Air conditioning for a Beneteau 57

[Nightdiver]

Im trying to get a rough idea of installing air conditioning on a Beneteau 57. I've talked to a vendor of marine units but they want to know how much cubic feet of cabin space. I've tried to find that out but cant seem to locate the info anywhere.

Anybody have a rough idea of the cost to properly air condition a boat this size?
Thanks,

[a64pilot]

I would go with package units myself, they are dead easy to install, are a little work, but it's mostly "grunt" work, not requiring much skill.
I know nothing at all about the boat, but I would swag you will need two 16K units for the Salon and one in each stateroom, Depending on size the Stateroom units can be smaller but I like being able to cool my sleeping area like it was a refrigerator, your desires may be different.
I have a small boat and only required two, I installed them myself, about a weekend for each.
Cost if you do the install, about $2,500 to $3,000 per unit, I'd guess double that if you just write a check

[Nightdiver]

Thanks much.
Package units? Any clue on the manufacturer.

[a64pilot]

I call them package units, complete self contained things, like a window unit. You do have to give them power and run air ducts and give them water flow, but your not installing compressors and evaporators and running refrigerant lines, evacuating and charging with refrigerant etc.
There are many, very many, some simple basic ones and some expensive ones with lots of bells and whistles.
I bought Webasto as they were priced right, and they work really well, blow lots of cold air, but if I had to do it again I think I would buy the one called King air conditioning as it is way more expensive, but probably a much better AC.

House package units are the big boxes you see outside, you run air ducts to them and from them, but all the mechanics come already built into the box.
Splits are what you usually see, they have the compressor and condenser outside and the evaporator called an air handler is mounted inside of the house, the installer runs refrigerant lines between the two and pulls a vacuum and adds refrigerant, you have to be a HVAC tech to install a spilt.
The same concept in boats, sometimes on complex installs, there may be one big compressor and several evaporators in different areas, this works and works well, but doesn't lend itself to do it yourself types and often if it breaks, you have no AC.
A DIY type can install a package unit, and when one breaks, you have the others to stay cool until you fix or replace the broken one.


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[Nightdiver]

Got it. I understand the mechanics of the AC unit. I have a split unit at my house which most houses in my neck of the woods have, but Im definitely not an HVAC guy. The package units sound easier but then there comes that old how much space problem. Best I can calculate a boat this size would probably need 70k to 80k btu's

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Nightdiver

(...)

I've tried to find that out but cant seem to locate the info anywhere.

(...)

You cannot just measure it?

b.

[Rubikoop]

After a quick Google search I see a 57 listed for sale including 56k btu. A little more searching would probably find more results...




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[Nightdiver]

Nope barnakiel. It's a boat Im looking at buying. It's in another country. I've already viewed it but didn't take any measurements as I wasn't thinking about the AC cost at the time. I'm trying to see what the budget will be for the most expensive items, like the AC, watermaker, two holding tanks. I'm sure the survey will find a bunch more but these are three that I know will be need to be done.

[Nightdiver]

Thanks Ruikoop, that's a good idea. I'll do some searching.

[marlinmike]

There are marine split units as well, they will allow for an easier distributed installations without 4 different water hoses running everywhere. Also this will require a descent amount of power, hopefully your boat was pre-wired to handle that as well. A good yard would be able to review your boat and give you cost and time for the job. This is actually a good time of year to get work done as yards are typically slow now.

[Scaramanga F25]

About 4000 cubic feet would be a close figure.

Remember that you have no significant insulation.

[wgoodbye]

I'm doing a refit on a Windward Marine Searaker 50 and just went through this excersice. First off, you need to do a cubic foot measurement of the vessel to see how many cubic feet your have, and there are some other factors like sqft of all hatches and portlights that needs to be taken into consideration. Next, you have to decide what climates this is going to be used in. We wanted to have great air conditioning when we are sailing in the Sea of Cortez. A good dealer that sells marine AC systems can help you with this calculation. Our 50' came out to be about 45,000 BTUs.

I looked at the option of individual self-contained units, which would have required 2 x 16K BTU for the salon and 1 x 12K BTU for each of the for and aft cabins. My biggest concern was space and the electrical load.

I decided to go the chilled water route. Installing 6 air handlers and using the Webasto BlueCool V50 and running water lines to each air handler. Power consumption is way more efficient with the chiller. Also installing a Webasto diesel boiler so the system can run either hot or chilled water. Total cost of all the parts including the Webasto diesel boiler, $18K. I received great assistance from www.suremarine.com on the design and they sell the air handlers that can be configured for hot or cold water as well as all the other Webasto components.

Chris

[barnakiel]

Aaaarghhh. I see. I jumped to a conclusion.

Regards,
b.

[Djarraluda]

Just a minor note of caution when playing with any refrigerant system.
Many places have legal controls on the work. To protect the environment, we ban the use of some refrigerants, limit the use of others and control the use of virtually any of them. HVAC techs have a license and they buy the refrigerant, it is weighed and they account for it. No release to atmosphere without reporting to authorities etc etc etc.
The world is changing rapidly now. The old CFCs destroy the ozone layer and are banned totally. HCFCs were the interim measure R22 being the most common, but is being phased out. We all have contacts with old stocks but it is getting harder. I even know someone who has drums of R11 in his garage.
Recent years we had R134a was good replacement for the R12 for a while, but is toxic. R407 and R410, but these are high pressure and basically top out at 46degC if air cooled. Some use a hydrocarbon (propane) which is now getting common in motor vehicles.
We are now getting some interesting blends with good results in the labs but not all of the systems to use them yet - the residential/commercial market is focused on 407/410 and the newer R32.
Watch out, old systems may not be compatible with new refrigerants, also the synthetic oils do not mix with mineral oils and disaster awaits a mix-up.
Do not buy second hand or old stock without checking the future life of the refrigerant it was designed for and do use a reputable licensed installer for the sake of our environment.

[skeporg]

Decisions, decisions.

I needed cool air in Pittsburg California. It gets hot here, sometimes like over one hundred degrees Fahrenheit; frequently.

Anyhow, I have a 50 foot Grand Banks Trawler. Lots of cubes.


Instead of figuring this thing out, I purchased a WHYNTER ECHO-FRIENDLY 14,000 BTU PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONER WITH HEATER, MODEL: ARC-14SH from Amazon. It was delivered to the marina office the next day…

Cost, less than $550. It took me maybe one hour to install the unit.


Circumstances called me away for three months. Somehow, I forgot to turn off the unit. On returning to my slip, it was merrily cooling away all the hot air.


It had not leaked a drop of H2O on my teak floor. The temperature was 72°. And, even though it is "nouveau ugly" I think I'll find a place to keep it and use it again and again and again until I decide what kind of an air conditioner I need.