the thru-hull, strainer,
and pump need to be below the water line, and the lines all
uphill with no dips. Also the output of the pump needs to go
uphill for long enough (ideally all the way to the a/c unit)
for the air to work it's way out on it's own. At least far
enough for the air to get past the pump.
What a good point Brent made, and for those who have systems not installed like this, they should consider revamping it if at all possible.
Last summer I had an opportunity to replace a fella's A/C pump, his third since being in Fl, and he'd only been here for 6 months. During the installation I noticed several dips in various lines, in addition to the original pump's location being slightly above the water line.
Seems the initial installer insisted that those few inches wouldn't matter. He was constantly losing prime, something that his asthma did not tolerate very well, nor his wife.
We lowered the pump and removed the dips in the lines and everything started working like it should and hasn't burned out a pump since. Installed an in-line zinc housing to an engine that had no zincs in it also. (Just had to say that. It had nothing to do with the A/C, but telling the story brought back fond memories of doing that job also.)
Maybe up north, losing prime in an A/C system may not be a major, life-altering occurrence, but down here in these parts, the folks tend to take losing their A/C as a major inconvenience.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
> the thru-hull, strainer,
> and pump need to be below the water line, and the lines all
> uphill with no dips. Also the output of the pump needs to go
> uphill for long enough (ideally all the way to the a/c unit)
> for the air to work it's way out on it's own. At least far
> enough for the air to get past the pump.
What a good point Brent made, and for those who have systems not installed like this, they should consider revamping it if at all possible.
Last summer I had an opportunity to replace a fella's A/C pump, his third since being in Fl, and he'd only been here for 6 months. During the installation I noticed several dips in various lines, in addition to the original pump's location being slightly above the water line.
Seems the initial installer insisted that those few inches wouldn't matter. He was constantly losing prime, something that his asthma did not tolerate very well, nor his wife.
We lowered the pump and removed the dips in the lines and everything started working like it should and hasn't burned out a pump since. Installed an in-line zinc housing to an engine that had no zincs in it also. (Just had to say that. It had nothing to do with the A/C, but telling the story brought back fond memories of doing that job also.)
Maybe up north, losing prime in an A/C system may not be a major, life-altering occurrence, but down here in these parts, the folks tend to take losing their A/C as a major inconvenience.
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
