History with Air Conditioners

[Pete]

I would like to hear from owners who have AC units that are more than two years old. I general, I would be interested in the pros and cons about your specific brand. There are several choices out there: Mermaid, Cabin Mate, Cool Mate, etc, I am looking to get some sense of how your brand unit held up? There are a few other questions too...



1. Would you replace your current AC with the same brand?

2. What size, given your boat size, do you have (do you live south or north?)

3. What would you do differently, if replacing your unit? Things like placement, parts, options, etc.

Thanks,

Hot in NC, Pete

[Bob L]

Pete,

We have a nicely installed A/C (marine air systems from Pompano Beach). It was installed in 1987 or so and is still working fine. We've had our 32 for 6 years and had to replace the water pump that first year. Other than that, I can find no record of any problems with the unit.

I think our unit is a 12,000 BTU which works nicely on extremely hot days. It's a reverse cycle unit so it heats or cools. I can't really answer any of your other questions since we have never considered replacing it.

Bob

[Ed Haley]

After debating it for many years, this summer proved that AC would be a welcome addition for our CD330. When it's hot up here in the Great Lakes it usually (usually) means no wind. Even if it means staying in port, I would rather sit out a day that I would have to motor rather than subject ourselves to biting flies, triple sun exposure and the heat in the cabin from a cooling engine when anchoring or at a dock later in the day. My family has a low tolerance for heat. Besides, we like to sail.

If we could entice maybe 10 boat owners to install AC, say from Marine Air, I wonder if we could all receive a group discount using the CDSOA. We might even not have to pay sales tax.

[Chris & Dale Schnell]

We too have debated the merits of an installed system or a carry on, particularly living in the south. We opted for the carry on mainly as a function of usable storage space in the lazarette. Of course we looked at the CruiseAir for almost $800, and though it works well (borrowed a friends once) it was very expensive considering we'd probably use it 1/2 dozen times a year. So off to Lowe's we go and buy the smallest, lightest window unit we could find where the controls would be easily accessible through the center hatch.....$87. Put an additional screen on the backside of the A/C to protect the fins. $10. I have designed a wood platform that rests on the edge of the hatch frame and goes back on the couch roof towards the stern. $6. That took 2 tries to cut right. The biggest challenge so far has been that the return vent is just below the A/C output vent so it was sucking in much of the cold air before it had a chance to get inside the boat. A plastic vent diverter and some velcro over the top half of the return. $4. I will be placing the unit this weekend and cutting out a pattern to be used to make the outside cover for the A/C & Hatch. Went to Walmart and bought a good canvas material to match our linen canvas $4.95 and 2 cans of Camp Dry $6 each (which you actually find in the shoe/boot section). At least 2 coats. A friend has done basically the same thing and spent several days in rain w/no leakage thru his cover. So far....$123.95 for a custom made 6000 btu A/C unit. The only other thing I want is like a heavy duty dive bag that I can place the unit and frame in for ease of carrying. And if the unit goes belly up next year after the warranty (typical), for another $87 or less (they keep getting cheaper) we've got a new unit. Besides, I'd rather put the savings into a real boat toy....a color chart plotter or a new mainsail...aaarrrggghhhh!

[guest]

We purchased a 12,000 BTU Mermaid w/ electric heating element
from Defender two years ago at their booth at the Annapolis Boat Show. It was deliveredto us and we promptly installed it in our CD
33, PAISAN. "We followed thermostat ductwork and hose routing directions very carefully. It works GREAT! the location in our CD33 is the starbd side lockerwhich we hated to give up. the intake thruhull is under the starbd side settee, w/ the hose running next to a strainer just before the pump that is located inside the locker.
From there we routed our hose to the unit which was placed on a shelf w/in the locker and then from the unit to the discharge thruhull. We routed the duct thru the bulkhead dividing the setee and locker and ran 4"dia. back to the vee. It finished out nicely with Teak Supply Louvers. We did have to add another intake louver to the locker door to get correct air floe w/in the locker.
We are considering installing the Condenserator also by Mermaid
to use venturi effect to rid the drain pan into the inline discharge hose. this would keep from draining condesate into the bilge.
there are several considerations, as usual before this step is taken. One is, the head pressure on the pump supplied with the unit may not be enough to creat enough vacuum in the line to have this work. Another is the cautionary language used in the install manual about clogging in the small tube designed to tie into the drain pan.
Cool in Oriental N.C.
l

[bilofsky]

Boy, the home A/C unit sounds interesting. Now you've got me thinking. My CD 30 powerboat has a vertical sliding window in the salon. I wonder if I can find something small enough, and make a frame to fit the window, with a carrying handle.

I'm just starting on an inverter installation, and should be able to run a small A/C underway for some hours off the 50 amp alternator (or a future upgrade) plus the battery bank. Mostly I've been figuring shorepower, although Honda has some sweet 1kw and 2kw carry-on gas generators that are supposed to be super quiet.

So here's my dream installation, now that you've shown me the light: I'm sitting at anchor with a small A/C in the salon window, running off a quiet 1kw generator in the cockpit (with adequate CO venting and of course my CO detector). When the compressor kicks in, the surge will drag the generator down, and the inverter trips the transfer switch and provides the surge current to start the compressor, then drops out again.

