www.iFourWinns.com

Has anyone switched the controls on their A/C to a digital control panel with a thermostat? Right now we have the knob system and works well but unable to control a comfortable temperature. By the middle of the night it's frigid cold, turn it off and a few hours later it's hot. It's a Cruiseair system. When we stay the night in the slip the system runs non stop.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

CruiseAir does make an upgrade kit to address exactly that, but I'm not too sure about availability. I had to replace the touch pad on my 268 right before I sold it last year and had a hard time finding one. Saw many references to the upgrade you asked about during my search.

Here is some info about making the swap. It's from an RV forum, but I do appliance work on boats and RVs and most of that RV and Marine stuff interchanges.
http://www.rvtechstop.com/resources/cruisair-s.pdf

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Jack
2005 268 Vista - Sold

2001 Silverton 35C 8.1L Crusaders

Thanks jgreve75 for that info. BY chance have you ever dealt with Marinaire universal retrofit kit?

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

I actually have not, but all it involves is replacing all of the analog knobs and corresponding relays on the unit itself with updated proprietary digital control pad and relay board. Mount the control panel, hook up a network style cable, make the connections to the board at the unit, plug and play. Truth be known, the smxII that replaces the knobs is now just as obsolete as the knob style it replaces. It looks like MarineAir and Cruisair have both been combined by Dometic now, and they are mainly pushing the line of Vector Turbo units, which are compatible with Passport controls.

If I had a choice, I'd rather work on the stuff that has the knobs. At least you can replace individual components if you burn up a relay or if a switch goes bad. I've been nursing the a/c on my current boat along all summer because the compressor relay on the circuit board is sticking and I refuse to buy a $450 dollar board over a 2 buck relay that shouldn't be trying to handle the load of the compressor and the pump in the first place, but thats how they get you. That being said, have you looked into trying to replace your thermostat or maybe checking the location of the thermocouple? It's possible that if it's not bad, it just may be located in a place that isnt accurately registering the cabin temp. I always try to locate mine in the return air stream and keep the blower running constantly to circulate air back to the unit.

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Jack
2005 268 Vista - Sold

2001 Silverton 35C 8.1L Crusaders

Hey Jack Im not sure where or what my thermocouple is? Would I look around the main vent or next to the A/C unit itself? I'll be going to the boat sometime soon and I'll look around for it. My buddy has the same boat n setup that I have and he also has the same issue of being unable to control the temp. If I'm able to figure this out I too would prefer the setup I have now. Thanks again.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)

It should look like a long, slim copper tube with a fat bulb at the end of it. The bulb is usually positioned where you want the temperature reading to be. I'd try looking around the unit itself to start with. If you do find it and decide to move it, do it gently. Pinching the copper tube shut or crimping it will cause it to stop working, and you don't want it to crack or open itself either - most of the times those older copper tube thermostats contain mercury

Found a picture to illustrate...it just so happens there is one on eBay for sale right now...

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Jack
2005 268 Vista - Sold

2001 Silverton 35C 8.1L Crusaders

Ok. Went out over the weekend and located the thermocouple and it looked fine to me. So I set the A/C knobs a little more to a warmer temp due to the nights being cooler these days. And guess what.... the thermocouple works great not as frigid cold as before. But when it reaches temp part of the A/C unit shuts down and is loud enough to wake us up. The water still circulates through the boat a exits overboard. And when it kicks back on its loud again. So I will leave it alone if its not broken don't fix it. I'll just bring another blanket. Thanks for your help.

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1996 278 Vista Dlx Twin 5.0
1999 Sea Ray 215 ex cruiser (sold)
1989 Seaswirl (sold)