Priming your A/C cooling pump

[Hampton]

Anytime your boat has been out of water, you probably have to re-prime the pump. I found a quick, new way to do that yesterday (out of necessity). My hoses are very difficult to remove, so I tried this:

Find the "Out" side hose on your A/C pump (opposite side of pump from strainer - leads to A/C unit). Loosen both hose clamps. Take a small (very small) Phillips screw driver or equivalent and gently work it up under the hose to separate the hose from the hose barb. When you hear it burping, or see bubbles, hold it until you see water dripping. Remove the device, re-install the clamps - you're done!

 

[geriksen]

Yes, that will workas well as pulling the hose off. You have to be carefull that the plastic fitting in the top of the pump doesn't break. They are very weak and hard to find.

There are two other ways to do it.
1. Drive the boat at speed with the gen and a/c turned on. (the scoop on the thu-hull will force the air bubble out)
2. If you are in the slip, take a garden hose and hold the end of it up against the thu-hull where the a/c water comes out. Turn the water on and seal the hose to the fitting with your hand. Often, this will blow the air bubble out under the boat. (this will not work if you have two or more a/c units)

 

[Still LauCo]

Wow, I never knew I had to do anything other than start it up. Thankfully, my boats with AC have always worked this way, but I will make sure I prime now...

 

[Bottom Line]

A couple of years ago, when I had the boat recommissioned, I went to watch the tech's do the work..so I could learn. The had a tool they used for priming the AC. The tool looked like an ice pick which had the bottom inch bent to a 90 degree angle. He simply slipped the tool between the fitting and hose, and is started picking up water.

 

[ImpulseIII]

Usually all I have to do is crack the strainer top then retighten.

 

[osd9]

They really need to make these strainers standard for flushing, winterizing and now "burping"....

 

[geriksen]

Wow, I never knew I had to do anything other than start it up. Thankfully, my boats with AC have always worked this way, but I will make sure I prime now...

If it is working you don't need to do anything.
It really just depends on the boat. In some boats the pump is not mounted low enough to self-prime. It you take one of these boats out of the water, priming or burping by any of the methods decribed here will get it going again.
If the pump is deep enough in the bilge it will prime itself.

Smaller Sea Rays and Formulas tend to have this problem and need burping.