Smelly Airconditioning

T

TurboWarp

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Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2007
RO Number
27630
Messages
352
High All,

Got in the water a little late this year for me. Anyway hope you are all well. We had a great time on Memorial day weekend.

I have a prolem with my AC. It works fine but has a bad smell, sort of like when you fresh water goes bad. Never had his before. I don't see any water at least in the aft bildge.

Any ideas?

Thanks....
 
Does the condensate pan dump into the boats bilge? If so clean the pan with a 50/50 solution of bleach and water. Then I would look into dumping the water from the pan into the AC unit's waterstream that exits the boat using a Venturi like device that draws the condensate water from the pan overboard. Dometic has and sells the kit. If you don't have or want the Venturi device then have the AC pans water dump into the shower sump.
Bill
 
Not sure what I have. I will have to check. Is the pan just under the ac unit? It is very hard to get to. I might even have to disassemble my dinette. I like th idea of sending this overboard via the venturi.

Anyone know how to get service access to this unit? I can see it through tht vent is about all.

Thx
 
Yes the condensate drip pan is under the AC unit. While you are down in the dinette digging it out clean the filter that is against the Evaporator.
Bill
 
So when was the unit last cleaned, fins filters and pan?
I use chlorox cleanup annually on the whole unit followed by a fresh water rinse.
Yours may be full of crud.
 
quote:
Originally posted by The Other Gary

So when was the unit last cleaned, fins filters and pan?
I use chlorox cleanup annually on the whole unit followed by a fresh water rinse.
Yours may be full of crud.

Click to expand...

+1
 
quote:
Originally posted by Pigmeister

Almost 100% it's a filter that needs cleaning or changing.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify not the filter on the return air, that usually won't cause odors but it should be periodically cleaned but the one on the evaporator assembly. It's very thin and if you didn't know it was there you might think it was part of the evaporator.
A clogged drip pan drain or hose will also smell like sewage waste if left sitting in a closed up boat. The newest line of high end marine AC units have plastic/ABS pans a really good idea in my opinion.
Bill
 
Our TWA Mechanics said when we smelled "dirty socks" in the plane someone has their shoes off in the cockpit or the AC has a dirty filter clogged by bacteria. A filter change usually solved the problem.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

quote:
Originally posted by Pigmeister

Almost 100% it's a filter that needs cleaning or changing.

Click to expand...

Just to clarify not the filter on the return air, that usually won't cause odors but it should be periodically cleaned but the one on the evaporator assembly. It's very thin and if you didn't know it was there you might think it was part of the evaporator.
A clogged drip pan drain or hose will also smell like sewage waste if left sitting in a closed up boat. The newest line of high end marine AC units have plastic/ABS pans a really good idea in my opinion.
Bill

Click to expand...


Bill, the only filter that I ever cleaned is on the air return. Don't know of any other filter on 2 units. These are on my '93 boat. No odor of any kind & both units run perfectly ! Oh crap; hope I didn't just put a curse on myself.
 
I don't have AC in my boat, but I did have this problem in a car. If you turn off the compressor and leave the fan on for several minutes, the condensation in the coils will evaporate and you have less risk of mold/bacteria growth. I also would shoot some lysol spray in the air intake so it would get on the coils. These two things helped my car a lot. Of course as stated above, check for a clogged drain/filter too.
 
When was it last cleaned? uh...never?

I checked the return air screen filters and they were clogged. I am hoping this will allow what ever is inside to dry and remove the odor. Otherwise I guess I have to take out the dinette.

Thanks for all the advice.
 
You have to find the evaporator filter if the return air filter (mounted on the return grill) was dirty the evap will be really bad, they all have an evap. filter even a 1993. My boats older Cruisair units were circa 1993's and they had this filter. My newer 2007-08 have the same filters.
You probably have mold no amount of fresh air will dry out the mold it's unhealthy and it won't go away until you get to the unit. Clean the condensate pan with a bleach and water solution, the evaporator and it's filter. The filter on the evap should be removed cleaned with a garden hose then spray it down with the solution and rinse again. Let it air dry and reinstall.
Bill
 
I have been looking for an on line picture or PDF to show you what you need to look for but it requires getting to the AC unit.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll

You have to find the evaporator filter if the return air filter (mounted on the return grill) was dirty the evap will be really bad, they all have an evap. filter even a 1993. My boats older Cruisair units were circa 1993's and they had this filter. My newer 2007-08 have the same filters.
You probably have mold no amount of fresh air will dry out the mold it's unhealthy and it won't go away until you get to the unit. Clean the condensate pan with a bleach and water solution, the evaporator and it's filter. The filter on the evap should be removed cleaned with a garden hose then spray it down with the solution and rinse again. Let it air dry and reinstall.
Bill

Click to expand...


I don't think you can make a blanket statement thatALLhave this filter. My 1978 Bertram has a Cruiseair split system. It just drains into the bilge & there are no filters any where.
Al
P.S. I say this as the OP has never stated what kind of boat & what kind of AC system he has.
 
I can make the blanket statement we are not talking about a split system. One of the techs who is factory authorized in other AC threads that were similar stated the same. Now if you have a 1978 split unit your evap screen/filter may have been thrown away or deteriorated to dust. Most split systems should still have the evap filter if not all.
For a 1993 non split system that the RO hasn't even looked at yet I can assure him the filter is there and if it isn't the evap coils are in need of a serious cleaning.
I am trying to stress that what ever he has to take apart to get to his system it needs to be done. By his own admission no service has been done on the unit and that's pretty clear because he keeps saying the dinette needs to be taken apart.
AC units condensate should never be dumped directly into the bilge. It's a recipe for a smelly boat.
Bill
 
Turbo to satisfy other RO's what boat do you have and what type of AC units?
In either case you mention the dinette or perhaps the wrap around sette you need to take it apart and visibly check the pan the AC unit sits on for standing water and look at the evap which looks like a big heater cvore from an auto it will have 2 water hoses on in and the other out.
You also might want to try dumping some bilge cleaner or bleach in the boats hull if the condensate just drips into the hull.
If you can tell me the model I will look for an on line manual.
Bill
 
quote:
Originally posted by Regal 2860

I always use peroxide, doesn't smell like clorox.

Click to expand...

Hydrogen Peroxide works not quite as good as bleach but a good alternative. Use a squirt bottle for cleaning the evap. You can purchase a special cleaner and neutralizer from almost any marine HVAC supplier.
Bill
 
Turbo,
May not be your problem, but on my last boat the smell was from my sanitation hoses. The air that was drawn from my AC unit in the forward stateroom was an open plenum type of arrangement and would suck some air from the bilge where the waste tank was. I agree you first order should be to check the pan and follow what all have said above about that, if that does not solve the problem, look at what I mentioned.

Walter
 
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