Professional acid flushing and descaling for marine A/C condensers, raw-water loops, heat exchangers, and water maker membranes. Restores flow, pressure, and cooling performance without parts replacement.
Marine air conditioners, water makers, and raw-water systems run continuously in warm, mineral-rich South Florida seawater. Over time, calcium carbonate, salt, and biological fouling coat condenser coils, heat exchangers, and RO membranes — raising pressures, killing cooling performance, and shortening equipment life. Lee's Professional Marine Services provides dockside acid flushing and descaling that restores performance without unnecessary parts replacement.
Descaling is not guesswork. The wrong chemical concentration, the wrong dwell time, or incomplete neutralization can ruin a condenser coil or void a membrane warranty. We identify the scale type first — calcium carbonate, magnesium, salt, or biological fouling — then choose the correct acid or chelating agent, concentration, and soak time for the specific metal or membrane. Copper-nickel condenser coils, titanium heat exchangers, stainless steel plates, and thin-film composite RO membranes all require different handling, and we treat them accordingly.
For marine air conditioning, the most common symptom is a high-pressure fault (HPF) or weak cooling on an otherwise healthy system. The seawater pump runs, the refrigerant charge is correct, but the condenser coil is choked with scale and the unit can't reject heat. An acid flush removes the scale, restores seawater flow, and often brings the unit back to factory pressure readings in a single visit. We follow every flush with a neutralizing pass, fresh-water rinse, and a full pressure and temperature check before recommissioning.
Water maker descaling is a separate discipline. When membranes or high-pressure housings scale up, output drops, salinity rises, and the high-pressure pump works harder than it should. We flush the system with manufacturer-approved membrane cleaner, restore normal operating pressure, and verify product flow and salinity against the unit's rated spec. If the membranes are too far gone, we quote replacement honestly; if a clean-and-flush recovers them, we document the before-and-after numbers.
We descale equipment from every major marine brand on the water. Dometic, Cruisair, Marine Air, Mabru, Webasto, MarinAire, Frigomar, and Aqua-Air air-conditioning condensers; Sea Recovery, Spectra, Village Marine Tec, HRO / FCI, Dessalator, and Schenker water makers. The $240 flat service call covers the first hour of on-site diagnostic and travel from Boynton Beach to Ft. Lauderdale. Outside that range, travel is $60 per half hour. Many descale jobs finish within the first hour; larger systems or multiple units may need additional time, quoted before we start.
Services we offer:
A/C condenser coil descaling
Raw-water loop acid flush
Heat exchanger descale
Water maker membrane cleaning
Scale inspection & testing
Neutralization & recommissioning
Calcium & mineral deposit removal
Biological fouling treatment
High-pressure fault resolution
Flow-rate restoration
From the field
Descale — real jobs, real hardware.
A look at the systems we service and the failure modes we resolve every week across Southeast Florida.
Every major descale manufacturer — parts, refrigerant, and diagnostics.
We descale and acid-flush every major marine A/C and water maker brand used in South Florida. OEM-spec procedures, correct chemistry, and full recommissioning on every call.
Dometic
Cruisair, Marine Air, and Condaria condenser coils
Cruisair
tempered-water and self-contained A/C systems
Mabru Power Systems
12V/24V and hybrid A/C heat exchangers
Webasto
BlueCool condensers and raw-water loops
MarinAire
self-contained and split-system condensers
Frigomar
chilled-water plant condensers and fan coils
Aqua-Air
self-contained, split, and chiller heat exchangers
Sea Recovery
Aqua Whisper and Ultra Whisper RO membranes
Spectra Watermakers
Ventura, Cape Horn, and Newport membranes
Village Marine Tec
Little Wonder and Squirt systems
HRO / FCI Watermakers
Seafari and Aqua Miser platforms
Dessalator
D-Series and Duo-series membrane cleaning
Common problems we fix
The failure modes we see every week — and the parts we carry.
