Recommendations for aftermarket A/C

T

Ten Years Gone

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Mar 1, 2011
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Hopefully I have posted in the correct forum...

As most of you in the Midwest know, this summer has been brutal with record high temperatures...so much so, that we really haven't taken the cruiser out because it has been dangerously hot at times, and downright miserable at others. My logic for not overnighting has been, "Why be miserable on the boat, when we can sit in the A/C that we already pay for at home!"

Anyway, my question is for those of you who have experienced the joy (or hatred) of buying/installing an aftermarket A/C unit in their vessel. I've just started researching the products that are available as self contained DIY kits, and I couldn't believe the prices! As old as A/C technology is, I find it hard to believe that the selling prices are in line with what it actually costs to manufacturer these things! Oh well, I know pleasure boating is not for the faint of heart or wallet, so I will ignore the pricing structure for the moment and concentrate on the product itself.

Would you good people recommend a particular vendor that is well known/established/reputable in the field of marine A/C? Is this something that an individual with engine re-building skills can install himself, or shall I expect to pay someone to retrofit for me? Is it possible to install without making excessive alterations to the interior? I really don't want to mess with cutting up bulkhead/partitions, or having to do fiberglass work. My 250DA doesn't need to be an icebox in the cabin, just comfortable enough to sleep in. I know that I will have to drill for a thru-hull which makes me nervous, and I'm not even sure where to put the unit itself. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I've considered going to look at a 268DA that has factory air to see how it is rigged, but I wonder if that will really tell me much, as I'm sure OEM air from the 80's is somewhat different from what is available on the market now. Your thoughts are appreciated! :smt001

Oh yeah, and I should add that I do have factory 30A shore power. No gennie though. Will have to get a slip for sure next year!
 
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Another option is the Cruisair unit that will fit above your Vbirth Hatch. I have one for my 240 and its gets COLD. I run that in conjunction with a small fan that pushes air to the midbirth and it gets nice and chilly in the cabin. You can get the on craiglist now and then. West Marine sells it new at $1200 which is a ripoff. If you can find a nice used one well worth it to try at least and save you some money. I got mine for $300. I know there are a couple on craigslist in my area for sale right now.
 
I had a Mermaid M6 (6500 btu) unit installed in my 240DA two years ago. Works great and no issues. Several friends in my area went with a similar Mermaid and all reports are good so far. I looked at the portable options which are great money savers and seem to work well; however, I was looking for a factory-like unit and willing to pay more for a professional installation. If you have the skills to install (or know someone who can get it done correctly), you can wind up with a reasonably priced, factory-like solution. If you go that route, I think your idea of looking at a 268DA with factory air is a great idea. My unit was installed in the dead space off the mid-cabin with no loss of cabin/storage space - very clean.

Here is the unit I purchased: http://www.weaversmarine.net/6500acinfo.html
 
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Thanks to everyone for their input and suggestions! I really like the portable install that Half Fast did. That may be an excellent temporary solution for the rest of this summer. I am definitely interested in permanent mounting for the long term. Still hoping to hear from those of you who may have personally installed your own units. Tips, tricks or pertinent knowledge of the possible pitfalls of a DIY installation would be greatly appreciated!
 
TYG,

I did basically what Half Fast did in my 268DA. I purchased the 5000 BTU DANBY unit and ran the exhaust out the upper hatch that is over the kitchen area. The unit sits on top of the stove and drains into the sink. It works great. In the heat of a really hot day, it will keep the cabin area reasonable with mainly the humidity gone. At night is when it really shines and we stay comfy-cool. I keep a small fan blowing in the aft cabin to keep the kids cool and a small fan by the v-berth to keep me cool.
 
has anyone thought about using a 'spot air conditioner' like the one shown below for their boat?.....these are portable units that direct cooled air through a tube so the air can be applied to a direct 'spot'....this way the unit itself can remain outside of the cabin and the cool air can be piped into the cabin via a flexible duct similar to a clothes dryer duct....this would eliminate the problem with hot air being emitted from the unit adding to the amount of warm air that the unit needs to cool....the unit could easily be disconnected from the air supply duct and removed from the boat or stored on the boat when not being used....

some of the units have a temperature sensing remote control that could be used in the cabin to override the thermostat on the unit itself....the remote control would sense the air temp in the cabin and cycle the unit on/off as needed.....even if the unit does not have a temp sensing remote it should be fairly easy to disconnect the thermostat built in the unit and install/wire a thermostat in the cabin with a quick disconnect type connector to plug into the unit....

the unit would need to be sheltered if used when it is raining... a weatherproof cover could be used to protect the unit when stored on the boat if covered storage is not available.....

here is the link to the unit below....
http://novatechgadgets.com/windchaser.html


cliff

yhst-28553301169418_2219_1513814437
 
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Once you cut the first hole, the rest is easy. My fear was cutting the first hole. I watched it being done on my Regal. It's not hard at all. I went through all the girations of portable and hatch and etc...... I ended up with a marine unit. Best move I ever made.

