AC duct work for Helm

[belliswood]

1996 370 SunDancer. Rear AC is directly below the helm and I was looking at putting a diverter to direct the air to the helm. Has anyone done this before? Any Ideas for the ducting?
TIA
Barry

 

[barros57]

I was thinking about doing the same thing. Inside the closet in the aft cabin, there are two carpeted wall sections that are removable. The (6"?) duct that goes to the existing vent is hidden back there. I bet you could add a T section and run a smaller duct up to the helm.

 

[sbw1]

1996 370 SunDancer. Rear AC is directly below the helm and I was looking at putting a diverter to direct the air to the helm. Has anyone done this before? Any Ideas for the ducting?
TIA Barry

You are going to need about 28,000 btu's of cooling and a hardtop with a drop curtain to make a difference. A canvas top radiates so much heat into the helm that it overwhelms the cooling effect of small compressors. Boats with a/c'd helms have a dedicated unit for the area. The drop curtain and hardtop contain the cool air in the relatively compact space. Neat idea, but it does not work without the btu's and the right top.

 

[Craig]

No good during the day. Works good at night all zipped up. Nice for when its raining.Used plastic "T" and regular duct. Keeps the humidity down. Not hard to do.

"T" and regular duct.

 

[Robski97]

SW nailed it . During the day ur pissing in the wind with a dedicated a/c unit. A 6" drop is useless except maybe at nite . u want it as high as possible as cold air settles. ur also going to screw over the cabin on a really humid day.

Rob

 

[ttmott]

No good during the day. Works good at night all zipped up. Nice for when its raining.Used plastic "T" and regular duct. Keeps the humidity down. Not hard to do.View attachment 59178 "T" and regular duct.

What do you do for return air? Leave the cabin door open?

 

[Craig]

Yes. Just a bit. Pretty much only use it at night. Takes a 85* @68% humidity cockpit down to 77*@55% In about an hour. Not stellar but bearable.