Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 08-03-2010, 14:22   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Cruisair Trips Breaker - Please Help

I've been helping a marina friend with his Cruiseair reverse cycle A/C but I'm stumped for lack of specific information. The system will try to restart after cycling off with the thermostat almost immediately. There is no delay or thermostat differential. This seems to cause high starting current from the high pressure start and circuit breaker trip. When the system is initially turned on there is no problem. The difficulty is only when the unit restarts.

Questions:

The system has the rotary knob control, is there a way to adjust the temperature differential to give the compressor time to equalize pressure prior to restart?

Is there supposed to be a time delay on restart?

Has anyone seen this problem before? Do you have any advice?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 15:32   #2
always in motion is the future
 
s/v Jedi's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 18,866
Is the temp sensor connected? where is it located?
All the controls I know have a display and keypad and allow you to set many many parameters. It's all excellently explained in the manual too!

Edit: what you mean is the hysteresis of the thermostat. It is adjustable and described in the manual.

cheers,
Nick.
s/v Jedi is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 16:01   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Thanks for the reply Nick. This control doesn't have a keypad, it's an analog system with three knobs. On-Fan-Off, Fan Speed and Temperature. Obviously an older system. The owners manual for the system gives virtually no information of a technical nature. The unit is located under the dinette seat in a Carver 36.
Craig
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 16:08   #4
Registered User
 
AnchorageGuy's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Wherever the boat is!
Boat: Marine Trader 34DC
Posts: 4,619
Bad compressor, bad circuit breaker, bad wiring, corrosion on connectors, problem with the water pump, bad capacitor, pressure switch and a few other issues. WG
__________________
Chesapeake Bay, ICW Hampton Roads To Key West, The Gulf Coast, The Bahamas

The Trawler Beach House
Voyages Of Sea Trek
AnchorageGuy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 16:16   #5
Registered User
 
Sailmonkey's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Boat: ‘01 Catana 401
Posts: 9,626
From memory, there is a hysterisis set screw on the back side of the thermostat, just a screw. But as is almost always the case with these older units you will need to check two other things first. 1, check all of the caps to be sure that you're not starting the compressor with a dead start cap. 2, while running, check the compressor current draw with a clamp on meter. as these things age they are harder to turn, and even harder to start. I'll put my money on the bad start capacitor, caused by a higher current draw.
Sailmonkey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 16:33   #6
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Thanks Sailmonkey, I'll look for the set screw when I get the opportunity. I really didn't consider the capacitors since it starts ok when it has been turned off for a while. It goes off and on again almost instantly when it cycles on temperature. I believe that the start-up without time to first equalize refrigerent pressure is what is causing the overcurrent trip.
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 17:25   #7
Registered User
 
svHyLyte's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Tampa Bay area, USA
Boat: Beneteau First 42
Posts: 3,961
Images: 25
Is this cycle taking place in cooling or heating mode? If in cooling mode, it may be that you have inadaquate flow from the water pump">raw water pump throgh the heat exchanger. If so, the thermal cut-off on the compressor will shut the system down after which the thermostat immediately tries to restart the unit which it cannot do until the compressor has settled, in which case the circuit breaker blows. We had a similar problem with our 16 year old system and it proved to be an obstruction in the raw water intake line (sea grass) at the through hull. Once we blew water back through the raw water feed line, all was well.

FWIW...
__________________
"It is not so much for its beauty that the Sea makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air, that emanation from the waves, that so wonderfully renews a weary spirit."
svHyLyte is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-03-2010, 19:09   #8
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Thanks svHyLyte what you are saying seems to fit the symptoms that we are having. Too bad it is still 5 weeks til boating season here in Connecticut. But you have given me a good lead to look into. I'll make sure that the system is clear on this years commissioning. Thanks again.

Craig
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 06:26   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 120
I have a Cruisair self-contained unit that is about 4 1/2 years old now. Once when I hadn't cleaned the filter for the water intake for several months and some plastic got stuck in there, significantly decreasing the water flow, the pressure switch in the new unit completely shut down the system. They are set up to do this and it's a great safety feature.

Also, I have a 30-amp system and if you have a water heater and small refrigerator running, then add something like a Sears dehumidifier ... **Pop** The internal breaker will flip after a short while. They do have a serious draw:

A/C Air Conditioner-Heater: Cruisair SXR16 Stowaway V with Rotary;
Cool Draw: 11.8 Amp x 115 Volts = 1357 Watts
Heat Draw: 15.0 Amps x 115 Volts = 1725 Watts
Startup Draw: 45 Amps x 115 Volts = 5175 Watts (Surge Capacity)

A/C Air Conditioner Saltwater Pump:
2.5 Running Amps (Max Spec - so may be less) x 115 Volts = 287.5 Watts
D_e_n_n_i_s is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 06:59   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Thanks for the info D_e_n_n_i_s,
More and more I'm thinking it has something to do with water flow although my friend who owns the system doesn't believe it. With the information I have now, I think I'll be able to check out what is causing the initial shutdown, it may not be the normal cycling of the thermostat control.

Thanks for the current specs. I find it interesting that it draws more on the heat cycle. Does anyone know why? I always thought that the operation was the same for heat or cool with just a positioning of a 4-way solenoid in the refrigerent loop. Maybe the solenoid draws 3.2 Amps.

Since the boat has two 30 Amp shore power circuits I've been able to isolate the A/C unit. The problem happens with nothing else running on that circuit.

Craig
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 07:20   #11
Registered User
 
Sailmonkey's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Boat: ‘01 Catana 401
Posts: 9,626
How old is this unit? and how large? The other thing may be, if too large and new, that it is always going to short cycle. One last thing is to check the cold air distribution, how far away from the return air?
Sailmonkey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 07:27   #12
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
The boat is about 18-20 years old, original system that has worked ok until last season.
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 07:48   #13
always in motion is the future
 
s/v Jedi's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 18,866
The draw in the heat cycle is more because the BTU output is more.

I have no clue about an 18-20 year old CruisAir unit. I didn't think they would last that long and they will be much different than modern ones. We just replaced ours and went from 16kBTU to 18 kBTU with less power consumption. The old unit was from 2003.

If you have the new types with a control panel with display, it will show you a status code when something is wrong, like "high pressure". It will also clearly show if the thermostat has switched the compressor on or off.

cheers,
Nick.
s/v Jedi is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 08:13   #14
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Connecticut
Boat: Luhrs, T-320, 32, Hunky-Dory
Posts: 8
Most people around here really don't use the air or heat too often. Systems seem to last for a long time. The do come in handy while at the dock during an August heat wave. This unit is a 16 k. Do you have any idea how they develop the additional BTUs on the heat cycle?
Thanks again,
Craig
Hunky-Dory is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2010, 08:17   #15
Registered User
 
Sailmonkey's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Houston
Boat: ‘01 Catana 401
Posts: 9,626
While heating you get to keep the heat generated by the compressor, that while cooling is dumped overboard as lost energy
Sailmonkey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
cruisair

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Microsoft Streets & Trips w/GPS marlborosounds General Sailing Forum 15 10-08-2009 05:46
Taking Tourists on Sail / Snorkel Trips Dallas_Chris Boat Ownership & Making a Living 17 07-05-2009 19:54
Experienced Crew for Daysails/short trips? SW FL Sailingdiver Crew Archives 4 26-02-2009 06:04
Freedom 25 Trips Earth leakage breaker toewsrus Electrical: Batteries, Generators & Solar 9 12-08-2007 05:35
Multiple Trips to the Bahamas within Twelve Months freedbill Rules of the Road, Regulations & Red Tape 15 28-07-2006 09:01

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 19:06.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.