The important thing is proper sizing. I had a 2465 Regal. The factory air was 5K BTU. Customers raised hell. The proper size was 7.5K BTU. Dometic (Cruiseair) did not make a 7.5 unit. My AC guy upped it to a 10K. You could hang meat in the thing.


Here is a good sizing guide.


http://flagshipmarine.com/sizeboat.html
 
CliffA said:
has anyone thought about using a 'spot air conditioner' like the one shown below for their boat?.....these are portable units that direct cooled air through a tube so the air can be applied to a direct 'spot'....this way the unit itself can remain outside of the cabin and the cool air can be piped into the cabin via a flexible duct similar to a clothes dryer duct....this would eliminate the problem with hot air being emitted from the unit adding to the amount of warm air that the unit needs to cool....the unit could easily be disconnected from the air supply duct and removed from the boat or stored on the boat when not being used....

some of the units have a temperature sensing remote control that could be used in the cabin to override the thermostat on the unit itself....the remote control would sense the air temp in the cabin and cycle the unit on/off as needed.....even if the unit does not have a temp sensing remote it should be fairly easy to disconnect the thermostat built in the unit and install/wire a thermostat in the cabin with a quick disconnect type connector to plug into the unit....

the unit would need to be sheltered if used when it is raining... a weatherproof cover could be used to protect the unit when stored on the boat if covered storage is not available.....

here is the link to the unit below....
http://novatechgadgets.com/windchaser.html


cliff

yhst-28553301169418_2219_1513814437
Click to expand...



Reminds me of a Honda Portable Genny.........Opps..
 
Pyrojodge said:
Try these guys... http://www.oceanbreezeac.com/I have several friends that have installed these units and are very satisfied with everything. From what I under stand customer service is great also.
Click to expand...

I installed an Ocean Breeze on my 320DA. It was not reverse cycle so it used a heating strip for heat so the circuit had to be upgraded, but it worked just fine.
 
I installed a Mermaid 9000btu reverse cycle in my old my 27 footer.
Worked great and DIY installed.
Easy once we willingly gave up the storage space for the unit and ducting.
Family wont sleep aboard without it now.....its not the heat but, humidity that make it sooo much better.
Good luck,
 
i came across this web site this w/e while doing a little research on AC units for boats with small cabins...this company makes 2,500 and 7,000 BTU compact units that are designed to withstand the elements and they have both AC and heat....the cool/warm air supply and return ducts are flexible hoses similar to clothes dryer hoses which allows for many installation options....i can see how a unit like this could easily be adpated to work on a boat....the 2,500 BTU unit is small enough to fit under the captains seat on my boat...it only draws around 53 watts of power when the compressor is running so if my research is correct two fully charged group 27 batteries with 100ah capacity each and a 1500 watt inverter should run the unit around 18 hours...the actual operating time from the batteries would likely be longer because the compressor would likely not need to run for 18 continuous hours since it should cycle on and off to maintain the set temp in the cabin....that would eliminate the cost of a generator, the noise from a generator, and the concerns with CO poisoning from a genny's exhaust....that would be perfect for an over night trip or just a long day trip in the hot summer sun...i'm sure there would be a way to use the engine alternator to recharge the AC batteries via a selector switch of some sort....i already have a selector switch for the starter and house batteries now so a new switch would have to be wired in to allow for the selection of the AC batteries to be charged from the engine or from shore power.....i can fit 2 or 3 batteries under the passenger seat on my boat......so the AC unit and the batteries would be out of sight and not take up any valuable floor space in my relatively small boat....the loss of the underseat storage would not be a big deal for me....i figure the cost to be around $1,000 - 1,200 to buy the AC unit, two group 27 batteries, and a 1500 watt inverter and wiring for the inverter....not too bad of cost for the addition of AC and heat to a boat cabin.....

cliff

http://www.climaterightair.com/cr-2550
 
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CliffA said:
i came across this web site this w/e while doing a little research on AC units for boats with small cabins...this company makes 2,500 and 7,000 BTU compact units that are designed to withstand the elements and they have both AC and heat....the cool/warm air supply and return ducts are flexible hoses similar to clothes dryer hoses which allows for many installation options....i can see how a unit like this could easily be adpated to work on a boat....the 2,500 BTU unit is small enough to fit under the captains seat on my boat...it only draws around 53 watts of power when the compressor is running so if my research is correct two fully charged group 27 batteries with 100ah capacity each and a 1500 watt inverter should run the unit around 18 hours...the actual operating time from the batteries would likely be longer because the compressor would likely not need to run for 18 continuous hours since it should cycle on and off to maintain the set temp in the cabin....that would eliminate the cost of a generator, the noise from a generator, and the concerns with CO poisoning from a genny's exhaust....that would be perfect for an over night trip or just a long day trip in the hot summer sun...i'm sure there would be a way to use the engine alternator to recharge the AC batteries via a selector switch of some sort....i already have a selector switch for the starter and house batteries now so a new switch would have to be wired in to allow for the selection of the AC batteries to be charged from the engine or from shore power.....i can fit 2 or 3 batteries under the passenger seat on my boat......so the AC unit and the batteries would be out of sight and not take up any valuable floor space in my relatively small boat....the loss of the underseat storage would not be a big deal for me....i figure the cost to be around $1,000 - 1,200 to buy the AC unit, two group 27 batteries, and a 1500 watt inverter and wiring for the inverter....not too bad of cost for the addition of AC and heat to a boat cabin.....

