We need help finding the root cause of our AC plant failure
Are you a marine electrical or refrigeration engineer, a forensic lab, a Climma/Veco or Danfoss MCX technician, or an owner who has seen this before? We would like to hear from you.
The air-conditioning plant on our yacht keeps failing, and no one has yet found out why.
We need an independent engineer or laboratory to find the root cause (the first thing that went wrong), so the new plant does not fail the same way. Photos, test results and the failed parts are kept and available.
We would also welcome advice from people experienced in marine insurance claims where the exact cause of a failure is hard to establish.
The story in four steps
- What is brokenAll three compressors and parts of the drives have failed. See the measurements and fault codes in plain English.
- How it happenedFirst faults in early 2024, 6–7 months after delivery and within warranty; total failure in Aug 2026. Every date in order.
- What is still unknownAzimut’s position is that the 2026 failure is unrelated to the 2024 faults. No one has yet established the root cause either way.
- How you can helpEngineers, labs and owners with a similar case: tell us what you know.
What happened, in brief
M/Y Kaloda is a 2023 Azimut Grande 32 m. Her chilled-water air-conditioning plant (a central system: three chillers cool a loop of water that is pumped to every cabin; Climma/Veco CWS MODUL 3603 RC, three 120,000 BTU modules) has failed completely. Faults were recorded from early 2024; all three modules were out of service on 29 Jul 2026, one was restored on 3 Aug, and it failed on 19 Aug 2026. All three compressors (the motor-driven pumps at the heart of each chiller) have lost insulation to earth, meaning electricity can leak from the motor windings to the metal body. Damage has also been recorded on the inverter drives (the electronic speed controllers) and line reactors (smoothing coils on the power supply). The root cause has not been determined; an independent investigation is sought. New to the terms? See the glossary, or the full story step by step.
What we are asking for
- An independent marine electrical / refrigeration engineer or forensic laboratory able to determine the initiating cause and failure sequence.
- Advice on witnessed teardown, oil and coolant analysis, and electrical testing of the retained failed components.
- Experience from other owners or technicians of similar Climma/Veco CWS plants, Danfoss MCX controls or inverter-driven chillers on yachts.
Failed components are retained under custody. Photographs, fault logs, test records and the commissioning form are available on request: see evidence held and photos.
The vessel and plant
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel | M/Y Kaloda, Azimut Grande 32 m, hull 31; delivered June 2023; berthed Pattaya, Thailand |
| Plant | Climma (Veco) CWS MODUL 3603 RC 400/3/50 INV, R410a; 3 modules × 120,000 BTU (360,000 BTU), ‘Gulf’ spec |
| Control | Danfoss MCX (MCX06D) master; one CAN bus across modules 1–3. Inverter drive per compressor, each fed via a line reactor (Martignoni 40 A, 0.4 mH) |
| Loops | Fresh-water (chilled, glycol) loop to fan coils; seawater condenser loop |
| Supply | Shore power via 65 kVA isolation transformer (always in circuit); Kohler 55EFOZDJ generators (50 Hz) |
Who is involved: owner, shipyard, AC manufacturer, insurer, contractors
The shipyard built the yacht and installed the AC plant; the manufacturer supplied the chillers through its regional dealer; the insurer (Pantaenius) covers the yacht and appointed a surveyor; local contractors service the plant. The owner is seeking an independent investigation of the root cause.
The case in numbers
Time
Messages (18 Jun to 12 Oct 2026)
Colour key: blue = builder (Azimut), green = AC maker and dealer, amber = insurer (Pantaenius), teal = general. Day counters count calendar days (Bangkok date) and update automatically; the figures shown without scripts are as of 12 Oct 2026. Email counts are as of 12 Oct 2026: AC-related messages in the owner's mailbox sent to, received from or copied to each party, excluding automatic replies, recalls, duplicate re-sends and unrelated policy administration. If you believe a count is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
See the timeline, technical facts, photos and the background and case files.
Frequently asked questions
What happened to the AC on M/Y Kaloda?
The Climma/Veco CWS MODUL 3603 chilled-water plant (three 120,000 BTU modules) has failed completely. Faults were recorded from early 2024. All three modules were out of service on 29 Jul 2026; unit 2 was restored on 3 Aug and its compressor failed on 19 Aug 2026. All three compressors lost insulation to earth, and inverter and line-reactor damage was recorded.
Is the root cause known?
No. The root cause has not been determined; an independent investigation is sought.
How can I help?
If you are a marine electrical or refrigeration engineer, a forensic laboratory, a technician who knows Climma/Veco or Danfoss MCX equipment, or an owner with a similar experience, please use the I can help page.
What is this site for?
It is a factual record published for information, to help find the cause and to share general lessons with other owners. Corrections are welcome.