Aircon on boats?

[rickp]

Most boats I've seen will specify quite a bit more than 4kva for a 24000 btu system, particularly if there are more than one chiller unit (because of the startup loads). I guess it depends if you want the genny to run everything *and* the aircon, or just the aircon.

Rick

 

[nicho]

Understood, but the £18K is for an integrated reverse cycle unit (heats in the winter) built in by the factory, and comes with a (in my case) 6KVa genny to power it when away from shore power. I believe that's pretty much standard for med spec boats, where they most motor to a Cala, drop the hook then power up the genny for the aircon.

 

[Bejasus]

the boat I am looking at is in Florida where it gets just as hot with a tad more humidity. However the are are a few computer style fans scattered about moving air quite freely throughout the boat. I appreciate it will cost more to be supplied with a new as built boat, but the difference stated was huge. At that price I would be more than happy to fit the lot myself.

 

[GC1]

A £2,745 option on my 25ft er, with two outlets, main cabin and mid cabin. For the heat you leave the cabin door open and it heats the cockpit well enough on it's reverse cylce heat mode. Oh and to pwer it offshore we use the 3kw gennie which was £350 for a Kipor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif What a bargain eh! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[GC1]

My boats not mouldy /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif It's brand new /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I was just asking if there 'were' any side effects to having aircon /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[ccscott49]

Aircon is a god send in the ballearics this year, I have a household portable unit in the aft cabin, cheap and no hassles. I will fit a proper marine jobbie sometime, for the aft sleeping cabins, but its quite expensive to retrofit. (upwards of £3500) You do need the genny running for aircon, or shore supply, but if you have an inteligent power management, you charge your batteries and run AC at the same time with the genny, room cools down in the early evening and with a fan stays cool most of the night. I dont like running gennys at night, disturbs peeps. I find airscoops also absolutely brilliant at anchor, any breeze is redirected below.

 

[nicho]

Mmmmm - don't think it'll be quite enough for your 40 footer when you get it Pete!

Most Manufacturers seem to charge £15/25K from my memory on their price lists for boats in the 40/45 foot range. A rip off no doubt, but the 6 to 10 KVa gennys that are part of the package are a fortune on their own.

One point, is it possible to just have integrated aircon on boats from the UK big four, and rely on shorepower alone?? Don't think they'll do it. Has anyone tried?

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

You're right, 4kva is not enough for a 24000Btu unit. I had a boat which had a standard 4kva gennie and the previous owner had subsequently fitted aircon on the boat. The aircon was all but useless when powered by the gennie even in the UK. You need at least 6kva and 8kva or more would be better

 

[CLOUD9]

I have a/c throughout the Princess and I think its a total waste of time in the UK. It cost the original owner over 20k (assume that included the generator but Im not 100% sure). I go boating to be outdoors breathing fresh air, even if it is warm!

For winter heating I would prefer a diesel fired system. Running the compressors is noisy and not particularly efficient, and the water does need to be above 8 or 10deg C to be producing heat effectively.

The good news is that there is no threat whatsoever from Legionella bacteria. Cooling towers and evaporative condensers are totally different in thier operation to the units used in small boats. Like gigrower cooling stuff is my business...... and i still think its crap in (uk) boats.

Think about the irony of our need for such pampering. We want to be kept cool so we burn loads of energy doing it and dump zillions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere which...... you guessed it, makes our planet even hotter! Out of principle Ive told my kids to dangle their feet in the water if they are hot as there's no way I want them growing up reaching for the A/C.

 

[DavidJ]

[ QUOTE ]
why dont you just jam a piece of hose into the outlet to extend it to within a few inches of the water.


[/ QUOTE ]
Normally I couldn't reach the outlet to do this but as it happens I'm on a finger pontoon at the moment and could have done just that. We are leaving tomorrow (Tuesday) so I don't think I'll mention the idea to the neighbours to how quiet it could have been......excellent idea!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Cruisair says min temp is 3 degC for heat extraction and Condaria publish THIS table on their website which suggests heat extraction efficiency varies between 0% at 0 degC to 100% at 15 degC