Anyone here installed air conditioning onboard?

[bsangs]

After a particularly brutal hot stretch while cruising last summer, one that forced us to retreat onto land, and into a nicely-chilled movie theater where "Barbie" was the only option, I was floating around the idea of installing air conditioning in my 35-3. Then I look around the cabin and the idea quickly evaporates, as I haven't the faintest idea where I'd install such a system. The settees all have tanks under them - fuel under quarter berth, water and holding tank under port dinette, water and fridge compressor under starboard, water under v-berth - and the area behind one of the starboard cushions has an engine-driven heater (which I never use). Anyone that's installed AC on their Ericson's, where'd you put it and how difficult an install was it?

 

[Smixon75]

Good day!

Yes!

We increased the size of our starboard settee and installed a Mabru 12KBTU. We love it! So far we've mainly used it for heat as we installed it last November, but its amazing! Please see our post - here.

The Mabru install was simple! The unit is insanely efficient. 12VDC heat pump!

Enlarging the settee was a lot more work!

When we purchased Astral, she had a Marine Air 16k BTU cool only installed in the v-birth in the locker under the birth. That unit did the job as well for a heck of a lot more power.

 

[bsangs]

Good day!

Yes!

We increased the size of our starboard settee and installed a Mabru 12KBTU. We love it! So far we've mainly used it for heat as we installed it last November, but its amazing! Please see our post - here.

The Mabru install was simple! The unit is insanely efficient. 12VDC heat pump!

Enlarging the settee was a lot more work!

When we purchased Astral, she had a Marine Air 16k BTU cool only installed in the v-birth in the locker under the birth. That unit did the job as well for a heck of a lot more power.

Wow. That is some installation/retrofit project you two did there. Very impressive.

 

[alcodiesel]

Wow a 12v heat pump. How cool.
I installed a Marine Air heat pump under the V berth. Had to move the water tank. I imagine something should fit in your big ol 35 with a little imagination.

 

[jtsai]

After a particularly brutal hot stretch while cruising last summer, one that forced us to retreat onto land, and into a nicely-chilled movie theater where "Barbie" was the only option, I was floating around the idea of installing air conditioning in my 35-3. Then I look around the cabin and the idea quickly evaporates, as I haven't the faintest idea where I'd install such a system. The settees all have tanks under them - fuel under quarter berth, water and holding tank under port dinette, water and fridge compressor under starboard, water under v-berth - and the area behind one of the starboard cushions has an engine-driven heater (which I never use). Anyone that's installed AC on their Ericson's, where'd you put it and how difficult an install was it?

Mine is under the saloon settee against the navigation table partition. I have seen installation in the hanging locker which is more optimal for delivering cold air to both the V berth and the saloon.

My unit (Mermaid 12,000 btu) unfortunately developed a leak and lost all the R15 freon. I have been using a window unit for those hot summer nights. Still undecided whether it is worth to replace it.

Also saw "Barbie", weird movie.

 

[Bolo]

A previous owner had installed an AC/Heat pump unit under the V birth and replaced the water tank that was there with a new one in the starboard settee. Soon after we purchased the boat, many years ago, the unit had a fatal breakdown and so we hired out to have a new one installed in its place. Chesapeake bay summers can get quite sultry so we’re glad to have it. I think it’s a Mermaid unit, the smallest they made at that time but it can still turn the boat into a meat locker. A little noisy sometimes when you’re sleeping in the v birth but not bad and better than the alternative which is no air. We’ve even used the heat pump sometimes on those early spring and late fall mornings at the dock.


Air return vent at the seat area of our 32-3. I took cushion out for this image.


Vent located starboard side, foreword area of main cabin.


Round vent just inside of v berth with “new” control panel that replaced old one from broken unit. Doesn’t quite match the old panel plate and it’s on my to do list of “fixing things that work but don’t look right.”