Air Condtioner Flushing Frequency

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

My current problem is that scoop strainer outside on the thur fitting is getting clogged up. I don't see a way to really "fix" without going down in the water. I don't want to go into this water :-(

One quick but not permanent fix, depending upon the obstructions, is to disconnect the raw water feed hose from the strainer, squeeze the bell of a pressurized air-horn over it tightly, and give it a blast of the horn. That pressure will drive a lot of the junk clogging the holes/slots out. As barnacles often form on the inner faces of such screens, one can also use a squeeze bulb of the type often used to add water to a battery to inject a healthy dose of Barnacle Buster into the hose before reconnecting it to the strainer and then allowing it to sit for a few hours. I have found this approach reasonably effective on our boat and do so when I do the routine annual flush/cleaning of our system.


FWIW...

[sailorboy1]

What keeps the barnacle buster from just diluting??

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

What keeps the barnacle buster from just diluting??

Nothing, but as the density is about the same as sea water and there is no flow through the hose, it seems to remain. Moreover, if there is much barnacle growth, the "foaming" action as the BB dissolves the shell, vents up the hose apparently causing a mixing action of the contents. Regardless, the approach seems to work for us. Whether it will for you remains to be seen. Note that in our case, the raw water intake hose is only about 24" long, to just about the water line. A squeeze bulb of BB creates rather a high concentration of the material in solution so even with a bit of loss, it is still sufficient to do the trick.


FWIW...

[sailorboy1]

Well I looked it up and as I expected bronze resistance to acid doesn’t look good. Guess I’m going into the water.

My next thread is going to be about fresh eating bacteria

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I do question it. I don't think it stops the grass type of stuff the internal strainer catches. It's the only scoop on the whole boat. I've had thru hulls get clogged and just take the hose off and stick a long screwdriver through the opening and clear it out. But can't do that with the scoop and can't even really get a wire to thread through it from inside. I used the wet vac and blow it out, but that only will maybe clear soft growth.

Next time, the boat is hauled, remove it.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Next time, the boat is hauled, remove it.

Definitely. But that's not helping for few years I hope as that Seahawk botton house paint is crap (I'm never going to miss a chance to post my feelings on that crap).

Meanwhile I'm trying the pour an acid mix down the line to see if can clear the scoop. It is giving me the creeps because I know it's also attacking the metal.

[a64pilot]

I have tried the 25% mix of hydrochloric acid and water, and it seemed to have no effect. I still carry a gallon on board, maybe I should just put it into the water before it busts open into the bilge.

[wingless]

Why not go the "easy" route and do the pleasure boating in the acid ocean on the planet Kepler-47b (Mellona), so that it keeps that scoop strainer clean?

[sailorboy1]

Well I connected a 4' clear hose onto the AC raw water inlet with a funnel on the open end and hung in the air to be above the water line. Filled that with a 50% mix of water and muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) and poured into the funnel then opened the valve so the acid mix flowed down the hose into the scoop. Shortly I could ctap floating to the top of the hose and started getting bubbles up the hose. When the bubbles stooped and/or seemed to get real small and slow down I would pour morer acid mix down the hose to renew the mix as the bottom. I did this for about 2 house then flushed a lot of water down the hose and then blew in out using the wet vac a few times.

After the water going out the valve was MUCH better!!!!! Connected back up and turned in the AC and MUCH better water flow. Shut the outlet for the fwd AC and ran just the aft (because that one is higher up and was shutting down on high pressure) and forced all the pump flow through it, which flush a bunch of dirt out.

I'm happy as it worked and I didn't have to go into the nasty water here.

Still going to get a hose fitting and install on line to be able to flush with the dock hose to hopefully blow mure dirt out. I bet a lot of dirt settled in the lines when the flow was low.

[a64pilot]

I thought you were in PC? Must still be in Carrabelle as the water in PC is pretty clear, not Bahamas clear, but not ICW nasty either

Glad it worked, I guess I’ll hang onto my gallon of acid

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I thought you were in PC? Must still be in Carrabelle as the water in PC is pretty clear, not Bahamas clear, but not ICW nasty either

Glad it worked, I guess I’ll hang onto my gallon of acid

still in the great city of Carrabelle

going to skip PC now and just go to Gulfport MS as the marina price difference was enough to rent a car for 3 weeks

[a64pilot]

I wouldn’t skip PC, reason is the city and places to eat etc.
I’m not talking PC Beach which is different, that is where you find the huge Condo’s etc, but the city is different.
Spend a day or two at anchor and decide if you want to take a slip or not.

[Exile]

'PC'?? Don't forget us observers back in the peanut gallery who also ply the SE US coast.

Nice job on the thru-hull SailorBoy. Helpful thread generally, btw. I'm about to do a Barnacle Buster job (milder phosphoric acid I think?) on my genset's raw water circuit. Used vinegar once on my aircon coils -- let it soak in there overnight but not really sure it accomplished anything.

[sailorboy1]

People put vinegar on salad and then ......................... eat it. It isn't dissolving any barnacle shells in your life time.

Phosphoric acid is safer and less corrosive due to the phosphorus. But if you look it up it isn't anywhere as "non corrosive" as they make it out to be.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I wouldn’t skip PC, reason is the city and places to eat etc.
I’m not talking PC Beach which is different, that is where you find the huge Condo’s etc, but the city is different.
Spend a day or two at anchor and decide if you want to take a slip or not.

Plan to stop in Panama City (for SE people) and if anchorage and conditions look good and there's shore access will stay a few days. Otherwise maybe the marinas will be back open on way back.