AC PUMP not turning on.

[No Worries]

Hello,

I ave 2006 marlin . I cleaned my strainers for 1st time while my boat was on a boatlift. went out thisweekend and the ac is not pulling in the raw water for cooling. could the fact that i messed with the strainer affected the ac raw water pump?

 

[Wally World]

Just asking the obvious, Is the Seacock lever open to draw the water?

 

[devildogdad]

I doubt cleaning the stainer caused anything

now I am an experienced boater but even I can overlook the obvious at times. last week I tried to start both motors while out drift fishing. Nada . since I was drifiting towards the shallow I throw the anchor in a panic. Start to trouble shoot, get out the portable booster pack, nothing. turned out they were not in neutral..

so as to your problem,were you plugged into ac or genset going? did you have the correct setting shore/gen on the panel, did you have the master ac switch on, did you have the ac circuit on? did you turn on the ac at the thermostat? I know basic stuff but sometimes.

let us know what you find

 

[BobP]

Is the pump running, put your hand on it.

If it is running it is probably airbound since you had the boat on a lift and the inlet valve was open(?)

Next time close valve first.

If you leave the valve open the air may clear itself in time, if it doesn't you have to remove a hose connection or the like passed the pump to allow the pump to fill with water, then it will pump. They do not self prime. Hence that's why it is installed lower than water line.

That's my last experience with the system I installed myself. I added a PVC valve off a T connection passed the pump to take care of problem when it occurs, otherwise I have to wait about 1/2 hour to 1 hr for it to clear by itself. The Mermaid Marine website in the owners manual discusses problem and shows a solution.

 

[NikM820]

Sounds to me like you have an airlock. Try with the seacocks open and running on a plane turning on the Ac. If you do not have a generator or want another option then loosen hose clamp on the hose connecting seacock to Ac water pump with the seacock closed, once you have loosened the hose clamp and removed the hose from the pump, open the seacock enough to fill the hose with water, then attach back to the pump. Tighten hose clamp and you're done.
Nick

 

[ocnslr]

Concur with airbound. Even if not on a lift, when you close the seacock and remove the inlet strainer, you drain the inlet hose to the pump and it is now airbound.

As BobP noted, the Mermaid installation manual strongly recommends a valved "T" in the discharge of the pump, with a hose down to the bilge, so you can 'bleed' the air out of the system. I installed this 'T' when I installed our Mermaid system and have to use it every time the system has been open. My 'T' discharges to the shower sump, so the water gets pumped out eventually.

The best way for you to bleed your system is to loosen a hose on the discharge side of the pump, then start the system. Tighten the connection when water starts coming out, and the system should be 'primed'.

Long-term solution is to add a valved 'T' in the discharge line.

NOTE: It the pump is not turning on as per your title, then it might have tripped on thermal overload when running airbound. There might be a small button on the end of the motor to reset the thermal overload.

Brian

 

[No Worries]

thanks for the replies. the seacock was open. will attempt to get air out of hose.

thanks,