Power for airconditioning??

[pwilletts]

what are the options for powering AC without a genset??

[denverd0n]

Plugging into shore power.

If you are thinking about running it off of your batteries then you either need to have an immensely HUGE battery bank, or an extraordinarily small air conditioner. The air conditioners that are available today, that can cool a 35-45 foot monohull, simply draw too much power to run on any normal-sized battery bank as an ongoing thing.

[paulajayne]

Big battery bank - large solar array and wind generator.

[Stumble]

Shore power.

[newhaul]

Dual 100 amp alternators or shore power

[brantleychuck]

I know you did not ask but a honda 2000I will run a 5000btu. Unit all night on a tank of gas , 1 gal? It just purrs all night. I once hooked my little red Genny to a 16000 btu unit for a few hours, ran it fine. I


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[Canibul]

Stirling engine?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by brantleychuck

I know you did not ask but a honda 2000I will run a 5000btu. Unit all night on a tank of gas , 1 gal? It just purrs all night. I once hooked my little red Genny to a 16000 btu unit for a few hours, ran it fine. I


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This will work, matter of fact it will run a 5,000 BTU, let you watch TV and maybe put some charge back into the batteries. I put a 5,000 BTU in my stateroom for just this reason, it will cool that one stateroom and fwd head at night, but that's it.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by brantleychuck

I know you did not ask but a honda 2000I will run a 5000btu. Unit all night on a tank of gas , 1 gal? It just purrs all night. I once hooked my little red Genny to a 16000 btu unit for a few hours, ran it fine. I

No problems with 5000 BTU (that's only 1.5kW). But that's not much cooling power at all. May be OK to cool a cabin a bit on a small boat in a temperate climate, but that's about it.

I am truly amazed that your 2kW Max, 1.6kW rated Honda could generate 16000 BTU ( that's 4.69kW or 3 times it's rated output).

[StuM]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Dual 100 amp alternators or shore power

200 Amps is about 8000 BTU (assuming a nominal 12V system). If that's enough cooling power, then OK, but it's not a lot.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

This will work, matter of fact it will run a 5,000 BTU, let you watch TV and maybe put some charge back into the batteries. I put a 5,000 BTU in my stateroom for just this reason, it will cool that one stateroom and fwd head at night, but that's it.

5000 BTU is 1.5kW. Those generators are rated continuous as 1.6kW, so you only have 100 W or so to play with. If you're running a TV, I wouldn't bank on putting anything into the batteries.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by paulajayne

Big battery bank - large solar array and wind generator.

If the OP gives us an indication of his aircon BTU requirements, we can tell him how big those items need to be.

But even the little 5000 BTU unit that some are talking about will draw over 120 Amps @ 12V so stick a "very" in front of "big" and "large"

[brantleychuck]

Originally Posted by StuM

No problems with 5000 BTU (that's only 1.5kW). But that's not much cooling power at all. May be OK to cool a cabin a bit on a small boat in a temperate climate, but that's about it.

I am truly amazed that your 2kW Max, 1.6kW rated Honda could generate 16000 BTU ( that's 4.69kW or 3 times it's rated output).

I brought it over to a little Gemni cat one very hot afternoon while anchored out at Key West. It was a 16000 btu 120 volt unit. We hung out for a few hours in the AC. Very common to see a honda 2000 I running 16000 btu units all night during summer in the marothon mooring field, boot key. Your math makes it look impossible but I was there.......


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[a64pilot]

Stu, you can' convert that way. My 16 K Webasto pulls 11 amps total, including the water pump. 11amps at 120 V is 1320 Watts. Barely within the little Honda's capability, but you would never get it started, inrush current is way too much.
My Webasto 5K with water pump pulls 5 amps, at 120 V is 600 Watts, well within the little Honda's capability, slightly less than 50% of its continuous capacity in fact, leaving plenty for the TV etc. This is not theoretical, I've done it, measured the load etc., a few times. The 5 K will cool our sleeping area and head at night allowing for a good nights sleep, but not much more.
Funny that the 16K is three times the cooling, but only twice the power, takes both my little Honda's to run it.
I gave up on the Honda's as they were too much trouble and concerns over CO, but they do work.


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[DotDun]

FWIW:

My 12yo 16kbtu units draw ~1500w constant each including water pump">raw water pump. In-rush measured @ 57a @ 120v.