2017 C30 Not priming for winterizing AC

[skipper207]

I mistakenly got air in the AC raw water intake while winterizing the unit. I was going to pour antifreeze into the strainer but let the strainer run dry just for a second. Now, even with the strainer compartment full of fluid the pump won't draw fluid. I imagine I need to prime the line. Any suggestions on the best way to do this?
Also, am I in danger of burning out the pump in the process of trying to prime it?
Please and thank you.

 

[Bruce Moore]

Bumping post delayed in moderation queue.

 

[Catch22]

On my R23, the AC was most challenging to winterize. The strainer is not a large multiport strainer....it is a single line about 3 inch diameter and loses prime immediately because AC pump draw is so aggressive. I made a funnel from a plastic laundry detergent bottle that nearly matched the strainer diameter and then made a snug fit using gorilla tape as a gasket. I assume your AC is on a multiport strainer so creating your funnel will be a different story.. The additional volume provided by the funnel and shutting down and restarting the AC a couple times primed it. Be ready with multiple open antifreeze jugs once you get a prime. Commercial marinas use a high volume pump on a drum and can flood the strainers as shown in Ranger winterizing video. Good luck.......it's that time.....

 

[S. Todd]

I just got done winterizing our R29 which I assume is set up in a similar way as your boat. Our AC pump draws water through a multiport strainer that also contains the electric toilet and cockpit washdown. I found that by shooting water from a garden hose up the AC port I was able to get the initial prime and as long as I kept water or antifreeze in the strainer after that, it would prime itself. I decided that I could do the entire job much easier this year and in the future, and with less waste by inserting a T-fitting into the line that fed the cockpit washdown pump (that was the easiest to reach and had plenty of play in it). It worked beautifully (if anything about winterizing is beautiful). A funnel inserted into the flexible 3/4" line coming off the T-fitting made pouring the antifreeze in simple with no spillage and because it came up to just above the floor and totally eliminated any issue with the AC pump getting a prime. (It worked so well and the strainer on our generator was impossible to feed antifreeze into, so it too got a T-fitting.)

 

[GaylesFaerie]

Not sure if this applies to your AC configuration or not, but on my 2012 R27 with a Dometic AC pump and unit, I open the AC seacock and just pour anti-freeze into the exit thru-hull with a funnel until the anti-freeze comes out the seacock scoop. Close the seacock and its done. I think it may be the easiest part of the boat to winterize. HTH, GF

 

[skipper207]

I just got done winterizing our R29 which I assume is set up in a similar way as your boat. Our AC pump draws water through a multiport strainer that also contains the electric toilet and cockpit washdown. I found that by shooting water from a garden hose up the AC port I was able to get the initial prime and as long as I kept water or antifreeze in the strainer after that, it would prime itself. I decided that I could do the entire job much easier this year and in the future, and with less waste by inserting a T-fitting into the line that fed the cockpit washdown pump (that was the easiest to reach and had plenty of play in it). It worked beautifully (if anything about winterizing is beautiful). A funnel inserted into the flexible 3/4" line coming off the T-fitting made pouring the antifreeze in simple with no spillage and because it came up to just above the floor and totally eliminated any issue with the AC pump getting a prime. (It worked so well and the strainer on our generator was impossible to feed antifreeze into, so it too got a T-fitting.)

Thank you for this! For the time being I will try the garden hose technique until I can install T fittings. Did you shoot water in with the garden hose from the outside of the through hull?

 

[S. Todd]

My AC pump is just a short distance from the sea strainer so with the cap off the sea strainer and the strainer full of water I took the garden hose and shot water up the line from the strainer toward the AC water pump. It picked up prime immediately and I just kept water in the strainer with the hose until I could shut off the pump. Turned off the hose and poured in antifreeze while running the AC pump after that. I could not get my forward AC unit to pull the antifreeze, it all just came out the discharge for the aft AC. That is when I decided to go with the T-fitting and used a rubber plug on the aft AC discharge through hull. Forward AC worked just fine after that pulling the antifreeze.

 

[skipper207]

My AC pump is just a short distance from the sea strainer so with the cap off the sea strainer and the strainer full of water I took the garden hose and shot water up the line from the strainer toward the AC water pump. It picked up prime immediately and I just kept water in the strainer with the hose until I could shut off the pump. Turned off the hose and poured in antifreeze while running the AC pump after that. I could not get my forward AC unit to pull the antifreeze, it all just came out the discharge for the aft AC. That is when I decided to go with the T-fitting and used a rubber plug on the aft AC discharge through hull. Forward AC worked just fine after that pulling the antifreeze.

Ahhh, after reading this a few times i think this will work! Thank you again. I'll update you after I give it a try tomorrow.

 

[knotflying]

Open your sea cock for the AC and pump the antifreeze into the outlet thru-hull. Once the fluid exits the sea strainer pickup you are golden.

 

[Ralf H]

Hi skipper207,

You should be fine with the info others have provided here, but I will chime in and say that putting water directly into the ac port in the strainer should help prime a stubborn pump. I would not run it without prime for too long, but you should be ok.

Cheers,

Ralf