Mermaid AC needs priming

[mkmohn]

The previous owner of my new to me 79 Bluewater tells me that the Mermaid AC loses prime. How do I prime that unit? When I turn the unit on, it spits a little bit of water out the side of the boat, but I am sure its no where near the amount that it is supposed to be running through it.
I cleaned out the strainer, made little difference.

[OLD HOUSEBOATER]

take the out put hose loose on the pump until it primes.

[Stmbtwle]

I have the same issue. I installed a tee between the pump and the AC, with another hose on it and a valve where I can reach it. Open the valve for a few seconds to bleed the air and it's good to go.

Virtually any time I run the engine in reverse (such as docking), the prop pushes enough air under the boat to cause the problem.