Portable air conditioners

[1911tex]

Spent the night on the boat last night to do some wiring work...crazy huh? Wife thought so. 95 degrees during the day, 72 nights. All night a pool of sweat. Any thoughts on this subject? BTU's? Shore power only. Below is for reference only:

Portable Air Conditioners in Air Conditioners - Walmart.com

Shop for Portable Air Conditioners in Air Conditioners. Buy products such as Arctic Air Pure Chill at Walmart and save.

www.walmart.com

Robot or human?

 

[eknebel]

I tried one of the portables with a single outlet hose, and it was not very effective. The problem is that it exhausts the cooled air from the room out the exhaust hose, while getting rid of the heat from the ac coil. The models with a intake and exhaust hose are much more effective I hear. by far the cheapest, easiest way for those occasional nights at a slip is a window ac unit in the companionway. 72 is a good temp, but must be humid, makes me sweat just thinking about it!

 

[1911tex]

I tried one of the portables with a single outlet hose, and it was not very effective. The problem is that it exhausts the cooled air from the room out the exhaust hose, while getting rid of the heat from the ac coil. The models with a intake and exhaust hose are much more effective I hear. by far the cheapest, easiest way for those occasional nights at a slip is a window ac unit in the companionway. 72 is a good temp, but must be humid, makes me sweat just thinking about it!

I thought about that Ed, window units are the best...Home Depot has one but it weighs 70#, hard to maneuver and blocks the companionway (or I should say access the head)?

Toshiba 10,000 BTU 115-Volt Smart Wi-Fi Window Air Conditioner with Remote and ENERGY STAR RAC-WK1011ESCWU - The Home Depot

The Toshiba Smart 10,000 BTU/h window air conditioner has the power to cool up to 450 sq. ft. with a sleek design, a unique touch control interface and a compact remote control. Smart functionalities include a smartphone app to control your AC through Wi-Fi from anywhere, at home or through the...

www.homedepot.com

 

[Loren Beach]

Until you find a portable AC solution...
We have three of the Hella fans, both sleeping areas and the main cabin.
Description: Hella Marine 2-speed Turbo Fan, 12 volt.

We get some pretty hot days on the river in August, like 90 or so.
When it cools down to 70 at night it is still uncomfortable, and any wind also dies.
These draw very little power and do move a lot of air.
Available from many marine (and RV sources), here is one link:

Hella Marine 2-Speed Turbo Fan - 12v - Black

HELLA 2 SPEED TURBO FAN 12V BLACK2Speed Turbo Fan 12V BlackUniversal fans from the versatile and well respected ldquoTurbordquo rangeCan be turned and pivoted in all directions, and locked in positionFeaturesQuality German motor provides...

www.hodgesmarine.com

 

[Tin Kicker]

I've seen people using these but know nothing about them.

Thru-Hatch Portable Air Conditioner | West Marine

Check out our Thru-Hatch Portable Air Conditioner and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

 

[1911tex]

I've seen people using these but know nothing about them.

Thru-Hatch Portable Air Conditioner | West Marine

Check out our Thru-Hatch Portable Air Conditioner and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

What a great idea! Problem..."no longer available" !

 

[Slick470]

This has been something that I have been looking for a good solution for for some time. I don't want to add the weight and complexity of a built in system on our relatively simple 30 footer, but there are days where being on the boat and working on projects is unbearable even with several fans running. Ultimately, I'll probably end up with one of the smaller window type A/C units in the companionway. Like that Pompanette product, here are a couple other good products that I've found that are also no longer available:

• Cruise Aire : https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--carry-on-air-conditioner-7-000-btu--12025763 A few friends have these, so they are around and can be found on the used market, but you can't get new ones. Cruise Aire is still around though as a Dometic Brand.
• Kruzin Cool: https://www.tjtrailers.com/store/kruzin-kool-air-conditioner.html I remember these from sailing as a kid. I think they are a bit more efficient because they are water cooled. A bit bigger (and a lot heavier) than a suitcase. But a pretty nifty temporary solution. The link has a price, so maybe you can still buy one, but the company who made them was bought by someone else a long time ago.

There is also this kickstarter that has been delayed for a while, but the size is promising. The price is pretty high though for a window unit:
https://www.kapsulair.com/

With the resurgence in camper vans I keep hoping that someone will come up with a small, efficient, air cooled, portable (or at least stowable), and relatively affordable solution, but I haven't seen much.

There are a lot of portable "air coolers" out there that are basically mini swamp coolers. They do work, especially in dryer areas, but introducing another humidity source on a boat doesn't seem like the best plan.

 

[1911tex]

Just found this video of window ac installed in companionway....affords ideas for further development:

 

[Tin Kicker]

To use a room a/c:

Amazon.com : Moby Cool Home Air Conditioning Conversion Hood (Standard Height) : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Moby Cool Home Air Conditioning Conversion Hood (Standard Height) : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

DIY:

Account Suspended

Or maybe look into an RV rooftop one?