cliff

http://www.climaterightair.com/cr-2550
Click to expand...

Don't want to be a downer but some things to consider:


  • Even with a tiny cabin in your 21 - 2500 btu is not very much cooling. Every time you open that cabin door you are going to have to start form scratch. And at .08gph dehumidifying capacity - you're not going to get much humidity out of there if any - which IMO is even more uncomfortable than the heat when sleeping on the boat. From the manufacturer's FAQ: IMPORTANT NOTE: Let Climate Right run for about 48 hours continuously for peak performance. Do not expect Climate Right to work in minutes, or even a few hours. It may take this amount of time to optimize your climate.
  • Seems like a lot of modifications - I went with an unproven DIY approach but my investment was small and I had zero permanent modifications - I'd hate to see you putting all that in, cutting holes into your cabin, etc. - for nothing.
  • Are you sure the outside unit can operate in such an enclosed space (under your seat)? And is it really going to fit under there? Especially with the hoses attached and bending to wherever they are headed ..
  • And how are you planning on getting those hoses from the unit under your seat to your cabin? I'm not sure I agree that two 3+ inch hoses gives a lot of installation options. Also they can't go into the cabin next to one another, or it will suck the cold air right back out. The hoses need to be far apart from each other so one is pulling warm air and the other is blowing cold air.
  • Even if all of the above were rectified - group 27 deep cycles may not be the best bet - see this post: http://powerinverter.blogspot.com/2005/06/power-inverters-and-air-conditioners.html. I have seen golf cart batteries recommended elsewhere as well.
 
Half Fast said:
Don't want to be a downer but some things to consider:


  • Even with a tiny cabin in your 21 - 2500 btu is not very much cooling. Every time you open that cabin door you are going to have to start form scratch. And at .08gph dehumidifying capacity - you're not going to get much humidity out of there if any - which IMO is even more uncomfortable than the heat when sleeping on the boat. From the manufacturer's FAQ: IMPORTANT NOTE: Let Climate Right run for about 48 hours continuously for peak performance. Do not expect Climate Right to work in minutes, or even a few hours. It may take this amount of time to optimize your climate.
  • Seems like a lot of modifications - I went with an unproven DIY approach but my investment was small and I had zero permanent modifications - I'd hate to see you putting all that in, cutting holes into your cabin, etc. - for nothing.
  • Are you sure the outside unit can operate in such an enclosed space (under your seat)? And is it really going to fit under there? Especially with the hoses attached and bending to wherever they are headed ..
  • And how are you planning on getting those hoses from the unit under your seat to your cabin? I'm not sure I agree that two 3+ inch hoses gives a lot of installation options. Also they can't go into the cabin next to one another, or it will suck the cold air right back out. The hoses need to be far apart from each other so one is pulling warm air and the other is blowing cold air.
  • Even if all of the above were rectified - group 27 deep cycles may not be the best bet - see this post: http://powerinverter.blogspot.com/2005/06/power-inverters-and-air-conditioners.html. I have seen golf cart batteries recommended elsewhere as well.
Click to expand...

yeah, i have been thinking a lot about the ecxact same things....on the surface it seems like a doable project but i am thinking 2,500 BTU's won't be enough cooling when the ambient temp is 100* and the humidity is 90%...maybe if the boat cabin was air tight and had fully insulated walls and ceiling, which of course it does not....i don't like the idea of cutting the boat up if the performance of a project is even slightly questionable, which in this case it is....so i will just wait until we get a larger boat to be able to enjoy the creature comforts of AC and heat....we can get by with fans for right now....

thanks for the input...

cliff
 
Bought a 1999 Sundancer w/o the aircon system, was also recommended to install the Mermaid 9000btu but only need cooling as will be exporting to sunny Singapore. Question: Where and how did you install the Mermaid 9000btu, ductings and which generator did you use? Thanks very much...

Air O'Nautical said:
I installed a Mermaid 9000btu reverse cycle in my old my 27 footer.
Worked great and DIY installed.
Easy once we willingly gave up the storage space for the unit and ducting.
Family wont sleep aboard without it now.....its not the heat but, humidity that make it sooo much better.
Good luck,
Click to expand...
 
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