Portable AC w/Honda 2kw

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by cabo_sailor

I'm not sure if this is right forum but if not one of the mods in training can move it.
We are in SW Florida, this time of year it is hot, humid and subject to frequent storms. As I enter this power has been out for about an hour.
I have a 16kbtu AC on the boat but no genset to run it.
I know that my little 2 kW Honda can run 5k btu all night without breaking a sweat. So what I'm thinking is to get a small, portable AC of around that size and use it at night to help us sleep. During the day we would use an awning and breeze boosters.
I'm seeing some on the net, not window units, for around $350 with a pretty small footprint.

Has anyone gone this route, problems, suggestions?

Rich


Sent from my iPhone using Quantum Entagelment

I have a 13,000 BTU Dometic Floor mounted unit running off a Honda 2kw generator. Located in the FWD Head with the elephant trunk exhausting to hatch overhead and draining to shower sump. Works fine and runs for 5hrs on tankful of gas. Also have a RV Roof unit installed in a hatch in the Aft cabin for when on shore power.
Both units draw about 10 amps each and the Honda delivers 13 amps.

[Enchantress]

Speaking from experience - do NOT get a "portable" A/C. Get a window unit and mount in companionway. Make custom companionway boards so you can step over the unit to go in and out.

Our 8k portable would barely cool to mid 70's during the heat of the day on our 30' boat. The same size window unit cools down into the 60's.

The problem with portables is the hot air has to exhaust to outside via a duct or hose. Even with insulation, the hot coils are still inside the boat. This greatly reduces the amount of effective cooling (some websites say by 50%).

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by Enchantress

Speaking from experience - do NOT get a "portable" A/C. Get a window unit and mount in companionway. Make custom companionway boards so you can step over the unit to go in and out.

Our 8k portable would barely cool to mid 70's during the heat of the day on our 30' boat. The same size window unit cools down into the 60's.

The problem with portables is the hot air has to exhaust to outside via a duct or hose. Even with insulation, the hot coils are still inside the boat. This greatly reduces the amount of effective cooling (some websites say by 50%).

~Custom Boards? Would take up a lot of room in the cockpit. Many in our Marina have companionway A/C units and slide on their stomachs getting down below. Also drips condensate! Most I've seen are unsightly with duct tape sealing gaps. Prefer portable in the Shower/Head for convenience and aesthetics, comes with hose adapter for exhaust hatch, even if not as efficient. Noise is out of the way also.

[Enchantress]

Originally Posted by adlib2

~Custom Boards? Would take up a lot of room in the cockpit. Many in our Marina have companionway A/C units and slide on their stomachs getting down below. Also drips condensate! Most I've seen are unsightly with duct tape sealing gaps. Prefer portable in the Shower/Head for convenience and aesthetics, comes with hose adapter for exhaust hatch, even if not as efficient. Noise is out of the way also.

Yes, two flat pieces of wood would take a LOT more room in the cabin than a 13k "portable" A/c unit in the head

[Snore]

Whatever you decide, please do it legit and pull a permit.

There needs to be a break before make cut-over switch to ensure you don't back feed the public power supply. Going legit will also allow you to have a delayed auto start, auto cutover and auto return to public power. It will cost you more but be safer and more reliable.

[wooden head]

Buy the companion generator for the Honda they pair beautifully and will give you all the power you need.

[HopCar]

Cabo Sailor, i think the one you want is the Supco SSP6. I bought mine from a commercial refrigeration supply house. That's the one the counter guy recommended.
If you look at the tag on the compressor you'll see a number labeled LRA (locked rotor amps). That is about how many amps it takes to start your AC. My little 5000 BTU unit needs more than 3000 watts to start. With the Hard Start installed, I can start and run it easily on a Honda 1000 watt generator.

[Kiwi.]

Yes, large capacitors are all potential firecrackers. They are fundamentally batteries with very limited storage but with the ability to release their total stored power in micro-seconds; so it's important to wire them correctly and to buy reputable brands.
HopCar's Supco suggestion is a good one. I've bought from Amazon as they seem to be able to get them to anywhere in the world that I happen to be.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by Snore

Whatever you decide, please do it legit and pull a permit.

There needs to be a break before make cut-over switch to ensure you don't back feed the public power supply. Going legit will also allow you to have a delayed auto start, auto cutover and auto return to public power. It will cost you more but be safer and more reliable.

Interesting thought although I've never heard of someone pulling a permit to work on their boat. I'm pretty sure Tarpon Springs & Pinellas County don't require permits for boat repairs. That would open up a can of worms no government would want to be involved with. However, an ABYC electrician would be a good idea.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by Snore

Whatever you decide, please do it legit and pull a permit.

There needs to be a break before make cut-over switch to ensure you don't back feed the public power supply. Going legit will also allow you to have a delayed auto start, auto cutover and auto return to public power. It will cost you more but be safer and more reliable.

Pull a permit?!?!??!? For putting a Honda generator on the shore power inlet? Or even wiring anything on a boat for that matter???

Madness!


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[a64pilot]

My 2C is since cost is an issue a 5K window unit powered by a Honda 2000 is the best bang for the buck.
For what it's worth I have two Honda 2000's and with them paired together and connected to the shore power, they will run almost the entire boat, I believe both Honda's paired together have a 26 Amp capacity, and most shore power plugs on older boats I believe are 30 Amp.
The two of them paired together is a PIA for many reasons causing me to go to a yet un-installed NexGen 3.5KW
I don't honestly remember what it cost, but it was no where near 10K

[Thenaz007]

I run my Cruisair on my 340 Sea Ray with the Honda 2K, I believe it is 12K btu. I switch to eco mode after starting. I try to be careful of carbon monoxide, I keep mine lashed to the sunpad and have seen others lashed up in the prow.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

Pull a permit?!?!??!? For putting a Honda generator on the shore power inlet? Or even wiring anything on a boat for that matter???

Madness!


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

My bad I thought this was going into the op home.


..

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Thenaz007

I run my Cruisair on my 340 Sea Ray with the Honda 2K, I believe it is 12K btu. I switch to eco mode after starting. I try to be careful of carbon monoxide, ...

Exactly what I do with my 8k Cruisair/Dometic unit, and what my friend does with his 16k Cruisair/Dometic unit. Both of us are running March 3CP circulation pumps (mine doesn't require a pump that big, but I got one cheap so went with it). Start it and then switch to eco mode after compressor kicks in on unit. Never an issue until it runs out of gas. For my 8k unit, I can get almost 10 hrs of run time on the 0.9 gal gas tank. We do the evening dishes, start the gen and A/C, step into the shower, come out into a nice cool owners cabin, watch a movie with a rum drink, and sometime very early in the morning - when the cabin is at 72 deg F - the gen runs out of gas.

[SailorCharles]

Originally Posted by HopCar

You may be able to run your 16k btu unit with your Honda 2000i. Look at a Supco Hard Start. They reduce the starting load dramatically. They are easy to install and they cost less than twenty bucks.

I have an ac refrig compressor on my Cal2-46. I would love to use the Honda 2000 generator to run it. The problem is starting blows the fuse every time. Once it is running the Honda should handle the load ok.
Do you think the Supco Hard Start might solve this problem.