 

[1911tex]

Tin Kicker: The Moby Cool conversion hood is $159. A 6000btu Home Depot window unit south of $200. $360 investment plus how to keep the a/c unit from dancing on the cabin roof? Keep these idea flowing...!!! An ingenious sailor may be able to design and patent an idea along these lines and then live up on snob hill for his/her efforts!

Here is your idea for a RV rooftop unit...looks good, will look into it:

Coleman 13500 BTU RV Air Conditioner Top Unit

www.rvpartscountry.com

 

[Slick470]

I think the downside to the RV roof ones is they are generally pretty large and that one in your link above is 108 pounds. Not really portable.

 

[1911tex]

I think the downside to the RV roof ones is they are generally pretty large and that one in your link above is 108 pounds. Not really portable.

You are correct...would need to be a permanent fixture and don't know if there is room over the salon overhead vent....

 

[toddster]

Just to play devil's advocate: While this is not something I'd have ever thought to buy full-price in our PNW climate, I did come across a deal I couldn't pass up on a small Webasto FCF heat pump*. So they do come up on Craigslist and Ebay once in a while.

Much more convenient than a window unit. It really is very compact and quiet. And the built-in "duct" that runs over the hull/deck joint of some Ericson models makes a pretty convenient HVAC duct, with a little minor modification. For now, I've just got it plumbed in parallel to the head through-hulls.

(A trucker thought it would cool his cab, if it was plumbed into the radiator. "Doesn't work!" Actually works pretty well when plumbed into the river, or the ocean!)

 

[Slick470]

Toddster, if I understand you correctly, you just t-tapped your head through hulls for the AC? Interesting.... It's always been the extra holes in the boat that have put me off an installed solution. Well, the price too, but I think there are options that aren't too bad.

 

[Pat C.]

I own the same model boat you have and live in the same state. Years ago I owned one of the carry on Cruisair models, 7000 BTU. It would work okay if I closed the door to the V Berth and used an awning to shelter the unit and the bow from the sun. Noisy, bulky, if you can find one cheap as a stop gap for a short while, fine, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone as a solution for this boat. Couple years after I installed a central CruisAir unit with water cooling, makes all the difference. I think the central unit is 16000 BTU. In this state, unfortunately, you'll need more BTUs and water cooling to achieve a result you will be happy with.

 

[eknebel]

Pat C., your right on comments highlighted the issue of thermal load from the sun. my 7,000 btu Dometic in the forward hatch secures well with straps, but cant keep the cabin very cool in the hot sun. unless i close the door and just cool the v berth. When the sun starts to wane, then it can cool the entire boat easily. with the calculators on line i should have 12,000 btu. So Pat C. has the best solution, with the sizing figured out for you.
1911tex, best wishes on your decision, you may find you use the ac more often, perhaps arriving late to the boat Fridays, sleeping onboard for a early start sailing Saturday. Or doing boat maintenance...

 

[Hcard]

So...at the end there is no best option for an AC than buying a $2k dedicated 16BTU AC? Many thanks

 

[Bolo]

So...at the end there is no best option for an AC than buying a $2k dedicated 16BTU AC? Many thanks

I just browsed through all the postings about this subject (because it came up in the "What's New" listing on this site. IMO, the best solution is to install a "permanent" AC/Heater unit in the boat especially if you sail in an area of the country where the weather can get quite hot and steamy. For me it's the Chesapeake Bay where those "hazy, lazy days of summer" can melt the ice in your drink before you're finished with it. My previous boat, before my current E32-3, was a Hunter 285 with no built in AC. We tried for several seasons to get through the summers but in the end, after a hot day of sailing back at the dock it was unbearable. A quick dip to the marina pool (if there was one) helped but not with sleeping at night. So we purchased on eBay a used "through the hatch AC". It more then cooled the boat but it was very noisy and it was heavy. Plus there was the issue of where to keep it when not in use. My E32-3 came with an AC/Heat pump installed (although I did have to replace the compressor) and it is still a bit noisy when sleeping but not nearly as bad as the through the hatch model. Same goes for the heater mode but I consider it a luxury (my first mate considers it a necessity) to have some cooling or heat (all at the dock of course) when it's really needed. Just open a seacock and flick the switch. It makes sleeping easier and doing interior boat maintenance below much nice in July, August and September.

 

[Hcard]

Thank you!

 

[1911tex]

We had a Dometic 16k BTU AC/heat pump installed last summer. Expensive, yes, worth it....without a doubt! We call our Ericson "Our cabin on the lake"; which doubles as an enjoyable sailboat the majority of the time. At the dock, this unit will bring a 95 degree interior down to 72 degrees in 25 minutes in the entire cabin, after an enjoyable sail on a breezy warm summer day; or a freezing cold winter day up to 70 degrees in the same amount of time....absolutely worth it. Sits under the cabin starboard settee out of sight and mind....until needed; then flick the dedicated master switch and open the seacock for water cooling/heating, flick the thermostat on...and enjoy!