Air conditioner questions

[Stickman]

I've reviewed previous threads on this topic and hope these questions won't be redundant.

I am planning to install an air conditioner in my 1987 e34. Looking at 16,000 btu self contained units. Considering removing v berth water tank to place unit.

Question 1 Supply - plan to provide a supply to v berth and one to main salon area utilizing port hanging locker. Will the salon supply vent mounted high on the port bulkhead provide enough cooling to reach the aft port berth? If not, I'd have to route a supply to the aft port hanging locker?

Question 2 brands - I was surprised to learn of so many different marine Air Conditioner brands. I'm looking at MarinAire, Mermaid, and Ocean Breeze. Anyone on this list have anything to report?

thank you for reading

 

[Rick R.]

Ac

We have a Mermaid 16,500 BTU in our 32-200. Got it at their boat show price.

The unit is mounted in port aft cabin hanging locker. All of the ductwork is run along the port side. According to Mermaid you will need a minimum of three vents for this unit (same as ours). Main vent is in front side of the galley under the sink with the smaller ones in the v-berth and aft cabin.

With the heat here in Florida, I'm glad be put a vent in the aft cabin. To cool down the boat quickly we run a couple fans to circulate the air. If you go Mermaid, get the reverse cycle so you will have heat. We just did a two day cruise last week with overnight temps in the low 30's and stayed very comfortable.

 

[Stickman]

Rick

thank you. I did read earlier regarding the 3 supply vents for mermaid. I wanted to hang the main supply high on port v berth bulkhead hoping/thinking the air would disperse greater. Something I had seen on an earlier post on another e34.

How do do you like the mermaid? Any other ey members have thoughts on the MarinAire? Or Ocean breezes? The self contained marinaire is the one I'm leaning towards as it has a baffle cover over compressor and built in gauges. My head is spinning given the many brands out there.

i was hoping that by hanging a main vent high, the air flow might reach the aft berth but I'm not sure if the galley would be blocking flow. If I choose to route an aft berth supply I risk robbing more storage space as I'll have to run through port side cubbies or bookcase (I have a tank under corner settee that's blocking an 'under settee approach)

best

larry stickler

We have a Mermaid 16,500 BTU in our 32-200. Got it at their boat show price.

The unit is mounted in port aft cabin hanging locker. All of the ductwork is run along the port side. According to Mermaid you will need a minimum of three vents for this unit (same as ours). Main vent is in front side of the galley under the sink with the smaller ones in the v-berth and aft cabin.

With the heat here in Florida, I'm glad be put a vent in the aft cabin. To cool down the boat quickly we run a couple fans to circulate the air. If you go Mermaid, get the reverse cycle so you will have heat. We just did a two day cruise last week with overnight temps in the low 30's and stayed very comfortable.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

We have a MarineAir reverse cycle AC/heater in our 87 E34. The boat was originally from Lake Mead then San Diego so the AC was nice. Here in SF we dont need it and use it only as a heater which does work fine. Our unit is located in the port vee berth area under the access hatch in the berth with a single large vent (about 6" dia) into the port salon area. The sea water supply for the evaporator is tee'd off the main engine cooling thru hull with its own valve and the water pump is located in the access area of the port settee just forward of the galley. Works just fine. You need a ~30A ckt breaker and the PO piggy backed the electrical power connection off the main AC panel ckt breaker, probably not the best idea, the AC should have its own ckt breaker and isolation switch. Otherwise we like the unit and installation. Of course the unit is powered only by AC shore power, bummer.

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Here's My Story

This is my install in a 32-III with a Ocean Breeze 16.5K btu unit with electric heat. The electric heat is great on the hard, as well as the cool spring and fall nights (Chesapeake Bay). If I had an enclosed aft berth I would have run duct work there, but this works fine supplied to the main cabin with a couple of clip fans to help circulation:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...ettee-locker32-3&p=86825&highlight=#post86825

Ocean Breeze is a good unit, customer service communications were a little shakey when I had problems with the supplied CAL pump, but we got everything worked out in the end. I would just buy a March pump upfront and forget about using a CAL pump.

- Steve Pretti

 

[Pat C.]

Have a Cruisair 16K btu unit for going on 20 years. Cruisair and marineair are built by the same company, unsure regarding minimal differences. Went with Cruisair due to recommendations from the Valiant yard, said the unit was bulletproof. It has lived up to that billing. If the two units are still alike and built by the same company, either should be a good bet. The Texas sun in landlocked Denison is pretty brutal, good testing ground. Reverse cycle recommended by others also important.

Keep your duct work as simple and short as possible, maximize air flow. Use fans to move the air within the cabin. My supply and return vents are on either side of the settee, the louuvers on the return vent direct the air up. I didn't want to sacrifice additional space in other areas for ductwork. I've had no complaints on how it functions. Total duct length about 2 feet, with one bend. Longer ducts, more bends will diminish air flow, sometimes dramatically.

 

[hilco woudstra]

sketcher/E-35

Pat,

I have a E-35, 1983 model. Last winter switched out the old Mermaid (16,000) for a new one, they last about 10 years.
The new one came with large rubber mat below it (lowers the noise and vibration)...great helpful company.

Used the same original run; had removed the original battery box and relocated them starboard, used this for ac/reverse cycle.
Ran one line aft to quarter berth, one in main cabin, and one all the way forward to v-berth. The v-berth created the most challenge.

Ran the air line through the bulk head under and below the seating, around the back of head and sink (under the cabinetry) into the v-berth area.

Used the existing sea cock below galley sink for water.

Can take pictures if you need....cools the boat nicely.

Hilco on Sketcher

 

[Stickman]

Ac

Thank you for the input.

