A/C problems on 2006 bayliner 305-gctid396698

[Guest]

lately i have been spending the weekends out on my boat, when i first get there i kick on the air to cool down the cabin and let it run for a couple hours. i then will turn down the fan to 1 or 2 and let it continue running, but then in the middle of the night i cant get the fan to blow hard no matter what i do. i have tried to turn it off at the breaker and wait, i have tried to turn it off at the thermastat and wait. it seems like the air that is trickling out is cold it just wont blow hard. The next afternoon after being off all day it kicks on again with no problem. anyone have any ideals??

[Guest]

Richey Rich wrote:
lately i have been spending the weekends out on my boat, when i first get there i kick on the air to cool down the cabin and let it run for a couple hours. i then will turn down the fan to 1 or 2 and let it continue running, but then in the middle of the night i cant get the fan to blow hard no matter what i do. i have tried to turn it off at the breaker and wait, i have tried to turn it off at the thermastat and wait. it seems like the air that is trickling out is cold it just wont blow hard. The next afternoon after being off all day it kicks on again with no problem. anyone have any ideals??

Your AC is freezing up and blocking the air flow, I had two different boats do this from lack of freon I was told. Not sure of technical terms but it is freezing up. If you turn it off and only run fan you will see it melt and air flow return to normal.

[Guest]

It could also be caused by a dirty/clogged air filter in front of the coils or restricted air movement. Check the filter screen and make sure there is nothing blocking air flow because that can also cause freezing up of the coils.

[Guest]

Low freon or lack of air flow will cause the evaporator to freeze up (ice). Quite often with boat a/c there is not enough flow over the coils. I suggest you leave the air flow on high but reduce the temperature on the temperature controller so the unit cycles a bit.

[msd58]

Three things causes freeze ups: blocked air flow, low freon or base temp set too low.

[Guest]

The 305/3055, like most boats, has too-little air flow engineered into the ducts. You're also making it worse by turning off the AC when you're gone then forcing it to run for hours when you get there. Turn it up a little, but leave it running all the time. I leave mine at 80 when we're gone and 74 when on board. I also find that I need to put the fan on full (6 on the display) during the day if there is traffic in and out of the cabin letting heat and humidity in. Then I turn it down at night.

Of course, also make sure that your strainer basket and air filter are clean.

[Guest]

I have problems with mine also. I programed a 1 minute defrost cycle into mine which seemed to stop the freezing up. Your manual will tell you how to program. My air out put is 54 degrees and will keep cabin at 65.

[Guest]

thanks for all the good advice, i will check each of the items mentioned and let you know how i fair.

[JimMc]

We too had the freezing problem. The Admiral programmed the AC controller for the defrost cycle.

As long as the cabin door is not left open too much it works well.

Here is a link to the manual.

http://media.channelblade.com/EProWebsiteMedia/3506/Passport Air-Heat Owners Manual.pdf

From the Manual. P-8: De-Icing Cycle

Passport I/O is equipped with a de-icing cycle to prevent ice build up on the evaporator coil during extended periods of cooling operation. Installation variables such as grille sizes, length of ducting, insulation R factors and ambient temperatures determine the cooling run time required to achieve set point. Customer usage may substantially increase run times by operating the system with the hatches and doors open. Programming an unrealistic set point (e.g. 65┬░F/18.3┬░C) and leaving the salon door open will usually cause the evaporator to ice up on warm humid days.

For Passport I/O software revision A15 and older, de-icing is accomplished by switching the reversing valve into the Heat Mode while the system is cooling. The valve will remain energized for the programmed cycle time. The cycle is programmable to "OFF" or to a period of one, two, or three minutes.

For Passport I/O software revision A21 and newer, de-icing is accomplished using a more sophisticated algorithm that closely monitors the room air temperature in repeating 10-minute intervals during a cooling cycle. Depending on the value and change in room temperature during these monitoring intervals, the Passport I/O will perform various actions to prevent ice from forming and/or melt ice that may have already formed. This is accomplished by short compressor shutdown periods combined with a one-speed increase in fan speed, and by periodic Heat Mode cycles with the fan turned off.

This de-icing feature is turned ON by default with programming parameter P-8 set to "1". The behavior of the feature is always the same whenever an optional alternate air temperature sensor is installed . However, the feature has two different, selectable behavior modes when it is used in conjunction with the Passport I/O displayÔÇÖs built-in room air temperature sensor. It attempts to compensate for any temperature discrepancy that the display sensor may experience. Although this discrepancy is not typical, installation variables such as where the Elite display is placed inside the room (e.g. near an open door or in direct sunlight) can affect how accurately it can read the actual room temperature.

By default with P-8 set to "1", the algorithm is applied assuming the display sensor may be reading the room temperature as much as 5┬░F (2.8┬░C) greater than the actual evaporator temperature. With programmable parameter P-8 set to "2", the temperature differential that is applied to the display sensor reading is increased to 7┬░F (3.9┬░C) for even more extreme installations. Setting P-8 to "2" should only be used if a setting of "1" does not prevent evaporator ice from forming. Alternately, the installation of an optional alternate air temperature sensor (located in the return air path) will greatly increase the effectiveness of the de-icing feature, and this option should be considered whenever the display sensor cannot read the room temperature accurately.

[Guest]

Unfortunately my boat doesn't have new-enough firmware in the control panel to do the defrost cycle. I don't know what year they started putting that in, and find it very strange that my manual that came with the boat mentions it, but the boat doesn't have it.