Will it work? Who knows, but it's worth trying, and if it doesn't work, then I've got an A/C unit that will run off shorepower and for short cruises off batteries. And I can rent the generator to try it out.

[AnnapolisMark]

Walt:

What you have described is exactly the set-up on my 28FB. The rear salon window behind the ladder was removed and a A/C unit was installed. Plexiglass is installed over the top of the unit. Of couse this eliminates the ventilation from the rear window, but the door is still open. This unit cools the main salon just fine, but does not cool the galley or forward berths. I would highly recommend covering the windshields when trying to cool the salon. I installed a standard marine A/C system with vents in the salon, head, and V-berth, but kept the window unit as a back-up. In addition, I have a portable Honda EU2000i generator that sits behind the ladder in the cockpit. It will runs either A/C unit, but not both at the same time. Inside the saloon the A/C is noisier than the generator. The generator only briefly kicks into high RPM when the compressor is first started.

This has been a great set-up for me.

All the best,

Mark Cline
CD Power 28 FB #219
"Brandywine"
Annapolis, MD

[bilofsky]

Thanks for the info, Mark. How many BTU on your window unit? I am tempted to go with a very small, light unit since I am planning to make it portable/stowable. But I really need 10,000 BTU or more for my salon and am concerned about an underpowered unit being ineffective.

Doesn't the cold air run down into the cabin?

BTW - re the trim tab discussion - does your boat get up on top at all, or just plow through?

[AnnapolisMark]

Hi Walt:

I think it's only a 5000 BTU unit. It was install on the boat when I bought her a few years. No, the cold air does not make it down the Galley or the forward berths. That is why I installed the 10,000 BTU unit under the setee. Besides, I wanted heat as well.

I've found to get the boat on plane, I need to push her to about 3400 - 3500 RPM. I just don't like running her that hard. I stick to around 3000 and get 9 - 10 knots out of her. If I'm not in a hurry, I run her at 2500 and get 8 knots. Fuel consumption drops dramatically. I'm not usually in much of a hurry.

Thanks, Mark

[Chuck]

I have the Mermaid, 12,500 in our CD30. Works great, cools quickly. But, when it cycles the switch kicks in loudly, wakes me up. Anyone else have this same situation? To me it's really annoying. I would certainly check with others about the cycling noise before buying the same brand again.
For What It's Worth

[Pete]

Chuck,

Good point about the noise... BTW, just where on your 30 did you install the unit? What did you have to give up?

Thanks, P

[mashenden]

I became somewhat of an expert by trying about every option possible. Hopefully others can share in my experiences:

Several years ago, first large boat, first warm day (live in Va) - Sweating excessively. Must get fan. Bought 12 volt type. Installed on 2nd hot day.

2nd hot day - Sweating excessively. Must get 110v fan to put in companionway. The air sure felt good.

3rd hot day - 1st humid day - It feels hotter than ... I used to live in Puerto Rico. I have some references to compare temperatures to. Time to try higher technology.

Next weekend I deployed a 6000 BTU window unit in the companionway. Ahhhh, the relief. It worked great on the hottest nights, but struggled a bit during the heat of the day. It would have been acceptable but... well... I like to drink a few beers. The exit at night to go pee with the rest of the family sleeping was less than graceful. After one season I was looking for another solution.

More out of coincidence, a CruiseAire Carry On came on the used market. I bought it for $350. Reason being that it could go in the front hatch freeing up the companionway. My fear that the air blowing right on us in the V berth would be too cold was quickly put to rest when I realized it didn't work that well. Come to find out the rating of boat ACs and the rating of home ACs are not exactly on the same level. Apparently a 6000 BTU home AC has to adhere to higher standards than a 6000 BTU boat AC. While I could not prove this in a court of law, someone in the business told me this and I believe it after comparing the poor results of the CruiseAire to the better results of the window unit.

I sold it immediately for a $200 profit. All in all a learning experience and a profit. Can't really complain.

Next option, given CruiseAire is made in my hometown, was to go to the production plant and talk them into selling a water to air type unit (circulates water to get cool air). After much effort and tweaking, I got it to work, but realized that cleaning the water filter was more work than it was worth. Out it came and back it went.

Finally, I found a air to air house unit. I think it was 25,000 BTU unit. It was a "low profile" style meaning most of the unit hung outside with a smaller than average section inside for the controls and exhaust. To look at the unit from the side, it looked like an inverted "L".

I installed it into the area below the companionway in the cockpit. Inside it was below the companionway bridge above the sink.

Finally a working solution. That thing would cool my 30' boat like a meat locker even on a 100 degree sunny humid day. A teak table covered it. The table could fold down over it to hide it when not in use (I wanted to conserve the classic looks).

Nowadays that boat is sold and probably a reef. I now have a house with AC and a dock so staying on my 18' Ty is only done when the kids get a wild hair and the weather and me allow it

Matt A
Ty Hull # 1324



Hope this helps.

[rtbates]

If you find your CruiseAire ain't cutting it, try shading it. You'll be amassed at the improvement in cold air output!

randy 25D Seraph #161