Hi Mike…Thanks for registering~

Hmm…My guess is the Coastal Climate Control is seeing some sort of fault, and is cycling the compressor…What the fault might be is anybody's guess without connecting some refrigerant gauges, and or, a meter to see exactly what is happening…

It could be low suction pressure which is possible in heat mode on startup…But again thats just a guess…

One thing you might do is look in the CCC manual and pay special attention to the "Failsafe" sections of the programming…P6 is something that might tell you what it's seeing…But you need to verify that it is set to display a fault.

You might also try setting or verifying that P13 is set for reverse fan speeds in heating (fan starts on low & raises as you get closer to setpoint) as this will allow the system to build heat before it is removed by the fan in the first few minutes…

If you don't have the manual you can find one here http://www.microair.net/manual…..983585.pdf

Micro Air is the manufacturer of the CCC…They just call it a FX1 without the CCC brand on the faceplate.

It's better to get you to read that manual then for me to try to describe every possibility here…After doing so we will be closer to being on the same page and I can answer any questions you might have as it helps to have an understanding of what it is looking at & for….It also depends on how far the installer took the retrofit from the original control, and if the low pressure switch was installed or wired to the control.

Steve~

Post edited 1:25 pm – December 3, 2010 by Steve Pooler

Your A/C guy may not have noticed it back in June…Maybe because it only does it in heat mode with cooler water…Again guessing, but since you say you did not wire the low pressure switch to the FX1…And if you have a line voltage low pressure switch on the unit (most Hatt units did, but if it's a replacement unit it usually won't) then it could be interrupting power to the compressor, and when the pressure equalizes after that 7-10 sec it reconnects and away you go until it cycles on the t-stat…

That's my best guess from here….However it could also be cycling on the compressor overload that is under the cover for the compressor terminals….Listen for a "pink" or "pop" type noise just before it shuts off….You could also bypass the little overload for a test to see if the problem go's away….If it does…Check your starting amps then Replace the overload…

Without gauges you could also do the same with the low pressure switch…Jump it for a test…If the problem go's away you at least know part of what it is…See below…

Like I said though…Those type problems are better to be there to find, hear, feel, watch, etc…

I will say it's not right..and you are right to be asking about it….It could be as simple as that overload, or if it's cycling on the low pressure switch it could be just slightly low on freon (I doubt it though since it does heat well) or worse, have a restriction in the refrigerant circuit causing the low pressure on heat start….

Remember the refrigerant flows the opposite direction in heat mode (reverse cycle) and the cap tube strainer on that side of the cap tube (part of the air handler coil) is catching some junk, clogging, then causing the pressure to drop….The junk then floats or is driven away by the shutdown and is forced back on first start again…

It could be overcharged too…and until it gets part of that charge pumped into  the receiver or accumulator it trips the high pressure switch on first start…It then resets fairly quickly and off you go…

All good reasons to wire the pressure switches to the FX1…You would then likely be getting a fault code with sustained shutdown, which would protect your system….

This one I can't really answer without being there, but it is best to get it checked…Simply running it like it is without knowing pressures is a risk that could cause compressor failure…Then you put in a new one and still have the problem that makes the new one fail….

Something is interrupting power to the compressor…Be it the FX1, Lo Pressure switch, Compressor overload, High Pressure switch, etc…

We would need to determine which is doing the interrupting to look further for cause…

Steve~

Steve, thanks for the great info – as I said, I will be leaving it for real troubleshooting until May when I get back on the boat.  Im closing her up for the winter, leaving the area tomorrow morning.  FWIW, the one restart thing that it was doing has now become two restarts to keep running.  So now it starts, quits, starts, quits, starts and keeps running normally.  So whatever the problem is it had gotten worse over the past week of heating.  

I'll mark this thread so that when I come back in May so I don't have to start out by asking exactly the same questions! :)

Also, I do have an ac gauge set that I use for servicing my auto ac.  I have never done any work at all on a home/marine unit so I'll have to do some research to learn if I should be looking for different high/low pressure than what is used in a car system/ different refrigerant.

Different Animal in Heat vs Cool…Remember the two coils reverse duty (reverse cycle) and one is water cooled, while the other is air cooled…

Generally speaking….The air coil is not as efficient at removing heat as the water coil is.

Does it still cycle in the heat mode…Have you tried that this trip ???

Steve~

Well Mike….

We are back to everything I have said above, and without pressure reading in both heat & cool it's all guessing…

We need to know if it is shutting off on Low or High pressure…

There could be moisture in the refrigerant that is freezing at the cap tube & blocking refrigerant flow after running a bit but yet your last description of it drawing major current may elude to it shutting off on high pressure….

Since you don't have the pressure switches connected to the FX-1 here's how they work and they are auto reset.

The High pressure switch cuts the compressor off at 425 psi…With the compressor off, that pressure starts equalizing back thru the capillary tube in the air handler to the low side…But when the pressure switch sees pressure below 325 psi it closes again allowing power to return to the compressor…The compressor then tries to restart against that 325 psi of pressure and has a hard time doing so…In fact in most boats it would likely trip the breaker due to the heavy amperage draw…Hatteras always used stout breakers & wire so that is not happening for you.

The low pressure switch does basically the same with a cut out of 35 psi & cut back in at around 70 psi…But usually if the pressures are that low…The high side will be low too, so not as much re-start load is applied.

Knowing the running pressures with seawater temp & cabin temp can better tell me where you stand…

I will repeat…You are taking risk of burning up that compressor by running the system…Even if it is not cycling like it has/was…You need to get to the bottom of this now  

Steve~