A/C smell

[Cool It]

Hello --i have a 1989 29ft Formula PC--the A/C was replaced sometime before I bought boat.. the A/C works great blows out nice and cold.. and hot when i need it for the spring and fall- the only problem i have is when the compressor clicks on to bring boat to temp i get this wierd smell/odor. when its at temp and compressor off --no smell. thought maybe the sea water flowing through but realized that the water is always flowing. so any idaes as to what can be causing this??????- Thanks

 

[Thalasso]

Re: A/C smell

Look in the sump and drain pan and see if you have standing water. drain pan emptys into the sump and is pumped overboard.If so then you might have a bad pump or automatic switch.

 

[oops!]

Re: A/C smell

what kind of smell is it?

air conditioners dont smell....its just air blowing past cold aluminum.
if there is a freon leak it can smell.
or chances are that its a hot wireing smell.

do you know what an electrical plastic smells like?

in any event....you are going to have to turn on the air conditioner and feel the wires....are they hot?,,,if so,,,clean the connections they could be corroded.
you will also have to open the panel to the circut board and stick your nose in there....take a whiff.

i would not let this go....if its a bad connection......its a fire waiting to happen.....and you DONT want a fire on a polyester resin boat !

 

[sasto]

Re: A/C smell

Must be coming from the duct work.

 

[oops!]

Re: A/C smell

Must be coming from the duct work.

chances are...this is true....the duct for an ac vent in a boat is a flexible ghose with fiberglass insulation around it......chances are the fiberglass insulation got wet and is stinking...or a critter crawled in there

 

[Fireman431]

Re: A/C smell

Most smaller boat AC ducting is simple black flexible corrugated plastic tubing 4-6" in diameter. No insulation. But due to humidity issues, you may have mold growing in there. Turn the fan on (with the compressor off) and see if you still get the smell. Also, as mentioned, check the drain pan. It is a gravity feed to the sump pump to get discharged overboard, but it is only a 1/2" hole for the water to drip thru. It is very easy to get clogged up with dust/lint/mildew and the water can be backing up. Simply clean out the opening and dour about a cup of bleach in there to kill and green growing stuff.

Keep us posted.

 

[Cool It]

Re: A/C smell

thanks i will check all-but I only get the smell when compressor is running .when just fan running no smell.. so i thought that was odd..so some of these possible symptoms should occur all the time not just when the compressor runs. the smell is like a sewer type smell. i at first thought it was the head ..but i changed the vacuflush vent filter and smell still there ..thats when i realized it was coming from the a/c

 

[Thalasso]

Re: A/C smell

Go to the sump and see if there is water lying in bilge.If water lays there it will get stagnant and smell like that. Clean it out check and see if sump pump is working and pour in some bleach.