F44 (or any other Crusairs) A/C condensate leak

[RonW]

Hi guys

On the hottest stretch of days last August (with no rain), the carpet in my main salon gradually got soaked starting on the starboard side right beneath the A/C air outlet. This leads me to believe that there may be a condensate tray below the coils that is overflowing from perhaps a plugged drain (I'm just guessing here). There is no access from the engine room (salon deck overhead) and from the side it appears that I would have to remove wall panels from the aft cabin closet and work my way forward to remove the salon stairs to remove the panel where the A/C coils are.
Has anyone run into this ?

Thanks
Ron

[prowlersfish]

There should be a drain hose . Perhaps you could see that from the Engine room ?

[P-Dogg]

On my '85 tricabin, all the condensate lines drain directly to through-hull fittings. If you do not have access, perhaps you could snake the presumed condensate line from outside the boat, the presumption being a clogged hose....

[RonW]

Thank you Prowlersfish and P-Dogg (kind of an animal theme here). I'm glad to read that there actually is a condensate tray. Definitely no drain coming into the engine room. Just last week, I was wondering what all the smaller through-hull fittings were for. I had assumed they were abandoned from previously removed equipment since the boat is 40 years old. Now I know that 3 of them might be the condensate drains. I will snake them.
Thanks for this.

Ron

[RonW]

I just looked at this picture and...... below the main salon windows......
- the upper drain must be the vent for the generator fuel tank
- the lower forward drain must be the galley sink
- the little drain just above the waterline (just aft of the generator drain) must be the condensate drain
Thanks again.
Ron

IMG-20150711-02158.jpg (111.31 KiB) Viewed 6729 times

[Lean Wolf]

I have a 79 F44, had a similiar issue and found that the drain at the condensation tray in the salon unit was disconnected. I have unused small drain holes which are plugged so I re ran my condensation line to the aft stateroom shower sump box.

With my aft unit I had a similiar issue. I went in through the aft stateroom closet and found the drain in the tray clogged with dust. I brought in a small compressor and blew the whole unit clean. The leak stopped and I got better airflow from the unit.
Drew

[Lean Wolf]

Beautiful boat by the way!!

[Lean Wolf]

Beautiful boat by the way!!

[RonW]

Thanks for the compliment Drew. I've always loved the lines of yours and my boat. I've just got a lot more scraping and sanding.

Not sure if your units are in the same place. When you said that you ran new condensate lines, how did you get to the condensate tray for the main salon? From the way the panelling is installed in my boat, I would have to start at the aft cabin to remove panelling, then the stairs, then the trim, then the main salon panelling. You must have found a shortcut.

Ron

[Lean Wolf]

Ron,
Thank you for the compliment on my boat! I installed a new cruisair system a few years ago and actually installed it in one of the cabinets just below the steps into the salon. So I have full access to it. I ran the condensation line down through the engine compartment and then behind the batteries between both motors in under the bulkhead to the shower sump. I ran the condensation line down through the engine compartment and then behind the batteries between both motors under the bulkhead to the shower sump.
Drew

[RonW]

Thanks Drew
Although the Cruisairs are working perfectly, I decided that if the main salon one ever died, I would abandon it and do exactly what you did.
Thanks for the encouragement.
Ron