Air Conditioner choices

[rnjpinz]

I am planning on putting an air conditioner on my boat. 16,000 BTU
I am also toying with the idea of installing it myself. I would like some feedback on models and install tips.

Thanks,
Bob

[sailvayu]

The self contained units are not hard to install if you follow the basic instructions. If you are using a single 30 amp shore cord now you will want to install a second for the AC or upgrade to 50 AMP service. The second 30 AMP is usually the easiest. Pick a brand you can get serviced in your area. It will take a few skills to do a good job, some plumbing, some electrical and likely some carpentry. If you are weak in any of these areas consider subbing it out or at least hiring someone to consult with.

Good Luck

[Charlesc]

Bob,
You didnt mention size of boat your cooling. The forum says 40 ft caliber. If this is true, the 16k unit will be marginal based on my boat and current unit. I have the 16700BTU unit and it will bring the ambieent temp down 20-25 deg. If it is 95 out-side i will be 73-74 inside. My boat is a hunter 30.

The install was straight forward and i did it my self in 2 afternoons. Drilling 3 holes for vent installation " 4 in round " , one thru hull for water intake, and running wire to breaker panel.
I put 1 vent in vberth and 2 in salon. Does a good job and i have been pleased with it now for 3 yrs.

there are a few different makes and vendors but i bought mine from oceanbreeze in stuart ,Fl. Can't say anything good abt them. Will definately buy again.

Be aware that a honda 2000 generator will not start a 16k unit.
for running it on the hook.

Good luck

www.oceanbreezeac.com

[Hudson Force]

Heat exchange with the water can be far more efficient than with the air, as well allowing the unit to be out of the way when you are underway. What form of AC are you considering? 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[rnjpinz]

My need for an A/C unit is more for dock side comfort. The boat is a Caliber 40.

[GordMay]

Excerpted from http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ers-28515.html

Sizing Air-Conditioning:

A “rule of thumb” recommendation for sizing marine air-conditioning is about ± 14-to- 15 BTU/h per cubic foot of cabin volume.
More glazing, pilot house, etc = more heat gain; so perhaps up to 17 BTU/h per cu. ft.

A professional will size the air conditioner based on the latent cooling load (which considers the relative humidity of the air), as well as the sensible cooling load (which considers the Delta T between outdoor & indoor design air temperatures) for your boat & location.
A (theoretically) perfectly-sized air conditioner will run continuously during the hottest 2.5% summer design (outdoor) temperatures.

Don't buy an oversized unit. An over-sized unit short-cycles (turns on & off too rapidly), so doesn’t properly de-humidify*, and uses more energy (starting currents).

On the other hand, make sure any ducting is sized large enough to allow low-velocity air distribution.

* The ability of the air conditioner to remove moisture (latent capacity) is lowest at the beginning of the air conditioner cycle. The moisture removed from the indoor air is dependent upon the indoor coil temperature being below the dew-point temperature of the air. The moisture then wets the indoor coil and, should the unit run long enough, will begin to flow off the coil and be removed out of the condensate drain. For short cycles (< 10 min, or so), the coil does not have time to operate at the low temperature, and when the unit stops, the moisture on the coil evaporates back into the indoor air. Thus, in humid climates, a properly sized air conditioner will do a far better job of removing moisture from the air than oversized units.

[rnjpinz]

Gord,

Great info. Thank you. My concerns are maintanance, reliability, and how much noise the units make. I think Gord has answered my size question.

Bob

[bobfnbw]

Bob, I am in the middle of putting ac in my E40. When purchased it had a 16500btu flagship marine unit that was poorly installed by a PO. It would not run for more than 15 min wtihout freezing up.

I, after a lot of research, purchased 2 marine air vector turbo units. I am just now getting them installed. It is a bear to do. Not because the units are difficult to install. But the duct work is.
The 16500 unit did a piss poor job of cooling, and I believe even if installed properly, would have been inadequate as well. I have a center cockpit boat, so 2 units were needed. I put a 10k btu unit to mainly service the aft stateroom with a small duct to the salon, and aft head. And a 12K btu unit to service the salon and forward head and vberth. for a total of 22K btu. It is not operational as yet so I can not tell of it performance, but I believe the vector turbo is the best on the market at this time.
I purchased it from
Wayne Wright
Wright Marine Air Conditioning, Inc.
Tampa Bay Marine Air
813-671-5719
I am in no way connected to Wright marine except as a satisfied customer. He has been very professional in all aspects, and his prices were good.

The units run thru a relay that controlls the march pump, thru a single strainer. The units are a lot smaller than the flagship unit. They have reverse cycle heating. I upgraded the shore power to 50 amp 120/240, but it would be a lot cheaper to just add another 30 amp shore power to run them. If I can be of any further assistance let me know and good luck.

Turbo Unit

[bobfnbw]

BTW the ocean breeze and the flagship units are the same. Ocean breeze makes them and flagship re brands them and sells them under their name.
I would not use that unit again from my expirence with them. Not that they suck, just that the marine air will perform better, have less noise, less vibration, and take up less space.
For me it was a no brainer.
Also be aware that there are soft start systems out there that you can use to start your compressors with significantly less amps.

Bob

[DavidBostonWhal]

Dometic is the way to go. Their Cruisair and Marine Air line are powerful, efficient and cost effective. I'm not sure if you can purchase direct off the site. I buy from a dealer. Citimarine Store has both lines and for decent prices. There are some other good dealers as well.