the vehicle during gassing. On a boat, you might need to wear some kind of mask since the air is circulated from inside the cabin as opposed to drawing exterior air into a car.
 
Or use Tilex instead of Lysol if you suspect mold. Tilex does wonders on mold and mildew (and spider droppings).
 
Hi,
Well, I learned one big lesson --- the very forward bilge & the mid-bilge (under the kitchen/dinette) are connected, but don't look like it. Also, do any of you have the same horrible design of the forward bath sink draining into a Tupperware-like container BEFORE the bilge pump activates & sucks it out??? It's gross --- I can't think about that s _ _ _ sitting in there until that water rises 6 inches!!

Anyway, I took the wet/dry vac & sucked 10 gallons of gray water from the forward 2 bilges (and that FUNKY holding pan), rinsed, poured in some bilge cleaner, and things improved a significant amount. You all probably know what I mean when I say I've got to go back "fresh" to see how effective it really was.....I smelled "that smell" in my clothing until I went home & showered.

Thanks for the tips about mold on the coil & in the tubing --- I'll check those out too, since I'm going to make this boat act showroom-new. I'll let you all know what I learn after this weekend.

I really appreciate all the input!
Stirling
saprb2@gr5thtc.net
 
Sorry to arrive late to this party. I have the exact same boat (year and model), and the exact same problem... to the letter. I read all of the posts in this thread with GREAT interest. We have just avoided running the Salon AC so far this year so that we wouldn't have to smell it.

I'll take the shop vac with me this weekend and see if cleaning out the forward bilge helps.

And yes, I agree about the illogical use of a shower box for the forward sink. To make things worse, my pump for that forward sink and shower box just died... but it took me a week to realize it. So I had stinky old sink water building up in the forward bilge, then sitting for a week (we're only there on weekends). Believe me... it wasn't a pretty smell. I'm going to drop a cheap bilge pump directly in the shower box, with the box tilted a bit so the switch and pump are at the low end, and see if that does any better job than the old set-up. Can't really be any worse... but you already knew that. :^)
 
Stirling - glad to help, I thought that was your foul small source. And yes, this design "stinks" (pardon the pun).

Now you've all peaked my interest... I am chasing the root cause of the water because if it is eliminated, logically the smell goes away, permanently.

How certain are you the sump is the source of your front bilge water? I ask because this year I intentionally did NOT hook up my water for a few weeks, and water is still collecting there (this rules out plumbing leaks, and sump as source). So far I sense the water might be associated with rainy days, and I may need to find a plugged windown drain, or rub rail leak access point (I replaced the SS rubrails over the last couple of years, some requiring new holes tapped).

Let me know your thoughts/experience with this as more heads are better than 1.
Don
 
I, too, spent some time trying to find the source of "re-appearing" standing water in the center channel of my engine compartment (1984 3607). My shower sump for the forward head has it's own pump. I finally traced it to my windlass area. While at the dock (which is most of the time) I store some extra line in the space behind the double cabinet doors where the chain/rode gathers. One day after a rain, I found the line soaked ... voila!
 
MR. BK: Interesting! Another thing I'll have to make sure isn't adding anxiety to my life...

RJCRESS: I'll bet you a beer you are going to be SHOCKED at how much water the wet-vac sucks up --- even if you only do the front bilge. I certainly was. I was careful to rinse everything that had that swill water in contact with it thoroughly. I'm still amazed at how much gray water came out. Then I went to the mid-bilge & got a gallon or so, but as I said, they ARE connected so the front bilge (and that Tupperware bowl) was the real shocker. Don't forget to rinse!

MARYKHUBBY: I learned long ago that any boat with through-hull's (and as you know, these 3607's have a TON of 'em) will get water. The "gray water" label is semi self explanatory --- it's just in there, lurking, in the dark, around fuel fumes, winterization/antifreeze, on & on..... So it gets funky. The wet-vac is a huge friend and it's really not something to blame on the boat or it's construction. All the bilge pumps take care of the big stuff, but WE have to take care of the stuff that makes life comfortable inside.

EVERYONE: Don't forget to keep the forward toilet holding tank area clean (under the aft dinette seat -- at least in my boat). There is a suspicious air intake down there & I cleaned that whole enclosure out, too. Since I did it all at the same time, I can't tell if it was a cluprit or not, but it's good to know it doesn't smell like........well, you know...

Just my thoughts. If I forgot to address something, please remind me.

THANKS EVERYONE!!! This is a great place to save some money & learn A TON.

Stirling
 
I would strongly suggest you use a lot of baking soda in the affected areas! Sprinkle it liberally on and around anything which might hold an odor. It is non corrosive, so nothing will be damaged by it. Put an inch or so in that nasty sink discharge thingy too. Also place some boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda in strategic places to prevent odors from developing.

Good luck!
 
FLUTTERBY: Great addition to the topic! That will be done to my boat tomorrow.

Regarding the anchor rope --- stuck my head in that front compartment, too ---- it wasn't the rat in my case...
 
Final Thoughts:

Well, after going through all things suggested by the generous and helpful people on this site, I've come to a pretty firm conclusion. If a smell like this is persistent, ESPECIALLY first thing after de-winterizing, make SURE the de-winterizing process is thorough!!!! Come to find out, I still had a good amount of antifreeze in the rear toilet holding tank (under the bed in an opaque, oblong box). Pumped out & flushed with some bleach & water, then, (because a bilge is a bilge!), re-checked all the bilges. They were dry & had bilge cleaner in them --- smelled like a new piece of Trident chewing gum -- nice. Turned on all the A/Cs (the problem-child salon unit first), and PROBLEM SOLVED!. I can sleep there now.

Please let me know if I can help anyone in any way regarding a 3607. You all have certainly helped me.

Thank you!!
Stirling
 
Great to hear. Gives me hope!
I didn't have room in the car for the shop vac last weekend, but I poured some holding tank treatment in the fwd bilge to neutralize the smell (it just occurred to me that I don't know if the treatment will damage anything) and the salon AC didn't smell bad the rest of the weekend.

Seems pretty certain that the smell in my salon A/C was coming from the forward bilge, in my case at least.

I'll make room for the shop vac next time and get the fwd bilge dried out and cleaned up.
 
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