Boat heat and air system installations are a joke

Carpediem44DB

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2015
3,230
Sanfransico Bay area
Boat Info
2000 Carver 506
2006 44 DB Sedan Bridge
Engines
Volvo TAMD 74 P
This is the first winter we are enjoying on the 506. We have 6 heat and a/c units. The four cabin units are 16000 BTU Dometic units installed in large compartments under the beds or under lockers. The units are secured to the decking and a hole has been cut and filled with a louvered panel of some sort for the return air from the associated cabin and then the treated air is routed via flex ducting to a poorly placed but convenient outlet. It takes forever for the cabin to warm up from the high 40's to 70 degrees in the morning and then the system runs for quite a while when it cycles at the temp selected at the controller. Upon investigation since these units have no return air ducting, they take air in from the surrounding area and whatever comes in through the return vent on the cabin wall. Most of these areas however are unsealed and open to the cold air from outside the cabin area. There is just a simple dust collecting half ass filter at the heat exchanger to boot. I will be fabricating actual sealed return air ducts that will accept household air filters. I would love to plumb the system with better placement of outlet air vents as well but that would involve a lot of cabinetry removal and modification which is not worth it but I think recycling only the air in the cabins and not outside air will make the system much more efficient.
CD
 
This is the first winter we are enjoying on the 506. We have 6 heat and a/c units. The four cabin units are 16000 BTU Dometic units installed in large compartments under the beds or under lockers. The units are secured to the decking and a hole has been cut and filled with a louvered panel of some sort for the return air from the associated cabin and then the treated air is routed via flex ducting to a poorly placed but convenient outlet. It takes forever for the cabin to warm up from the high 40's to 70 degrees in the morning and then the system runs for quite a while when it cycles at the temp selected at the controller. Upon investigation since these units have no return air ducting, they take air in from the surrounding area and whatever comes in through the return vent on the cabin wall. Most of these areas however are unsealed and open to the cold air from outside the cabin area. There is just a simple dust collecting half ass filter at the heat exchanger to boot. I will be fabricating actual sealed return air ducts that will accept household air filters. I would love to plumb the system with better placement of outlet air vents as well but that would involve a lot of cabinetry removal and modification which is not worth it but I think recycling only the air in the cabins and not outside air will make the system much more efficient.
CD

i always thought the same. Our 410 only has two units and both are somewhat centrally located but they cycle often since the intake is just open to the room. It should have proper returns in a couple
Locations and a properly located thermistat sensor. I set our fans to run constantly so the air or recirculated otherwise the temp swings are outrageous
 
We have two units with the same poor air return designs... I leave the fan on a low-speed setting with no cycling and find I'm much more comfortable.
 
i always thought the same. Our 410 only has two units and both are somewhat centrally located but they cycle often since the intake is just open to the room. It should have proper returns in a couple
Locations and a properly located thermistat sensor. I set our fans to run constantly so the air or recirculated otherwise the temp swings are outrageous

You can move the temp sensor probe to anywhere you choose. As you can see in the attached pic, I moved mine outside of the salon couch so it is sensing the air before it goes thru the air intake vent:
upload_2022-1-2_15-12-27.jpeg
 
You can move the temp sensor probe to anywhere you choose. As you can see in the attached pic, I moved mine outside of the salon couch so it is sensing the air before it goes thru the air intake vent:
View attachment 117792

i did move it in the old boat, considered it for this one as well. Do you find it keeps the cabin more even?
 

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