Through hull

[TADTOOMUCH]

Trying to decide what type of water intake through hull to use for the air conditioner. I will be installing a seacock that is bonded to the hull along with a strainer to protect the pump but want to know what others have in their boats. I won't be able to use the A/C while underway as I don't have a Generator. I don't know if I need the scoop type or just the mushroom type of intake. The scoop type are typically to force water into the pump and eliminate bubbles while underway whereas the mushroom type are good for slower boats or at rest. What do most of you with A/C have?

[ltbrett]

Scoop, 10M.

[rickalan35]

Tad

I have a mushroom intake into a seacock for my thru hull. The marina installed my original AC originally with no strainer even though I provided a brass one for them at the time. The AC subsequently filled up with marine plant life and became plugged and so please learn from my stupidity....

I removed the first two AC systems (5000 btu and the 7000 btu because they simply couldn't cool the boat down - tricabin) I guess the lesson learned is don't send a boy out to do a mans job - (needs more BTU's than we think) - but, as previously stated in this forum, I have moved on to a 9000 btu portable unit that is acceptable for the salon. Now I need another for the rear bedroom.

Sea cock in important in my view.

Good luck.

Rick

[Stripermann2]

Just had my boat hauled, pressure washed and bottom painted this past weekend. I had a grated scoop added over the intake intake thru-hull only because it was recommended sometime ago and figured while she was out... I also have the Groco 75 strainer which has worked well for the past couple years.

[Peter]

mushroom with strainer; can't use underway, have to run it for a few minutes before using to get the bubbles out (after running the boat)

[prowlersfish]

Mushroom with a groco strainer. no proplems underway . the genset also uses a mushroom type with no issues .

[AndyF32]

I have a mushroom type in the center of the boat all the way aft with a strainer before the pump. The challenge is getting the intake,valve,strainer and pump all on an upward rise while staying below the waterline since the pump needs to be flooded to work. I also do not use it underway but find if I do not close the valve when underway it will actually suck the A/C line dry causing me to have to purge the air .

By the way mine is a Marine Air unit mounted under the counter outboard of the fridge.

Good luck

[captainmaniac]

Mine is clamshell (scoop) style. We never run the air when underway (so far the generator has only been used when underway to power the microwave when we REALLY needed Nachos between locks on the Trent-Severn waterway); so the scoop is probably not really needed. One thing it will do for you is provide an additonal 'strainer' for bigger debris. Inside the hull I have a regular strainer, then the water pump, then of to the AC unit.
The thru-hull is just inboard and near the aft end of the port engine transmission; the pump is mounted to the stringer about 18" aft of that, and the strainer is in between. Then the water 'outflow' line does a gentle 180 and runs forward to the AC unit.
Re the previous post's comment about needing to purge the air : when I first launch in spring the AC can't get water, but if I leave it for a couple of days the water works its way far enough into the system for everything to work fine. Not a big deal to wait a day or two, 'cause who nees air conditioning in Canada in April???? After a run though (with the clamshell), I have never had a problem with air in the system - the air always works once I hook up the shore power.

[Paul]

I had the same problem as AndyF32. I don't use the air while under way and the motion of lake water across the mushroom would suck the water partially out of the lines. Of course there would be just enough water left in a curve in the line to build a head pressure which prevented the pump from getting water once the boat came to a stop again. I would have to prime the water system again to get it working.

This season, I replaced the mushroom with a scoop style and the problem is gone. The only way to make the mushroom work correctly is to have a steady incline in the water line from the mushroom to the A/C, with the pump below the water line, and a steady decline after the A/C. NO dips in the lines.