I spoke to a couple companies today and I am going to route a duct from vberth to the aft port berth. Mermaid was helpful.

Will take ale another look to see if I can squeeze ductwork between a water tank and port side of hull. I really do not want to rob space from the bookshelf or cubbies.

This is my install in a 32-III with a Ocean Breeze 16.5K btu unit with electric heat. The electric heat is great on the hard, as well as the cool spring and fall nights (Chesapeake Bay). If I had an enclosed aft berth I would have run duct work there, but this works fine supplied to the main cabin with a couple of clip fans to help circulation:

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...ettee-locker32-3&p=86825&highlight=#post86825

Ocean Breeze is a good unit, customer service communications were a little shakey when I had problems with the supplied CAL pump, but we got everything worked out in the end. I would just buy a March pump upfront and forget about using a CAL pump.

- Steve Pretti

 

[hilco woudstra]

sketcher/E-35

My 35 is a little different in layout, but I came close to chain plate at bulkhead. Made a oval cut through and flexed the air line to squeeze by.
There is always something in the way....but alternates.

Sketcher

 

[Randy Rutledge]

One of my E29s has a Marineair ant the other has Mermaid, the Marineair has automatic switching from cook to heat by temperature with no switch change, the Mermaid is quitter (may be the installation or unit). both are 12000 and do a great job of cooling and heating the boats. minimal duct work and both distribute the air well in the 29s. I have worked with customer service on both and found each very helpful .

Good luck and keep cool.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

One question concerning fusing. The Marineair manual says the maximum fuse is 40A. My shore AC panel is limited to 30 A and I suspect most others are as well. Obviously putting 40 A fuse (or circuit breaker) in series with the main breaker which is 30A offers no protection nor isolation. The PO has just connected the main power lead to the bottom of the main 30A breaker but I think this unit should have a separate switch and circuit breaker of its own. I was thinking of a second 30 A circuit breaker and switch in series with the main breaker but it is not clear which one would trip first, maybe a 25 A so that it goes before he main breaker does. I tried to ask Blue Seas for advice, they punted and recommended I talk to a licensed ABCY electrician. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Tom Metzger]

...I was thinking of a second 30 A circuit breaker and switch in series with the main breaker but it is not clear which one would trip first, maybe a 25 A so that it goes before he main breaker does.

Herb - You are correct. It is wrong to put fuses and/or breakers of the same size or very close to the the same size in series with one another. It creates a race to see which one blows. In the case of fuses while one will obviously blow first the second one may be damaged and not carry the required current in the future.

 

[HerbertFriedman]

Tom, I agree with your comments. I had thought that putting a 30A fuse in series 30A main circuit breaker might work since I believe that fuses blow much faster than do circuit breakers but when I asked Blue Seas this question, they punted and said I should seek professional help. I also thought of putting a completely separate 30A line (with 30A circuit breaker) with a separate plugs but both would come from the same dock box, so I am not sure if that helps any. A dock neighbor suggested that I put in two lines (with two plugs) and "borrow" power from my dock neighbor. this was said "tongue in cheek" but I wonder??

 

[Alan Gomes]

...but when I asked Blue Seas this question, they punted and said I should seek professional help....

Wow! That was rude!

 

[GrandpaSteve]

Air Conditioning Breaker size

One question concerning fusing. The Marineair manual says the maximum fuse is 40A. My shore AC panel is limited to 30 A and I suspect most others are as well. Obviously putting 40 A fuse (or circuit breaker) in series with the main breaker which is 30A offers no protection nor isolation. The PO has just connected the main power lead to the bottom of the main 30A breaker but I think this unit should have a separate switch and circuit breaker of its own. I was thinking of a second 30 A circuit breaker and switch in series with the main breaker but it is not clear which one would trip first, maybe a 25 A so that it goes before he main breaker does. I tried to ask Blue Seas for advice, they punted and recommended I talk to a licensed ABCY electrician. Any thoughts on this?

The air conditioning unit should be on it's own breaker - in all my research I did not see any unit up to 16.5 k that would require more than a 25A breaker. 30A service to the boat covers my air conditioning and battery charger, which is all I am using in the heat.

I recommend calling Marineair and asking about the Max breaker rating.

Steve Pretti

 

[Tom Metzger]

Wow! That was rude!

Smart, actually. They have to assume that if you ask the question you don't know what you are doing and they don't want to "own" the project when the lawyers get involved.

I don't have to worry about it. My license is expired and my psychiatrist tells me that no court would believe someone took my word for anything.

 

[Alan Gomes]

Smart, actually. They have to assume that if you ask the question you don't know what you are doing and they don't want to "own" the project when the lawyers get involved.

I don't have to worry about it. My license is expired and my psychiatrist tells me that no court would believe someone took my word for anything.

I agree with you totally, Tom. I just got a chuckle out of how Herb stated it!

 

[Tom Metzger]

I also thought of putting a completely separate 30A line (with 30A circuit breaker) with a separate plugs but both would come from the same dock box, so I am not sure if that helps any. A dock neighbor suggested that I put in two lines (with two plugs) and "borrow" power from my dock neighbor. this was said "tongue in cheek" but I wonder??

If the AC and heat work with the existing 30 amp breaker why are you worried about the source? Put in a 25 amp breaker (Steve's recommendation and Marine Air's requirement for 16000 BTU unit), sit back and enjoy the coolth.

 

[Stickman]

AC questions. Thank you

I really appreciate everyone's input. I have a much better plan. Really glad I bought an Ericson 34 and joined this group.

Thank you!


kindest regards,

larry stickler

My 35 is a little different in layout, but I came close to chain plate at bulkhead. Made a oval cut through and flexed the air line to squeeze by.
There is always something in the way....but alternates.

Sketcher