3 Easy Ways to Maintain your Boat’s Air Conditioner

Summer is here, and it is time to get out on the lake!  Nothing, however, can bring a day down faster than having something on your boat stop working.  It can be really frustrating if that thing is the boat’s air conditioner.  Proper maintenance can prevent problems and ensure that your marine a/c is running efficiently.  Here are three DIY tips for maintaining your boat’s air conditioning:

Keep your manual close.  Knowing your air conditioner and how it works will make you better able to ensure that it is working properly.  The owner’s manual can offer solutions to simple problems, and it can help you to navigate the system.

Clean the filter.  The filter is located behind the return air grille, and it helps to trap dust and dirt from re-circulating throughout your boat’s air.  When the filter gets too dirty and clogged, airflow is restricted, which means it will take much longer for your boat to cool down.  Follow your owner’s manual instructions for how to clean the filter.

Clean the sea strainer. Your boat’s air conditioner needs sufficient amount of water in order to run.  The water is used in the condenser to cool the refrigerant back to a liquid state.  That water comes from the lake or the ocean and runs through a sea strainer.  To make sure you have enough water, it is important to clean out the sea strainer at least once a month, or more in tropical water.  While your air conditioning is working properly, take a look at the raw water discharge to check if there is enough water coming out.

There are also some routine maintenance items that should be done by professionals.  For example, using a weak acid solution to flush out the cooling system.  This should be done every few years because scale and marine growth can clog up the coil.

Taking care of your boat’s air conditioner pays off because it can have a lifespan of 15-20 years.

FLAME services marine air conditioning units, and we are happy to help you with your questions, routine maintenance, and any problems that come your way.  Contact FLAME for more information!  Also, check out this article, where this info came from, for more information (How to Troubleshoot Your Boat’s Air Conditioning System, Power & Motor Yacht).