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Cheap A/C while on the hook!

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raulpou
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144 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/06/2006 : 21:31:29

Alright, my idea is not as original or cool (no pun intended) as britinusa but it worked like a charm.

I went to Walmart and bought a 89.99 5000 BTU window A/C unit. I plopped it on my companionway. I was using the pop-top enclosure and rolled the door cover down to touch the A/C. I stuffed a towel on either side in order to "seal" it and WALLA!!

I am using a 2000 watt generator like the Honda EU2000i and it worked like a charm. We had to turn the A/C down because we were freezing! I know many had told me that A/C while on the hook was a pipe dream, but I am happy to report that it worked! 4th of July weekend with the wife in St. Petersburg would not have happened if it was not for the A/C.

For the future, I may install one onboard, but for now...This sure beats humidity and lonely sailing!

Edited by - on

britinusa
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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/06/2006 : 21:45:22

That was one of the options we considered, but the hassle of moving it about the boat while sailing was one of the main reasons for going the big bucks way.
I think Frank installed one of those window units on his boat very effectively.
Where do you put the generator?

paul

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Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

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1016 Posts

Response Posted - 07/06/2006 : 23:36:21

and how long into the night did you run the generator? Will it go all night long on its own tank?

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 05:51:48

Steve,
that's an important point.. keeping cool, but having to get up to refuel ..
It'll be interesting to see how that pans out for us too.

Paul

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raulpou
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144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 08:01:21

I keep the generator at the stern with the exhaust pointing aft towards the swim ladder. The generator will last me about 6.5 to 7 hours keeping it on max cold and the thermostat at full tilt. I am sure if I play with the thermostat I can improve the length of run time. As for getting up for adding fuel, the difference between my set up and a built in one should not be different. I can tell you this though, Being able to get out of the humidity and into a cold cabin while it is 90 outside makes a huge difference.

I have done very little research on the built in A/C units and the reason I did my set up was because I needed a resolution in a hurry. For the amount spent, it was not too bad of a mod.

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frog0911
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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 08:07:53

Our little 2000 unit has a one gallon fuel supply, which according to the manufacture will run the unit four hours. The first time we use it the plan was to start cooling around 2100 then refuel around midnight then let it run til empty. The result was at 0200 I got up and shut it off because my teeth hurt from the chattering. The next night we started at 2000 and just shut it down when we hit the rack. We did run the three fans all night for circluation and still use a light blanket, but where very confortable. By the way the night time low bottomed out at 0400 at 74 degrees. At bunk time it was around 85 with a relative humidity of 78%, very sticky. The A/C unit I have is 5200BTU with remote and so far has worked great.

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Turk
Admiral

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736 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 08:08:53

Hmmmm . . don't need the air here in Ohio. I was thinking that blocking the companionway probably isn't the most convienient thing. How about mounting above the front hatch and ducting the air down? Or putting the whole thing including generator on the dock and run a air duct into the front hatch? Just thinking out loud.

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raulpou
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144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 09:07:32

Once you are going to bed then the companionway is not a big deal. As for the front hatch, the problem you run into is that the A/C will pick up its own air and recirculate which does not cool down the cabin and is very inefficient.

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frog0911
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1349 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 09:34:34

I did make a chute for the front hatch and it worked o'kay, but I do have to make some adjustments and set it up so it breaks down for easy storage. As for the unit using recirculated air being inefficent, that is not a fact. That is the reason auto A/C units have the recirculate feature and the reason your house air conditioning is set up that way, so as to cool and dry the inside air faster. It is the same principle used in refrigated containers to cool the contents and maintain the product at the required temperature. The only problem with having a room A/C inside the cabin is there is no place for the condensate liquid taken out of the air to go except back in the cabin. That is the reason for the condensate drain Paul has running into a pan at the monement, but eventually needs to exit the cabin. Same is true for your home A/C, were the condensate is drain outside from the "A" coil/blower unit to keep from putting it back into the conditioned air.

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Tom Potter
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1913 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 16:06:18

Okay guys, ya got me thinking cooler. Has anyone ever tried one
[url="http://www.kooleraire.com/index.htm"]these [/url]or any other type of "Swamp Cooler"?

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frog0911
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1349 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 18:51:42

Tom, some time ago someone asked about it in another thread on A/C and if my memory serves me, they did not give it great reviews. As for swamp coolers, I was raised with one in the house. It worked quite well for Florida, but it was very very large with a monster fan, about six feet in diameter. It really moved the air. Shut and open the correct window sequence and the hall became a wind tunnel.

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Lightnup
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USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 07/07/2006 : 19:20:50

The admiral ordered a KoolerAire after reading all the hype on their website. She then did some research into other's experiences and, as a result, returned it unopened.

Steve

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raulpou
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144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2006 : 11:33:28

Jerry,

The reason for my comment on the A/C was based on my personal experience. If you plop the A/C unit on the forward hatch, you need to have some way of separating the air to some extent. I understand the rational behind the car example but the recirculated air has been given a chance to cool before being inhaled again. In my set up, the air was immediately being re "sucked" by the A/C and therefore not being as efficient. I tried both methods while on the trailer at home and the cooling difference was HUGE. I made a deflector for the front hatch A/C set up to allow the air to enter the cabin first and the cooling greatly improved, thus reaffirming my thoughts that I needed something to divide the air.

This is just my opinion and it is worth every penny you paid for it! :)

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frog0911
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1349 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2006 : 13:29:48

Raul, that is what my chute system does in the front hatch. I put a 10 inch 12V box fan under the front 1/3 of the hatch and have both jet fans going to move the air to the aft berth. This setup work so well we turned the A/C and generator off after four hours and just let the fans do the rest.

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