Small AC

[beau]

I have purchased a Panasonic 9,000 btu INVERTER type air conditioner.(NEW)
This has a soft start and runs continously, but only uses the power it needs to do the job.
I have a small, well insulated cabin and 800amp hrs AGM batteries.
Top up in the morning is with a 13 hp Honda driving a 200 amp 12 volt alternator and a 3000 watt Inverter.
I will be in the water in about 4-5 weeks I will let you know how it all goes.

[Pblais]

9,000 BTU's on our former CSY 33 was not enough during the day unless you added the awning when the temps hit near 100 F. After dark it worked fine or at least sleepable. Adding a full awning is worth 10 degrees in efficiency for the A/C. I would have kept the old awning for the new boat but it won't fit. Get an awning if you need to use a low BTU unit. It will increase the cooling by enough to make it work. Heck, even in the cockpit it can be pretty nice for happy hour.

[beau]

I only intend to use the air conditioner at night, so I don't have to sleep in a pool of sweat. It is not so much to lower the temperature but mainly to reduce the humidity.

[Trim50]

A nice big 12V fan right on the head has always worked for me in even the hottest places. I find that the sound of the fan helps me fall asleep.

[S/V Elusive]

Richard,

Thats a damn interesting idea - I kept wondering how to handle the condensation. D'oh - put it in the shower stall! I currently have a dehumidifier that I empty every day that I run it - COULD plumb a line to the shower sump, but haven't done it.

Thanks for the idea.

Originally Posted by Quijote

Hi,
Just for fun, Google "portable air conditioners". You will find pages of small, free-standing floor units about the size of a dehumidifier (which they also are). They vent to the outside with a 5" hose and can be had as large as 15000 btu, still running off 115VAC. I am seriously tempted to put one of these in our shower stall. They only cost around $400 or less. The better one are a heater, A/C, dehumidifer and a fan. Because they don't use a water pump, the starting loads should be quite a bit less, perhaps allowing the inverter to work??
Richard

[Sandero]

My interest as I stated above was only to make sleeping comfortable. Our sleeping area is only 150cu ft at most which is less than a small bathroom and it is well insulated when you consider all the cabinets surrounding it.

I don't know how long it would take to cool this space down, and once cooled how long it would remain cool, but the heat gain the evening is a low as the outside temps are usually dropping.

It's the humidity which is a bummer and AC removes moisture from the air.

Has anyone attempted using a small AC intermittently and how did it work? What sort of battery drain are we talking about?

Has anyone seen these small cabinet AC units which I assume are intended to cool electrical equipment.

McLean Midwest Electronic Parts Supply International

They are small and draw less than 5 amps at 110v.

jef
sv shiva

[Lynx]

Here is a small one for a dog house -
Dog House Air Conditioner

2500 btu's and runs on 2.5 amps 110V

[GordMay]

Lynx:
You’re kidding, right?

Jef:
Unless you completely close off the sleeping compartment, the A/C will be trying to cool the entire boat. Even so, 150 Cu. Ft. of space would require about 2,250 BTU/Hr.

Those small cabinet AC units are intended to cool electrical equipment enclosures - NOT BOATS.
Take a look at the installation, requiring a cut-out in the cabinet (boat hull).
http://www.mcleanparts.net/PDF/pdf1-552ProAir.pdf

[Sandero]

Gord,

I hear you. We have a door into our cabin so it can be completely isolated. And we also have a lift out access panel to the aft lazerette where I intended to install the AC and open the laz lid for access to fresh air and the condensate water would just drip into the bilge and on to the engine where the automatic bilge pump would remove it.

It's doable if I can make the electicity thing work... I think...

jef
sv shiva

[Lynx]

GordMay - No, I was not kidding. I was looking for smaller A/C's than 5000 BTU's and this is one that I found. As far as I know nobody has installed one on a boat. However it does cost $ 500 and the cheep window units cost $ 100 and will last the season or more.

There is also a new portable unit for inside houses that I saw and has an vent to exaust the heat. Not a bad Idea and will keep the A/C out of the compainway and weather, just need the room inside to put it.

[hellosailor]

Jef-
"and open the laz lid for access to fresh air"
I suspect that won't be enough cooling air for a window ac unit, and you'll be getting more heat from that exhaust coming back though the bilge and engine spaces. You might do better keeping the unit on deck and ducting the cool air down below. And, adding a misting hose to the evaporator unit to help suck the heat out real fast.

I'm sure there's a way to get the job done--but suspect a lot of cleverness and "that didn't work too well, let's try it again" might be needed. Then again if you can get it working nicely, you know there's a market for it!

[Sandero]

Hello,

I recall seeing a sistership in brokerage with an AC mounted in this access panel to the aft lazarette. I believe that there is enough air circ and that hot bilges will not result as the way forward into the engine bilge is only large enough for several hoses and hot air rises last I checked... and that would be up and out of the laz.

At the time I thought I would never use AC on board, but wifey is complaining and since I like her to be comfy the image of that sistership's ac popped into my mind. Maybe he used shore power, which we can't.

I would like to find avery small window ac which is also efficient and low draw. I am convinced this would work. The Xantrex does handle surges to 2500 watts which I think sounds like more than enough for start up.

These room ACs are so cheap and all I need is a piece of ply with a hole cut it might be worth a try. For $100... should I?

jef
sv shiva

[GordMay]

Lynx:
Sorry for my incredulity - no disrespect intended; but the Pet Cool is totally impracticable in a boating application.

[hellosailor]

jef-
Let me see if I've got this right.

$100 versus keeping the better half happy?

Whoa! That was a fast decision.< G >

[Pura Vida]

This was interesting product from the transportation market. They have one model for 12 volt 4400 btu unit.

DC AIRCO 48 24 12 volt dc air conditioner / dc air conditioning