A/C poor performance on 21EC

[Tugether]

I have a two month old 21EC with factory installed air. It cooled poorly on delivery but stopped stone cold dead after a few weeks. The dealer sent a local shop to repair it and the got it "running". The repairman himself was displeased with the cooling but said he would not deal with that problem because was only hired to get it running again and it was running even though not cooling well. The dealer tells me that that unit never works well and to not expect any more from it. I see on the forums that others say they have factory A/C units that cool well. the boat is in sunny Fort Lauderdale so the sun certainly competes with the A/C. Still, the unit cannot cool the tiny cabin even to a tolerable level with the windows closed. I mainly use the unit while under way. Is this a deficiency in the factory unit or are my expectations too high?

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello Ted,

The air conditioning in the 21EC is much different than those in the other boats. What I have always told our customers if they asked about equipping their boat with the AC units is to expect at max a ten degree difference in ambient temp versus inside cabin temperature. Also, the AC on your boat is actually a 120 volt unit powered with an inverter provided by Dometic. We only intend for this to run while cruising because at the dock, the 20 amp battery charger won't keep up with the 30+ amp draw of the unit. Dometic has been on the spot for helping our customers but I understand yours took a little more time than we would normally like to see when assistance is needed.

Being in Fort Lauderdale, we have a dealer in Stuart that is very good with support and standing behind their customers. This is one thing I try to stress to our customers buying a new boat is to buy from the dealer closest to where you plan to keep the boat for support. This can't always be achieved but in your case, they are not far. If you would like, I would be more than happy to put you and Tommy in touch.

Thanks Ted,

 

[Capt’nKarl]

I too had issues with the factory installed A/C. On our 2009 Ranger 21EC the unit was designed to run off 12 volts. It never worked right and the cooling quality here in Pensacola was not adquate. So I removed the old unit and replaced it with a 9000 BTU 120 volt A/C. The new unit runs off shore power or a Honda generator. Works great! No regrets.
Staying cool in Pensacola

 

[Tugether]

Sadly, Ted, that is the dealer that is running away from the problem. Yes, they told me in advance that the A/C was not great. They didn't tell me it was totally useless. they also told me it was 12V and it was the repairman who showed me that it was running on the inverter. When all is said and done, however, the unit is nowhere near dropping 10 degrees. I have not put a thermometer into the airstream but to my feel and that of others, the exit air is very little cooler than the cabin air. I find no discernible temperature drop in the cabin. Remember, this unit has already suffered a total failure in under 8 weeks. To me it is totally worthless. I'm going to have to bring in my own A/C repair to get this working as it should - it can't possibly be working right. If this is the best it can do the factory should be ashamed to even offer it. This is not the way I should be treated with a brand new boat.

 

[Andrew Custis]

Without being there in person, it really is tough to say whether it is working properly or not so I have to rely on the guys that understand the unit and are able to see it in action first hand.

I will ask Ralf to touch base with you on Monday to get the specifics.

 

[Boatagain]

Andrew:

Sadly, the A/C on my '14 25SC works about the same as what's being described in this thread, ie. It doesn't even come close to cooling to 10 degrees below the outside temp. It's one of the few complaints I have about the boat, after all, it was quite an expensive option.

Can you tell me what the BTU rating of the factory standard unit is? I'm considering upgrading at my own expense. Chesapeake summers can be brutal.

 

[Andrew Custis]

Many times I hear of AC issues on any of the models it comes down to a few simple things unrelated to the 21 so please do not be confused. The first in which comes down to air flow. The return air is located in the mid cabin all the way forward and if you have this restricted with storage, the AC unit will not perform well. Second, making sure proper water flow is happening without a clogged intake, pump or filter will be a huge factor. Tinting the overhead hatches, putting in shades and keeping the direct sunlight out of our well lit boats is also key. Beyond those three components, the 12,000 BTU unit should be plenty to cool the cabin of the 25SC. If you really feel that your unit is not performing, the first step is to contact your dealer so we can organize for a servicing dealer to come to the boat to inspect the system and make sure it's operating as intended. Please feel free to contact us directly if you feel you are not getting any solution from your dealer so we can get involved.

Thank you,

Andrew Custis

 

[Boatagain]

Thanks for your reply Andrew. I'm pretty sure the three items you mentioned are not the issue, but I will double check.

 

[Scuffy]

I would investigate a roof top Coleman Mach 9500 btu unit that we bought from Marc Grove of Wefings in Eastpoint Florida. They installed one in 2009 on our 23' C-Dory and it's still going strong. Also you can use it on land if you are boat camping in an RV park etc. That thing would be like a meat locker in short order set on low cool. I think some air conditioning units have to small of a circulation pump as the boats in warmer water need more flow in the warmer water. A friend who bought a R-27 in Rhode Island had poor performance in Florida where the water is much warmer. They changed out some components because he was operating in much warmer water. Cooling improved.
D.D.