Bertram AC Help please

[Keith Poe]

Hey guys I have helped rebuild the transmission on a 250 ton chiller but never fooled with them much.

I plugged the system in to the shore power and seems functional fan etc. but the compressor is not turning on and suggestions how I should go about figuring this out with out reinventing the wheel ?

Thank you in advance for any help.


EDIT

OK just checked out YouTube and see I should check out the capacitors with an ohms meter.

[Bruce]

Keith,
Are you using digital or knob controls and who's brand?

[Keith Poe]

Knob controls not sure whose brand I check the capacitor if I did it right it's bad I'm going to pick up a new

[Navatech]

Knob controls not sure whose brand I check the capacitor if I did it right it's bad I'm going to pick up a new

Capacitor is the first thing I check on major appliances (AC, washing machine, dryer, fridge)... I currently have 5 Husky electrical pressure washers... All picked up from the curb... All had capacitors that had gone south...

If it's not the capacitor and the unit gets power I'm thinking refrigeration gas... The unit is protected from running without gas... You might have a leak... You could run it down yourself if you have the equipment (sniffer, gas, valve manifold)... However, if you don't have the equipment and/or if your unit uses an older (non ozone friendly) gas like Freon 22 (a.k.a. HCFC-22, or R-22) or Freon-11 (a.k.a. CFC-11, or R-11) or Freon-12, CFC-12, or R-12) you might be better off getting an AC professional...

The gases are not interchangeable!... Your unit is designed to work with a specific gas and only that gas will work!... Systems designed for Freon-12, CFC-12, or R-12) can be converted to the newer (ozone friendly) R-134a... Conversion to R-134a requires complete flushing and filter/dryer replacement to remove the mineral oil... Mineral oil used for R12 is not compatible with R-134a. Some oils designed for conversion to R-134a are advertised as compatible with residual R-12... New rubber hoses which are R-134a compatible may be needed for the same reason...

In systems where R-134a is not practical, an R-409A blend (60% R-22; 25% R-124; 15% R-142b) may be directly added to an R-12 system without oil change although a filter change is always recommended... R-409A usually runs on the low-pressure side of the system at 12 pounds per square inch (psi), while R-12 usually runs on the low side at 10 psi... R-409A runs at higher pressures and is less efficient but works quite well...

[Keith Poe]

Thanks you guys much appreciated.

I put a new capacitor in no luck on further observation looks like there is no fan and the unit is water cooled.

The line out is connected but not the line in.

Is this a wash down pump or ?

Is there a pressure switch or will it turn on without water supplied till it gets hot or ?

[Keith Poe]

http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/refit ... ms-part-ii

[Keith Poe]

http://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/node/ ... 9hL-1V0zIU

[Keith Poe]

I connected the house water hose to it and tested it again.
Compressor did not come on.

[Navatech]

I'm going to assume that you verified all electrical connections are good... The compressor will start working when the gas pressure reaches a certain preset point... This will (should) also start the seawater cooling pump as the high pressure gas coming out of the compressor will need to be condensed into a high pressure liquid...

The AC unit has (should) have a sensor for non cooling but that will (should) kick in only after a couple of minutes of running without cooling...

Make sure the power to the unit is turned off at the breaker... Then check with a multi tester for a shorted (burned out) compressor... Assuming the compressor is not burned out I'd have another long and hard look at your wiring, switches and so forth...

[Keith Poe]

Preciate the help how do I check for a burned out compressor

[Keith Poe]

Check and see if there's power to the compressor correct

[Navatech]

Step one, verify that compressor isn't shorting to the compressor body... Set your multi tester to continuity (test you have the right setting by connecting the probes - you should hear a beep)... Now connect one probe to the compressor body and the other to the neutral wire... There should NOT be a beep... Then connect one probe to the compressor body and the other to the phase wire... There should NOT be a beep... To be truthful, if you had this kind of a short your breaker should jump but it's easy enough to actually check... Make sure the probe has a good connections to the metal body... Scrape some paint if necessary...

Step two, use the ohmmeter function to check resistance value... With the multimeter set to the Resistance or Ohms test setting, place test probes into the appropriate jacks, usually the "Common" and "Ohms" jacks (check the meter's operation manual if necessary)... Choose the highest scale (R x 1000 or similar) and zero the meter by touching both probes against each other... Adjust the needle to 0 if possible... If you have a digital meter you can skip this zeroing...

Set one of the probes to the spot you used earlier and the other test probe to each of the motor leads (one at a time)... Ideally, the meter should barely move off the highest resistance indication... Make sure your hands are not touching the metal probe tips, as doing so will cause the reading to be inaccurate.

It may move a fair amount, but the meter should always indicate a resistance value in the millions of ohms... Very rarely, values as low as several hundred thousand ohms (500,000 or so), *may* be acceptable, but a higher number is more desirable...

This http://www.wikihow.com/Test-a-Fridge-Co ... ric-Motor) could also be helpful... As could this http://www.wikihow.com/Test-a-Refrigerator-PTC-Relay

[Bruce]

That unit is a old Cruisair split.
I can't tell from the picture but is that capacitor a combo run and start? If it is not then that unit takes a run and start capacitor.

It will run without a pump hooked up but not for long as the top left switch in the pic with the capillary tubing going to it is a high presuure cut out to protect the compressor. I see no low pressure cut out so even if it is out of gas from a leak it will still run.

I also can't tell from the pic shadows but there should be a start relay in that box under the wire connections.

[Pete Fallon]

Keith,
I hate to say it but that old unit looks like it's seen it's last blast of cold air, I wouldn't waste too much time or any money on it, time for a new or used unit. Mermaid Air is made here in Stuart a small compact unit that doesn't cost 2 arms and a leg. Marine air is also made in the Metro Miami, Ft Lauderdale and West Palm megaplex. Also check around your local marine consignment stores for a used air conditioner unit. Have you checked all the electrical connections, breakers, separate raw water supply pumps and hoses for obstructions, collapsed hoses or even a plastic bag over the intake screen pick up. Not much else can go wrong if you've done all of the above mentioned check lists, I feel it's time for a new unit.
Pete Fallon

[Navatech]

Also check around your local marine consignment stores for a used air conditioner unit.

I have seen several units over at Sailorman... If you need me to go over there for you, check out details (capacities, prices etc) and take pictures juts holler...

[Keith Poe]

Thank you guys I have to go offshore for four days ill be back