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Joined: 18/02/2011
Posts: 2
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Judging by the lack of posts, am I to assume that all is well on the A/C systems of the world?
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The 50m+ vessel I'm currently on is 8 years old and has been in the tropics for the past couple of years. When I first stepped onboard I smelled the horrible musty, moldy smell coming out of the air conditioning vents. Out of curiosity I pulled the filters of the air handlers out and found that they were absolutely black. Obviously hadn't been changed in a while. No gel airs, like I had on previous boats. My question is how often does the pipes of the fresh air intake and the pipes of the cooling system have to be cleaned out. I have been on board for 3 months now and I'm waking up every morning with puffy eyes and shortness of breath like when you have the flu. (to clarify:I don't smoke nor drink). I'm very worried that these health issues are related to the lack of maintenance on the air conditioning system. The crazy thing is that after a while you get used to the smell, but that doesn't mean it is not there and harming the crew. I'm not looking for advice on how to disguise the smell, but I would like to know if there are companies who come on board to check the air and check for signs of legionella ect. Thanks
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Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 11
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Hello Anonymous
The maintenance i find sometimes regarding air filters and clean ducts would surprise the heck out of you.
We do a lot of service to systems that have been ignored and the best results would come from removing the air handlers cleaning the ducts and treating both the ducts and the return air plenums with a bioside to prevent mold ect.
we then dissasembvle and thouroughly clean the air handlers and the blower wheels.
If you are not willing to do this entire prosses the problem will keep returning.
As far as good air quality after all has been cleaned we highly recomend the new BREATH EASY in line duct Purifier from Dometic.
See the video below.
We have installed these on a number of vessels and have had outstanding feedback from the Owners and Crew for the most part there breathing issues were completly cured also see a testimonial i have added below.
For more info contact me at Joer@beardmarine.com
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Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 11
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Mold is the silent scourge of the South, especially
when it comes to boats that are left unattended
on the water for any period of time. There are various mold
and mildew remedies on the market, but few are as elegantly
engineered as the new In-Duct Breathe Easy Air Purifier from
Dometic, manufacturer of Cruisair and Marine Air air-conditioning
units, as well as a host of other marine products.
The folks at Boating Writers International (BWI) and the
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) must agree,
because they gave it a 2010 IBEX Innovation Award in the
Mechanical Systems category at the International BoatBuilders
Exhibition (IBEX) in September.
The In-Duct Breathe Easy Air Purifier is a cylindrical system
designed to fit inside a boat’s regular air-conditioning ducting.
“You take the existing ducting, cut it, and slide the Breathe Easy
tube inside,” said Dometic Project Engineer Bill Liptak.
Since the system is sized according to the diameter of the
AC ducting, it is appropriate for use aboard any boat from 30
to 300 feet and longer. The Breathe Easy unit can be installed
during the original construction process – as Trinity Yachts is
currently doing on two big new build projects – but it is also easy
for a qualified service yard to retrofit onto an older boat. “It’s really
simple technology; it’s all in how we engineered it,” Bill said.
As air circulates through the In-Duct Breathe Easy Air Purifier,
a non-ozone-producing UV light destroys the DNA of bacteria,
spores and other contaminants, significantly reducing related
odors. Contaminants also are destroyed when they touch the
system’s three-dimensional Photocatalytic Nano-Mesh panel,
which is coated with titanium dioxide. The more passes the air
makes through the system, the more purified it becomes.
The Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory, an independent
testing facility, recently reported its findings that the Breathe
Easy system reduces indoor air pollutants overall, including up
to a 100-percent reduction of bacteria, surface mold and volatile
organic compounds (VOCs).
Early word-of-mouth feedback is good.
“The captain of a Cheoy Lee had the system installed just
before he went to lunch, came back two hours later, and already
noticed that the air was cleaner,” Bill said. “It’s also very effective
on diesel odors.”
He added that the system’s draw is just 3/10th of an amp.
“It’s in line with a 12-watt lightbulb,” he said. The In-Duct Breathe
Easy Air Purifier also is billed as having silent operation, another
plus for boat owners. dometic.com
By Louisa Beckett
Dometic’s Award-Winning Air
Purifier Zaps Mold Spores.
Clearing
The Air
The In-Duct
Breathe Easy Air
Purifier unit, topped
by a UV light,
above, is inserted
into a vessel’s
air-conditioning
ducting, right.
As Seen In Southern Boating Magazine
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Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 11
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We installed two Breathe Easy Air Purifiers from Dometic on our 63’ Sport Fisher, named the Big Oh, in late January 2011. The smell of diesel down below was a major concern and we wanted to make the air healthier for the boat owner who has suffered from polyps in his nose for years. This condition has made breathing through the nose troublesome and has made sleeping through the night difficult.
Within two weeks of installing the Breathe Easy Air Purifiers he was sleeping better and breathing through his nose much better. All odors have been removed. There is no diesel smell and the air is fresh and clean.
We highly recommend Breathe Easy purifiers for addressing similar concerns and look forward to having better air quality on the boat.
Capt. Ronnie Fields
February 2011
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Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 11
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Check out this websight for more info
http://www.dometic.com/enus/Americas/USA/Marine/Breathe-Easy-Air-Purifiers/products/?productdataid=94755
Beard Marine Palm Beach 561-881-9598
Beardmarine.com
joer@beardmarine.com
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Joined: 02/12/2008
Posts: 11
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There are also videos posted on you tube just type in Dometic breath easy
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Joined: 01/06/2008
Posts: 1011
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We spent over a million dollars on the HVAC system of a Kingship Magellan to make it quit raining in the interior. We spent over another million cleaning up the mold.
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Deckie here looking at advice on flushing the A/C raw water system, done allot of research so would the following be a good start. Going to use a phosphoric acid (destroys calcium ie: barnacles, muscle growth etc) based solution mixed at 4:1 water to acid solution, I want to use a drill pump attached to the raw water intake for the A/C unit and pump the solution through the circuit into a drum at the raw water exit to complete the circuit and continuously pump the solution through the system for a few minutes. Would that be correct? Any corrections suggestions appreciated...
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Joined: 21/09/2010
Posts: 196
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In reply to vessels with humidity/mould problems. You must check all air handlers/individual fan coil units to make sure the chill water connections are correct. Inlet/supply at the BOTTOM of the coil with outlet/return from top of the coil. If the connections are reversed, the coil/fin assembly will operate in a 'wet' contition, not removing moisture effectively.
Deckie looking for advice; you answered all your own questions, except circulate for two hours and perhaps use dilute muriatic acid.
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