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AC Pump Trips Main Breaker

Discussion in 'HVAC' started by CaboFly, Oct 4, 2023.

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  1. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Oberdorfer pump makes their own bronze assemblies. The electric motor is the flavor of the month brand (GE, Century, Dayton, etc).
    These electric motors are all usually open 56J, air cooled frames. Life span is subject to the environment.
    You can see in this pump's installation (post #2), it it amazing it lasted this long, IMO.
    But I have witnessed way worse.

    Then, the pump's issues; as all brands do, the metal impeller and body wears away and the mechanical shaft seal will leak without warning.
    Again, the environment; more silt-shorter life.
  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    They should last much longer than a couple of years but when they fail it s usually not the motor but the head and the problem is either galvanic corrosion or erosion.

    I was told that accelerated erosion is usually caused undersized hoses causing cavitation.

    It s not just Oberdorfers (or the cruisair labeled Os) but pretty much any pump with bronze impeller and housing. Any of these will eventually erode resulting in weaker flow or pin holes in the housing. I v head this happen on a bigger Scott pump a few years ago.

    Personally I prefer March pumps. The plastic wet head last much longer and are easy to swap. And leaks thanks to the magnetic drive.
  3. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Your air conditioning raw water pump is 30 years old??? I find that extremely hard to believe, because I've replaced plenty of them in Italian yachts too. They all seem to last 2-3 years. Usually the impellor and bronze body of the pump get eaten away from erosion. Generally I'd say our a/c raw water pumps run about 70% of the time during the day here and maybe 40% during the night on average. Some run close to 100% of the time during the day on the hotter months.
  4. mapism

    mapism Senior Member

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    It's actually 19 years old in my boat - I did write "my 2004 boat", didn't I?
    But yes, I've seen also similar pumps on other boats which are still working after 30 years.
    Then again, you're free to believe (or not) anything you like, of course.
  5. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    Why? Mine lasted 25 years, it was a March though, replaced with another March .
  6. CaboFly

    CaboFly Member

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    Removed pump today and appears upon further inspection pump was a 2012 model year. The 06 I saw referenced sub model of pump. Now trying to determine what size March will be appropriate to run 3 ac units. Also need to figure out what Cabo did for going from 1 outlet to 3 units as what came out didn't look OEM to me.

    Going to have frame legs that I removed blasted and powder coated. Removed 4 hoses that will be replaced along with sea strainer from Perko. I ordered the new sea strainers for ac pump and and generator 9 months ago and they actually just arrived a month or two ago.
  7. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    180 to 200 GPH per ton of AC (12Kbtu)

    I make my own using Nylon 3/4" Ts and 90s. Nylon or Marlon 3/4" male pipe to 5/8" hose barb.
    Grey short pipe nipples and reducer/adapter from the pump.
    Lots of teflon tape. Just snug to not leak, not over tightened.
    Keep it composite and never worry about it again.
  8. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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  9. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    March's are a special breed, they are magnetic drive with plastic parts inside the pump. The Scott pump and similar use a bronze body with bronze impeller. Erosion and Galvanic corrosion generally take them out in 2-3 years of saltwater use.

    OP- I don't think March makes a pump big enough for 3 units. That being said, the synthetic march style that is big enough, made in Brasil, I cannot remember the manufacturer of, are junk, we have to warranty 1 or the 2 out every 8 months on a boat they were installed on. If your origional A/C pump was installed in 2012, I'd be inclined to install the same one. I'd guess though it lived in the closet as a spair for many years and they installed it a few years ago.
  10. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    I ve been using a 1620 gph TE-5.5C-MD For 5 years now for my two 36k chillers. It runs 24/7/365

    I have bought a 3100 GPH TE-7P-MD Which we re going to install on the 110 this winter to replace one of the Scotts which are about 4 or 5 years old. We run the chillers on one pump with the second one on stand by. March has even bigger models
  11. CaboFly

    CaboFly Member

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    I am going to go confirm but I believe my units are
    20k Salon
    12k Master Cabin
    12k VIP and Bunk Room

    Based on that math above 180gph per ton I believe the March
    LC-5C-MD 230v @ 900gph should work. Screenshot_20231008_183818_Chrome.jpg
  12. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    There's no flybridge a/c? What does the origional pump flow? I would replace it with the exact same pump, since you stated access is a bear. Which means retrofitting another pump with a different mounting pattern will be an even bigger pain in the rear.
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2023
  13. CaboFly

    CaboFly Member

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    They did a poor job mounting it. No bridge AC. The pump I am replacing was 24gpm. March I would like to go to is 15gpm. I can't see that style pump last like a March submersible pump and I would prefer to not have to do this very often. Which being in NW I don't have to run 24/7 like FL so that should help tremendously.
  14. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    It won't be enough. You're not accounting for head pressure. Using a pump that flows 40% less volume is not going to work. What'll happen is if there's any scaling in the lines at all, you'll get units kicking off on high pressure. Cabo was very good at engineering things.
  15. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Lets see; all 3 condensing stations are there in the picture?
    Top condensing station raw water inlet 5 feet max over the hull water inlet?

    Pulse a few bends in the hose and fittings, lets guess the pump is pushing a 6 foot head.
    You require approx 700 GPH for 44Kbtu.

    The LC-5C-MD will push 840 GPH at 6 feet, 715 GPH at 12 feet.

    IMO, good choice.

    I would further say, your previous pump was moving to much water and not letting the condensing coils work to well.
    Just the 104M is a common and more readily stocked (cost reduced?) model.
    I have 3 of them on my boat.
    Yes, I am over pumping but their cheap to me.
  16. CaboFly

    CaboFly Member

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    I would bet Cabo had March originally installed and this Oberdorfer was what was in stock. The tech who got the call when original failed got the system back up and running and that is probably all the owner cared about. They mounted it on a piece of starboard and slid it in old pumps location and opened up the hole where hose from strainer connects.

    This will be another opportunity to clean things up and spend some $.
  17. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    I would like to ad more thoughts; Mount the manifold high if you can and install a hose bib for a 4th outlet there.
    The higher the manifold helps ensure the 3 ACs get a lil more even flow instead of the top one possibly getting less.
    There is some name for this that escapes me at the moment, I did find this picture;
    WPG-1-2-3888426268.jpg
    Or, install all three hoses up to the same height, then town to their own condensing station.
    Just imagine the same weight of water to each unit.

    The hose bib makes a great bleed and test valve and a good connect for back flushing.

    Oh Yea, I luv spending O P M.
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2023
  18. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Good advice. I also like having shut down valves on each so I can backflush or descale each unit separately if needed
  19. CaboFly

    CaboFly Member

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    Thanks Pascal. Ordered the March Pump from Flagship this morning. Going to run Barnacle Buster through system for an hour since I have plumbing apart as I go back together before units are back in service.
  20. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Flagship is great. I got my chillers and air handlers from them 5 years ago. Very helpful to answer any questions during installation. I ve also gotten 5 replacement air handlers for the 110 in the last couple of years.