Air Cond. Fan..HI only?

[SLyle01]

AC fan seems to run HIGH only (VERY loud, esp. at night with AC running). We tried lowering the fan speed w/Remote and Panel input, regardless of selected mode, temp. or fan speed. Is this normal or is there a wiring issue?
Thanks.

 

[Bosn Mate]

This is what I got from Webasto on 23 Jul 19 when I submitted the following question: I purchased a 2018 Ranger Tugs boat which has two Webasto Marine Air Conditioners with FCF controllers. I have been unable to change fan speeds in the AC mode. Please advise.

The control allows you to select different fan speeds. As long as the light moves between the H, M, L, and Auto and the fan does not stop, it is changing speeds. There is little RPM difference between the speeds, and depending on the application (number of bends, length of duct, etc) the blower may be working hard enough that there isn’t any noise difference. Since there are 3 separate motor power wires, if the blower does not shut off at a certain speed selection, there is nothing wrong and the unit is operating as designed.

Regards,

Webasto Technical Support Team
Technical Services
Customized Solutions
Americas
Webasto Group

Hope this helps!

 

[SLyle01]

Hmmm, okaaaay...seems fishy but I guess "by-ear" cannot detect the minute fan-speed speed changes...but the fan won't even turn OFF in fan-only mode either. The FCF controller seems ineffective in ANY mode. Usually just resort to the panel to make adjustments to A/C temp/auto/fan modes.

 

[Matty]

I have found the remote works best when you point it right at the control box. Which for me is not the most convenient since the box is under the seat. I will probably see if I can rewire and place it higher up in a more convenient location.
Also be sure batteries are fresh.

 

[Jfrano]

Same problem here. There is no real difference in speeds . Not only that, the helm area the AC is not strong enough and in the sleeping compartment it’s like a hurricane. Very poor design and not balanced properly , with no ability to change speeds to adjust impact. MFG should process fix to these units!

 

[Matty]

We can control the amount of air in the helm area vs sleeping area using the vent louvers. So at night I usually close or almost close the helm vent. Opposite will motoring. I may look into adding a vent somewhere in the middle or port side to see if I can get some more balance. I can see there is only so much you can do with running vent hose within the confines of the boat structure.
I would like to see a low speed fan only mode. I imagine when a/c is on there is a minimum speed for the blower or it would freeze up.

I do not see the mgfg doing anything since they say in their reply that the rpms do change. Must be a reason since we don't have the option on household a/c. I cannot complain too much as we were without air for sometime waiting for a repair. Got it back just before a 3 night trip last week and were very glad it worked in the 90+ weather.

 

[SLyle01]

We think we've solved our "single side" A/C vent AND air-distribution problem without the hassle of adding ducting:
On AZN, we bought 3 small (3-4") inexpensive ($12-$20) 12v USB all-plastic fans -to help redistribute the air around (portside) of the cabin, plus head & berth.
-Double 3-speed fans (individually controllable) work great in the berth (on countertop) at night if A/C isn't needed -but air circulation IS (i.e. v. light winds).
-A single small 2 speed fan in the Head really helps with airflow & odor control.
-Another double 2-speed fan in front of the port-seat works very well i.e. at no-wake speeds on sunny, warm days.
All are brushless, so very quiet, energy-efficient, variable 2-3 speeds, turn/tiltable -and foam bases, so no noticeable vibrations.

We'd still like some (noticeably quieter) A/C fan speed control tho', Webasco.

 

[Todd2]

I have a 2017 R-27. The vent in the V-berth is completely blocked off by an additional mattress and pillows - absolutely no air gets through. All the A/C air flows out of one duct by the port side helm step. There can't be more than 1 foot of ducting between the A/C unit and the vent - and it's the full size of the fans shroud exit. Changes in the fan speed are not discernible to my ears. So, I won't buy the Webasto ducting excuse - it's obviously a Webasto design issue. Also, the wall controller is about 20 years behind the times (even for China). However, I must have A/C so I'll put up with the noise and lack of air distribution until I have the time to design something else to get better air flow (after retirement).

Hope this helps someone understand what they're working with.

Todd