AC not Draining

J

Jfrano

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 12, 2018
Messages
473
Fluid Motion Model
C-30 CB
Vessel Name
June Sea
AC in the forward part of the cave next to the hot water heater, pan
Is filled with water and is not draining. When I suction with wet dry vac from the bilge pump connector all
the water drains, so it’s not clogged , perhaps pitch of the line? How do I correct?
 
We experienced the same problem on our 2019 R29CB. When I crawled into the cave and inspected it I saw that the drain hose from the forward port side of the pan was routed up and over the hot and cold hot water heater hoses. It was a very confined space and difficult to work in so I decided to hire out the repair. I called Webasto and the local factory technician. The fix was to elevate the drain pan permanently about an inch and a half on all four corners and to reroute the hose coming out of the forward facing part of the pan underneath the red and blue water lines. The repair bill was less than $400 and it solve the issue completely.
 
I have a 2021 R27 OB LE that did the same thing. I would find water in the Cave, and would see it was dripping down from where the AC was located. On the R27 it's just behind the microwave under the helm seat. pulled out the microwave and the Rear panel and found the out board side if the drain pan (the side that has the drain tubes hooked up on) had very little water in it, about 1/8 inch. however the inboard side (behind the microwave had better then 3/4 inch water and was lapping over the edge of the pan. keep in mind this side has drains but they are plugged and no tubes attached. Called RT and concluded I had two options. 1 install and route drain tubes and tie in to the other drain tubes (they drain down to the shower box) or to shim the inboard side up so the water drains to the back of the pan where the drain tubs are connected. to my surprise the AC is not bolted down but sits in an anti skid mat so the quick fix was the shims. I used 3 stacks of plastic door installing shims lifting the pan 3/4 inch and ran a screw in front of them to keep them in place. since I have not had any issues and last I check the pan was draining completely. next step this winter is the actual install drain tubes on the inboard side as i believe that was the intent of the AC supplier special if you are running your AC underway in conditions other then ideal. if you need some photos let me know
 
That’s interesting. To me it’s a design flaw on our boats. On your 27 When you go into the cave, is the water heater to the port side of the AC unit, will have to take a look at our microwave , if that’s in line with the AC, on the 29 the pan is bolted down in numerous places, but I understand what your are both saying . It’s s bit of a battle with gravity.
 
Jfrano":2d4hmruv said:
That’s interesting. To me it’s a design flaw on our boats. On your 27 When you go into the cave, is the water heater to the port side of the AC unit, will have to take a look at our microwave , if that’s in line with the AC, on the 29 the pan is bolted down in numerous places, but I understand what your are both saying . It’s s bit of a battle with gravity.
Click to expand...

it's more of an install flaw, I have already recommended RT to run the two additional drain tube to the inboard side of the drain pan. My issue is also compounded on my boat due to the new soft start install with additional batteries (they no longer offer the GENSET) and i had the kicker motor install, both the batteries and the kicker motor are on the port side (same side as the galley) and cause the boat to lean about 2 degrees max when I have nothing stored in the Cave (on the starboard side). it's about 1 degree when I have my tools and dive gear stowed there. This is why i believe the true fix is having the inboard drain hook up to the drain system.that way no matter what your load is or degree of angel while under way you will have a good drain on the pan. On the R27 OB the hot water heater is actually in the cockpit Starboard side, so aft and behind the cave. to access it you open the starboard side cockpit locker door. the only thing in with the AC is the soft start and microwave oven both are under the helm seat.
 
It’s a mess, there’s rust in the pan and on the AC. As well as black mold growth from the water spilling out of the pan. I’m sure that’s not too healthy for people in the enclosed interior cabins.
 
I'm very lucky, my boat is only a month old and the worst of it was some staining on the carpeted walls in the cave. most i got cleaned off, but I could see where mold was starting to grow and the only rust was a fastener in the pan for a ground wire, not sure why they did not use stainless steal screw in a wet environment like that.
 
I understand that things break and need to be repaired. This is different; it’s a design/installation flaw over a number of years and different models. RT should be laser focused on fixing those types of issues.
 
Jfrano":1zq8pwlh said:
I understand that things break and need to be repaired. This is different; it’s a design/installation flaw over a number of years and different models. RT should be laser focused on fixing those types of issues.
Click to expand...
The only thing RT seems to be laser focused on is getting boats out the door.
 
First of all, I am sorry that you are dealing with this. I know you had emailed us directly and I put you back in touch with Kevin Lamont. We also know that this was first brought up when the boat was purchased a few years ago but it appears it wasn't properly addressed and it wasn't rechecked for the past year or two.

Because of locations, it can be tricky to make sure that these hoses are properly routed with a downhill swing. We also know of many clogs due to barnacles and other creatures that run through the system. Many people in the south run barnacle buster or similar additives to keep these clear. Regardless, more than just the hose needs to be checked and identified.

We are not perfect as no company would be but we do take pride in everything we do. We have extensive checklist we run through and this is an item that is on our checklist. Do we miss it? Of course just like missing other parts that should have been done correctly. We also spend a significant amount of time teaching and hope our dealerships do too and try to explain all of the things that need to be looked after and watched. We improve our quality and boats every day and if I go back in history from the time I started with the company nearly 15 years ago, we have made significant improvements to the boat and will continue to do so.

Our focus is not just pumping boats out the door. Just so we are clear, we have a process which includes the following.

1. Our customer service team takes every boat to the water. We perform (along with the shop) an extensive on water test. We document any issues and bring the boat back to the shop.

2. The factory then goes through the list and corrects any known issues found.

3. Once the factory gives their ok on the repairs, we then come back and check again to verify everything was done.

4. Once it arrives to the dealership, they should be performing an extensive Pre Delivery Commissioning process in some cases which are not free. The dealership would then note any issues that they found, work with the factory and receive reimbursement for any repairs they make.

5. After that, the dealer is provide the same delivery experience we offer from the factory which consists of two full days on the water to go through the entire boat on and off the water.

Yes, we still make mistakes, mistakes are found but we really try to avoid many of them by following these processes. We enjoy and appreciate the feedback to continue to make a better boat for our owners.

Thanks again for posting,
 
Thanks Andrew,

Just to be clear, I do love my Ranger Tug!
Wherever I go people comment on its beauty.
Being my first big boat, I can get frustrated at times, keep up the hard work!
 
I’m on month 3 of 100% of the time living on my RT 27 OB LE, in 110 degree heat some days, on a Texas lake, and I would not trade this boat for anything, just completed my 20 hr break in and the only issue I have had to deal with is the AC drip pan and not only was/is the fix well with in my ability to do but everything on this boat has performed perfect. That’s more then I can say for my Chevy truck which was back in the dealership it first months of ownership and has been back now 12 times since. And the customer support is unbelievable!! Ivan was at home eating dinner with his family and helping me troubleshoot where the water was coming from and stuck with me all the way. In all of the boats I have ever owned I have never see or received this kind of support, matter of fact I can’t think of anything I have every owned that came with this kind for customer support. Please don’t change a thing in how you support your products.
 
Glad you’re enjoying you’re new boat. What did you do to fix The AC pan not draining.

Thanks
 
Right now I have 3 stacks of plastic door wedges about 3/4 “ tall on the inboard side of the AC drip pan. This has leveled out the unit and is now draining out the outboard side drains. This winter I will run 2 drain tubs to the front (remove the factory plugs) of the drip pan and will remove the wedges.
 
Does anyone know how many screws holds the drip pan down? I got three out. Is there a 4th on the far backside ?

Thanks
 
Nuts 4... missing one in the back
 
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