Air conditioning?

T

tparrent

New member
Earlier today I was trying to figure out how to setup my home office to minimize distractions. My four year old son, Spike, can make that a challenge! When he's around there's just no way that I can concentrate on writing - mostly because I can't resist playing with him.

I then realized I may have the perfect mobile office in my CD 22! Jordan Lake (NC) is less than 15 minutes away so I can be in a quiet cove a half hour after leaving the house. That's less time than it takes to get to my soon-to-be-former office.

All I need is a computer, some quiet and a cooler fool of goodies and I'm set for the day - or so I thought. Then I stepped outside and realized that the Carolina summer is not real conducive to long bouts of thoughtfulness. At best, the heat would drop me into a slumber.

I recall that some of you have small air conditioning units on your boats. Do they all run off of shore power or can you run it off a generator? I don't know generators form blenders so please forgive my basic questions. Are they reasonably quiet? Do you just plug in the shore power connection? Do they produce AC or DC current? Are the air conditioning units AC or DC? Can you run a generator off a line from the main fuel tanks or do they use integral tanks?

I realize that a couple of fans running off of battery power are much simpler but I am not sure they will be sufficient on all of those high 90s days we get here. If I can set up the boat to be extremely comfortable, I think this portable office idea just might work.

Oh, one other thought. Are the A/C units reverse cycle systems that could also heat the boat? I don't have much need for heat even though I boat year round but if that is an option I would want to know up front.

Thanks! I'm sure I will be back with many more questions as I get into outfitting the new boat.
 
tparrent":3r85ring said:
Earlier today I was trying to figure out how to setup my home office to minimize distractions. My four year old son, Spike, can make that a challenge! When he's around there's just no way that I can concentrate on writing - mostly because I can't resist playing with him.

I then realized I may have the perfect mobile office in my CD 22! Jordan Lake (NC) is less than 15 minutes away so I can be in a quiet cove a half hour after leaving the house. That's less time than it takes to get to my soon-to-be-former office.

All I need is a computer, some quiet and a cooler fool of goodies and I'm set for the day - or so I thought. Then I stepped outside and realized that the Carolina summer is not real conducive to long bouts of thoughtfulness. At best, the heat would drop me into a slumber.

I recall that some of you have small air conditioning units on your boats. Do they all run off of shore power or can you run it off a generator?

We have a Frigidaire 5000 BTU unit that easily fits in the front window. It will, of course, run on shore power and our Honda IU 2000 generator.

I don't know generators form blenders so please forgive my basic questions. Are they reasonably quiet? Do you just plug in the shore power connection? Do they produce AC or DC current? Are the air conditioning units AC or DC? Can you run a generator off a line from the main fuel tanks or do they use integral tanks?

The Honda is relatively quiet and with the cabin door closed and the air conditioner on the generator noise is not noticable. You plug the shore power cord into the generator using a 15 amp converter. We put the generator on a large ice chest so the exaust vents over the gunnel. The generator produces AC electricity which is what the AC needs. The internal tank will run the Generator for 7 or 8 hours, I don't think it is practical to attempt to connect the boat tanks to the genset. Some folks get by with a 1000 watt generator, an even better arrangement as well as less expensive.

I realize that a couple of fans running off of battery power are much simpler but I am not sure they will be sufficient on all of those high 90s days we get here. If I can set up the boat to be extremely comfortable, I think this portable office idea just might work. Agree

Oh, one other thought. Are the A/C units reverse cycle systems that could also heat the boat? I don't have much need for heat even though I boat year round but if that is an option I would want to know up front.

No heat strip available with most small AC units that I am aware of. Heat strip would probably require much more power than a generator would produce.

Thanks! I'm sure I will be back with many more questions as I get into outfitting the new boat.
Click to expand...
 
The window 5,000 BTU unit is certainly the cheapest and simplest approach. There are multiple threads on using RV roof air conditioners. Some of these do have reverse cycle--but i don't think that is really practical.

Yes, the 5,000 watt units do run on the Honda eu 1000i generators. I don't know anything about putting one of the Hondas in an ice chest--but can visualize all types of problems--ranging from cooling (they are air cooled), danger of fume ignition, and heat from the exhaust.) We put our Honda on top of a Plastic Milk crate and then have the exhaust pointed aft, with the boat anchored bow to wind. The crate on the swim step keeps the generator out of the boat--we also had a platform made for the generator in the CD 25 with a SS tubing rack in the splash well.

We use a 6 gallon external tank for the EU 2000i which is necessary to run the 8300 BTU airconditioner on the Tom Cat. From my experience in Florida heat 7 to 8 hours run time even on the EU 1000 with a 5000 BTU AC unit seems a bit optimistic.

There are also inverters which change 12 volts DC to 120 Volts AC, but you need large battery banks for this--and probably not practical for your needs.

If you put in 120 volts AC, wire the boat properly for it, don't just use an extension cord.

IMG_0543.sized.jpg
Inside part of roof air conditioner unit Tom Cat 255.
C_Dory_25_AC_and_railing_008.jpg
Inside of $89 WalMart window unit in C Dory 25

Any of these units can run from dock side power of 15 amps.
 
A small window unit A/C in the front window; a 2000 watt Honda generator; a pigtail that has a household 3-prong plug that plugs into the generator and a 30 amp receptacle at the other end into which the 30-amp shore power cord plugs in. A full tank of gas in the generator (about 1.1 gallons) lasts about 6 hours in the Texas summer (at night). The generator can run in the ECO (economy) mode.

If you go this route, make sure that the cold air vent on the A/C directs the air forward, not diagonally upwards. The latter design necessitates tilting the A/C unit, which interferes with the water drain on the back of the unit. It can be done (we did it) but it just makes the setup a little harder.
 
Dr. Bob and all,

Our Honda eu2000i generator goes ON a large ice chest, not IN it. You are so right that would be dangerous in addition to destroying the generator.

Best,
Harper
 
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