Rinker heater

minnesota

Here in Ontario, I just splashed my boat for another season, spring has been a little strange and cooler this year. A quick question,  am I suppose to see water discharge while the heater is on or that's only on the AC cycle. Thanks    

Black_Diamond

Yes, you should see water discharging anytime the AC/Heat is on. 

love2cruise

Make sure that your seacock for the ac/heating system is open.  It could have been closed when it was winterized.

summerx

I had that problem last spring as well.  my AC works fine and pumps a lot of water out the discharge, but in heat mode, nothing.  So i turned it off.  I beleive there is a check valve of sorts that needs to flip, and it gets frozen and stuck.  I ended up just bring a small ceramic heater out and plugged it in.  keeps the cabin plenty warm

Michael T

yes, the HVAC requires water to operate and the compressor will overheat quicker in heating mode if there is no water going through the system to coo it. As summerix says there is a valve, called a reversing valve, which does just that. Sometimes just changing from cooling to heating several times will loosen it. Next, I would put it in heating mode and turn the breaker on and off a few times sometimes energizing the reversing valve will flip it. As a last resort it can be effective to LIGHTLY tap the reversing valve with a rubber mallet. I have freed-up reversing valves a number of times on friend's boats using all three methods. BTW this is what we have to do in big HVAC units sometimes in houses. It is not acceptable to have to use a ceramic heater (although it's a good idea) when you have a great HVAC available to you!

minnesota

Thanks all,  where is this reversing valve that I can lightly tap on the 280.

Handymans342

Inside the a.c. unit

Handymans342

It reverses the refrigerant flow not the water

Michael T

There may be a schematic for your HVAC on "google" if one of the forum guys doesn't speak-up.

You will need to know the BTUs (capacity of your unit) to access the correct schematic.

You can often fine the location of the reversing valve, even if it's stuck, by having someone turn the breaker slowly off and on while the HVAC unit is set in heating mode. Even if the valve won't reverse it should make a clicking sound. That way you could fine it.

Even turning the unit off and on might flip the valve. These valves can get stuck temporarily which is usually no big deal. Steve (Handyman's 342) knows a lot about HVAC as do a couple of other guys so hopefully they'll join-in.

BTW, it is a good idea to cycle the HVAC from heating to cooling a couple of times during the summer, not just use the heat in the spring, the cooling in the summer and the heat again in the fall. Make it reverse back and forth a few times during the summer and that usually keeps the valve free moving.

Dream_Inn

I think MT covered the issue well.  If water is only coming out for AC, then it's gotta be that valve. I use my heat all the time.  I see people all the time using ceramic heaters and I just don't know why.  I leave the cabin door open (with isinglass up) and a small vent I have in the cockpit as well.  Heats that area well too.

minnesota

Thanks guys, I even turned the HVAC onto cool and still no water coming out.  The HVAC water strainer is only half full and looks like the water pump is not running. Wonder what they did during winterizing. 

Michael T

OK minnesota, now I'm getting some ideas....I don't think they did anything wrong during winterizing. Your pump has lost its prime - happens a lot during winterizing. An empty or half-full strainer bowl explains a lot. If that bowl is only partially full you are probably not achieving a full prime and the pump can not pull water - or - enough in and through the HVAC.  Sometimes an HVAC can run on cooling mode with a partial prime as the compressor is kept cool but in heat mode the compressor runs much hotter as the compressor's immediate environment is much hotter and will trip it's heat breaker.That would explain a lot. There are a number of ways to fill that strainer bowl to get a good prime. You can fill the bowl and open it slightly to break an air lock. this might take several tries. You can "reverse prime" it by running water backwards into the system through the front exit hole on the hull. When doing this is you loosen the bowl a bit the water being shot into that front hole by a hose will drain out of the bowl fitting at the pump. If so, tighten the bowl and fire the pump up. Other guys will offer you their tips as well.

Dream_Inn

Or, the easiest way to prime is make sure the seacock is open and go for a ride.  The water will push thru and help it prime. 

minnesota

All excellent ideas thank you so much.

minnesota

Its all fixed, I unscrewed the water strainer to relieve the air lock with the heat on then went into the TEST mode to cycle  COOL then HEAT a couple of times. Now I have water discharge both heat and AC. My heat output temp was 50 degrees Celcius and AC output was -5 degrees Celcius. Thank you all.  

Michael T

.....actually the easiest way to prime your HVAV or Generator it is to install a valve to prime it. Costs about$30 and takes an hour start to finish. You can also use it to draw in anti freeze for the winter and water for the summer.

"Going for a ride" to prime the HVAC system on my 3014 EC 360 would not push water through it even at 45 MPH. It is a very long line all the way from the aft berth pump to the front of the bow berth HVAC unit location and has many inclines and declines along the way. Power priming was the only way to do it.

Black_Diamond

On my 342 I just unscrew the strainer till it bleeds out the air. Works every time. There is almost zero room to add a T into the line. I just replaced the hose from the thru hull to the strainer. The sharp bend was causing the outer part of the hose to crack. Same for my generator fresh water line. Replacing that and upgrading to the Forespar T-150 strainer. 

MarkB

Yes water should always discharge whether in cool or heat mode.