Air Conditioner Help Needed

[dlauginiger]

Does anyone know where I can get a troubleshooting manual for a Flagship Marine FMAC16R Air Conditioning unit? The compressor on the unit I have runs for about 5 minutes and then kicks out. I can reset it but only after about another 5 minutes. I believe it is overheating and causing a high pressure shut off but cannot be sure. I live in Texas and it is Hot, Hot, Hot!!

[r.furborough]

check your water circulation, strainer, pump etc. initially this appears to be a classic case of poor cooling water flow. If you have already checked this, it may be an airlock and you need to prime the pump.

[dlauginiger]

Great minds think alike ... first thing I did was check water circ, cleaned the strainer and primed the pump. Any other ideas?

[capn_billl]

If the cooling water is good, you may need a freon topoff.

[dlauginiger]

Aren't these units hermetically sealed? I thought the Flagship site said they should never need freon (nor should they be added). I could be mistaken though. Any ideas on a manual? I guess I could call but hate dealing with them.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by dlauginiger

Aren't these units hermetically sealed? I thought the Flagship site said they should never need freon (nor should they be added). I could be mistaken though. Any ideas on a manual? I guess I could call but hate dealing with them.

In a perfect world, tires never go flat, and every device we buy lasts forever, (or at least until the warrenty expires).

I would call the manufacturer, expecially if the unit is only a couple of years old. If older than that, call a local technician. If the freon is low it is likely you have a leak, maybe on a weld, or at the heat exchanger, (salt water on one side, freon on the other...what could go wrong???).

The malfunctions you may be able to fix yourself, 1. Bad blower motor, (if it blows thats not it). 2. Bad cooling water pump, (you already checked it), Clogged cooling loop, (also checked), 3. clogged or dirty coils, (a vacuum, or wash down, (check air filter).

Things you cannot fix, Bad compressor, (sealed unit needs entire thing replaced, will cost more than new unit). 2. Low freon, (needs to be leak checked at the same time), 3. bad valves, (reversing valve if heat/cool), 4. Evaporator valve/orfice.

Good luck; unfortunately these things are not designed to be fixed, I just went down this road myself, and after several AC tech trips, ($$$), I ended up buying a new unit anyway, ($$$$$$).

The upside is the new unit has more BTU's, uses less power, and is quieter, and has a very small startup current, and took up a lot less space than old unit.

[dlauginiger]

Thanks Capn Billl, I have sent an email out to them and will wait to see their response. I hope it's soon, it is REALLY hot here in TX and I am a liveaboard (sssh, don't tell anyone).

David

P.S. Why 3 "L"s in capn billl?

[capn_billl]

PS Bill L (ewis); My old handle in the days of computers when user id was limited to just a few charactors was BILLL, I also used that ID as a teenager, when putting high score on arcade games. So when I got my Captains license, I now use that ID, and my E-mail is Capn_billl@yahoo.com. Everyone that knows me, knows all of my online ID's use three lll's

[dlauginiger]

Capn Billl,

Well the idea from the manufacturer's tech didn't work and the compressor is getting REALLY hot!! I think the unit has gone south but am waiting to hear from the tech to be sure.

In the meantime, did you say you had some info on a guy in FLA that had these FMAC16Rs for $1,100? If so could you please send it along? My email address is: dlauginiger@gmail.com

Thanks again,
David

[peghall]

Failed capacitor maybe. That's what it was when my CruisAire behaved the same way. Needed both a run capacitor and a starter capacitor & relay.

[familycruisers]

If the compressor is hot and starting/running, not the start components. The refrigerant is what cools the comp. If its low and has no low pressure protection, it will overheat and go off on thermal. You can verify this with a meter (continuity on the common) If you don't know how caps work, leave this to the pros, they can be dangerous. Scale inside the xchanger can also cause high head, which can cause what you're describing especially with high head protection. Got a wiring diagram for your unit you can scan? Unfortunately if gauges have to be put on, the cost of repairing a system can quickly reach a new units price. Other option is to get yourCFC universal and go to town with a piercing valve, or better yet, braze in some access ports.

[YachtLovers]

I too have the FMAC16R but my problem is that the compressor wont turn off. Called manufacturer and put in a new compressor relay, still no luck. The wiring diagrams they sent me did not match up at all with the unit. Does anyone have a good set? Any suggestions?

[mayball]

Hi dlauginiger,

To me, it sounds like the compressor does not have adequate cooling and is cutting out on the thermal overload. This switch is a bimetal switch that presses against the compressor wall near the pins where power is delivered to the compressor windings. If it trips, it will reset itself after the compressor cools. The only cooling that the compressor gets is the returning suction gas. If you were low on refrigerant, this would tend to unload the compressor and it would be unlikely to trip the overload, assuming the thermal overload is working correctly. If you had too much refrigerant, it would normally trip the high pressure cutout before the compressor got hot enough to trip the thermal overload. When you said you "reset it", were you referring to the high pressure cut out?

On a hot Texas day, the compressor may need the help of a fan directed on it near the electrical connection. If that does not help, it may need a new thermal overload switch, which are cheap.