Leaving Air Conditioner running on when not at boat

[C420sailor]

Do you know for sure you need to add? Do you hook up manifolds and quantitatively check the charge? How much are you adding?

I have an Adler Barbour refrigerator/freezer on my boat. Unit is 20 years old and has never needed refrigerant added. Runs like a champ—plate gets COLD.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by C420sailor

Do you know for sure you need to add? Do you hook up manifolds and quantitatively check the charge? How much are you adding?

I have an Adler Barbour refrigerator/freezer on my boat. Unit is 20 years old and has never needed refrigerant added. Runs like a champ—plate gets COLD.

Yes, I hook up a set of gages so I know just what the pressures are and that’s how I knew I needed to add coolant. Hard to know exact amount of coolant to add so I do it slowly until low side pressure is within specs.

My freezer unit that’s identical to refrig never needs servicing either so I’m aware it’s not normal. But what has me confused is that my refrig unit only seems to lose coolant when it’s not in use.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

Yes, I hook up a set of gages so I know just what the pressures are and that’s how I knew I needed to add coolant. Hard to know exact amount of coolant to add so I do it slowly until low side pressure is within specs.

My freezer unit that’s identical to refrig never needs servicing either so I’m aware it’s not normal. But what has me confused is that my refrig unit only seems to lose coolant when it’s not in use.

The leak is probably on the low side, so it leaks faster with the system off and equalized.

[Valkyrie-3]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

I have always had a hang-up about leaving my air-conditioner on when leaving the boat in the summer. There is so much water flow that a small leak in a fitting or a thru hull could be disastrous.

I have noticed this year that most boats leave their AC on all the time and there is always water flowing in and out. I haven't heard of any boats sinking because of that, so I wonder if my concern is overblown. I do run a humidifier and it drains into the sink. I'm sure it gets hot in there, but I don't know of any issues caused by that.

I'm just curious what others do.

crazy to leave AC on - huge eco impact and energy drain. Put a small dehumidifier in the sink. Low energy and no issues with a leak, and close all your through hulls. Of just have a couple solar powered vents. i do both depending on whether connected to shore power or not.

[Valkyrie-3]

crazy to leave AC on - huge eco impact and energy drain. Put a small dehumidifier in the sink. Low energy and no issues with a leak, and close all your through hulls. Of just have a couple solar powered vents. i do both depending on whether connected to shore power or not.

[DancingDays]

I admit to leaving mine running unattended, with the thermostat set as high as it will go. In a Texas summer, the boat can get well over 100F inside when all closed up. I had a few weeks one summer where my A/C was out of service, and the adhesive on some of the "wood" veneer trim softened to the point of the trim coming off. (Beneteau factory-applied adhesive)

It does make me a little nervous, and I check that through-hull a lot.

[Turtle Blues]

2 cents worth

a dehumidifier is a refrigerant and compressor based piece of equipment (just like an air conditioner) with the evaporator maximized to condense water.

The energy consumption to btu output and subsequent condensation capacity is directly comparable to an air cooled air conditioner with the added downside of the rejected heat being held within the closed vessel.
Most modern marine climate controllers have an away or dehumidification setting that cycles the unit on reduced output to achieve this.
Actual energy consumption between these two systems is not that different and given the heat differential I would argue that the cooling capability is much preferable for a wood interior.

[Rasselas36]

Originally Posted by Panacea2183

Guess you don’t live in Florida.
Ever try to get mold out of your boat after no A/C?
Yes we live in a world where we are addicted to many things.
I for one run my A/C 24/7 at my dock. Pristine interior no mold or foul smells.
Would you not run the A/C in your house? When your gone?
Turn up the temp still removes humidity.
Safe travels and stay well!

I am right there with Panacea. I live in Florida and my thermostat has an "AWAY SETTING' basically it comes on every 4 hours and lowers the temp by 2 degrees. No odors, mold and humidity stays around 50%. Been this way for over 40 years and never had an emergency.
Just keep your preventative maintenance checks up and you should be okay.

[MSgt]

Guess it is where you live ,as lived aboard on-the-hook in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL from about '91 to '02 [it was a free harbor in those days] with no air-conditioning but with flow-through air kept us mold free. My S/V Winds Of Change was an Irwin Citation 34 built in '78 [first year of production]

Had small tarp bungeed to safety lines over foredeck to keep sun off and so that hatch could be kept up, as well as center companionway board was screened for the air flow-thru.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by MSgt

Guess it is where you live ,as lived aboard on-the-hook in Boot Key Harbor, Marathon FL from about '91 to '02 [it was a free harbor in those days] with no air-conditioning but with flow-through air kept us mold free. My S/V Winds Of Change was an Irwin Citation 34 built in '78 [first year of production]

Had small tarp bungeed to safety lines over foredeck to keep sun off and so that hatch could be kept up, as well as center companionway board was screened for the air flow-thru.

Being aboard all the time makes a big difference. It allows far better ventilation, as you can monitor and close things if needed in heavy rain (especially if wind driven). Depending on the boat design, ability to ventilate things adequately while unattended is not always so good.

[donpjr]

When I kept my boat in Florida I set the AC units to the Humidifier setting when leaving the boat. I recognize the risk but in Florida your boat will be ruined without some form of dehumidification. I keep the seacocks and hoses well maintained. Currently I have switched to having a dehumidifier operating, draining into the sink, mainly to save the wear and tear on the AC units.

[OrignalBudman]

Originally Posted by cymeyer

Did you read the question?

Thanks for calling Karen out. I wondered exactly the same thing.

[pesarsten]

I don’t think it really matters that an opinion on global warming wasn’t requested ( or warranted ) as some subjects are too guttural to resist. Here,s my opinion, the human body expels co2 with every breath, please provide me with a good example by reducing your footprint.

[Gerrit Coetzee]

Originally Posted by pesarsten

I don’t think it really matters that an opinion on global warming wasn’t requested ( or warranted ) as some subjects are too guttural to resist. Here,s my opinion, the human body expels co2 with every breath, please provide me with a good example by reducing your footprint.

I really, really should not get involved - but I too could not resist. What a good example you set. Yes we breath out carbon - such vial beings we are. I hope all these environmentalists are walking every day and are not using any fossil fuel vehicles (or boats) whilst they do all the finger pointing. A recent study suggest we don't create enough Co2 - but that's a debate for another day. I 'll be waiting to see how these tree huggers are holding their breaths to reduce their filthy Co2 exhaling. (I recommend 10min intervals).

For the remainder sane ones here, how do you maintain good thru hulls? Inspection and occasional checking I can do, but is there truly any maintenance possible?
Having holes through my boat is a thought entering my head often enough.

[C420sailor]

Visual inspection is big. I periodically remove and re-bed/re-seal everything. How disassembly goes will tell you a lot about the state. Once bought a boat with original thru hulls. They didn’t look too terrible. Went to remove the nut to remove them and the nut broke into pieces.

Timeline as well. If it’s been 10 years in salt water, they’re probably getting to be about due.

Use quality hose. Marine rated. I like Trident. Also HIGH QUALITY CLAMPS. Double clamp.