Air Conditioning Unit

[windlipper]

Planning for next year and looking at 240 volt portable air con units for 31' boat. I like those that cover the front hatch but phew!! - a bit costly.

Any ideas to shortcut my research?
(PS I'm not being over optimistic, the boats going out of the UK!!)

 

[Colvic Watson]

I bought a smallish 240v unit for home for £10 on eBay - very effective but a bit big for the boat. Good time of year to buy!

 

[windlipper]

Air Con Unit

Thanks for that, lack of space makes me reluctant to get a domestic one.
Cheers

 

[SimonJ]

I have used a 'window airconditioner unit' and fitted it (with a frame) at the main hatch entrance - very effective. I could have built a lightweight frame over the centre or forehatch & put it there. These units (120 volt) are very available in N America and the Caribbean but only highly desirable in the latter of the world in Trinidad where it is stonking hot and humid and maybe elswhere if you are going to live on your boat on the hard while refitting etc or at a marina. They are heavy. Also means you can create a (biting) bug free atmosphere! In USA you can also buy very expensive dedicated, portable 'yacht air conditioners. Remember you will need to route a drain for the condensation.
You can also have a permanently insatlled system - but that is another world for me!

 

[pvb]

Thanks for that, lack of space makes me reluctant to get a domestic one.

Where would you stow a hatch-top unit when it's not in use? They are fairly heavy to move too.

 

[windlipper]

Good point, suppose like all aspects of boating there are compromises to be made.

 

[William_H]

Airconditioner

Common now at least around here is the split type. A modest sized unit sits on the wall with fan and evaporator while a remote unit has the condensor and compressor where heat is given off with wiring and tubing between the two.. These are sometimes seen as a portable system. What you want is provision to disconnect and reconnect for sailing.
The wall unit would fit well in place of a shelf in the saloon but the exterior unit would have sit high for cooling and be removed for sailing. This type however are very quiet provided the exterior unit is remote.

To fit an all in one type to a forward hatch would mean main cooling and noise in the forward cabin and the air blowing down wards. Make up a replacement hatch cover with a/c mounted on it. You might want ducting ot get cold air to slaoon and aft cabin.
good luck olewill

 

[ccscott49]

I have a portable unit, made in germany, with a sea water pump on the end of a hose and wire, hangs out of portlight or somewhere else, needs a condensate drain, but has a tank built in, made for the job, heavy, but small enough, only problem, quite expensive, but very efficient. For a 31 foot boat, its the only way I would go. IMHO.

 

[windlipper]

Think this may be worth a go on the grounds that if it doesn't fit the bill it won't be a financial disaster.

Thanks to all for the advice.

 

[William_H]

Portable Aircon

The portable aircon in the link has one major disadvantage. The exhaust hot air is good but it means that air drawn into the condensor to cool it will come from the cabin. ie it will be wasting cool air which must be replaced with warm air coming into the cabin from outside.
Far better would be a separate air in tube to draw outside air into the fan and condensor and expel that same air through another tube as a sealed system separate from cabin air.
Hence the split sytem does all this plus the compressor noise is outside.
Obviously the very best would be a sea water cooled condensor and I wonder how hard it would be to replace the cooling coils with a heat exchanger in the outside unit.
Certainly in USA water cooled a/c is common using ground water. This makes a very efficient a/c system.
olewill