HPF fault with good refrigerant
High-pressure fault on a properly charged system usually means scale is choking the condenser coil. Acid flush and pressure test confirms the fix.
Weak cooling but blower runs
Reduced heat rejection from a scaled coil means the air feels tepid. Descaling restores the temperature split across the evaporator.
Water maker output dropped
Scaled or fouled membranes can't pass water efficiently. A membrane clean-and-flush often recovers rated output without replacement.
High salinity on product water
Fouling damages membrane rejection. Cleaning first; if salinity stays high, we quote transparent replacement with pickling.
Seawater pump cavitating
Partial blockage in the condenser or strainer from scale can cause the pump to cavitate. Flush the loop and verify flow rate.
System has been sitting unused
Stagnant seawater leaves hard deposits and biological growth. A descale and fresh-water rinse brings dormant systems back online.
How it works
From diagnostic to commissioned system — one visit whenever possible.
STEP 1
Dockside inspection
Visual coil inspection, pressure readings, flow test, and fault-code review to confirm scale is the actual problem before any chemical is used.
STEP 2
Chemical selection & flush
Choose the right acid or chelating agent for the metal or membrane, run the flush with controlled dwell time, and monitor pressures.
STEP 3
Neutralize & rinse
Every acid flush is followed by neutralization and a fresh-water rinse to protect the system and prevent residual chemical damage.
STEP 4
Recommission & report
Pressure, temperature, and flow readings before and after the flush are recorded, with a written recommendation for ongoing maintenance.
FAQ
Descale — frequently asked questions
Will acid flushing damage my condenser coils?
Not when done correctly. We match the acid type and concentration to the coil material — copper-nickel, titanium, or stainless — and always neutralize and rinse afterward. Improper DIY flushing is what causes damage; our process is manufacturer-aligned.
How often should a marine A/C system be descaled?
In South Florida, heavy-use boats typically need a descale every 12–24 months. If you run A/C year-round in high-calcium water, annual inspection and flushing prevents HPF faults and compressor strain.
Can descaling fix a water maker with high salinity?
If the high salinity is caused by fouling or scale, a membrane clean-and-flush often restores rejection. If the membrane is chemically damaged or aged out, we recommend replacement and give you the before/after numbers to decide.
Does the $240 flat rate cover a full descale?
The $240 covers the first hour of on-site diagnostic and travel within Boynton Beach – Ft. Lauderdale. Many single-unit descales finish in that first hour. Larger systems, multiple units, or severe scaling may require additional time, which we quote before starting work.
"Daniel is a true professional when it comes to marine repairs I highly recommend him! 100% trustworthy and amazing work!"
Johnathan Christan
a month ago
"Daniel worked on my 35 Ft Maxum my AC was not working. He was able to get it fixed in less than two hours. The invoice was extremely reasonable — totally recommended. Thank you."
Mostafa Hussein
Local Guide · 25 reviews · 3 months ago
"Daniel did a marine AC repair on our boat out of Fort Lauderdale. He was professional, courteous, on time and pleasant to work with. If you're in the Fort Lauderdale area this is your guy for air conditioning or refrigeration."
Steven Hodgman
11 months ago
"Danny's knowledge of marine HVAC systems is unparalleled. He has been able to diagnose and fix 2 issues on my boat that others could not. I highly recommend him for any HVAC issues you may be experiencing."
Michael Ledwitz
11 months ago
"I have worked with Daniel for years and he goes above and beyond to help with anything I've needed. I never feel like he is recommending something that is not needed and find him to be honest and qualified."
Bill Smith
11 months ago
"I work on boats — I've worked with Daniel, he is very professional! Thanks again! 10/10."
Gary Bemiss
4 months ago
"Daniel did a repair of the refrigerator on my 1978 Bristol sailboat. I believe the unit is the original. I was prepared to have the entire thing ripped out and replaced. Daniel came out, spent hours testing and inspecting it, and got the unit up and running! I was very impressed. And the beer stays icy cold! I highly recommend Daniel for all your HVAC needs."
