How well are the 5000 BTU air conditioners working?

B

Best Day

New member
Hi all, if you have been reading my other post I am trying to figure out what kind and size of AC to put in my boat. I'm going to the Sea of Cortez for 2 weeks in August and will need AC. So to all of you that use a 5000 BTU AC in the front window of a 22, how well does it work? Have any of you used it in 100 degree weather in full sun? If so what kind of temperatures do you get in the cabin? Also has anyone found a good way to secure it? I'm hoping to be able to leave it in the front window for short trips.

Thanks for the advice and input,
Bill
 
I've been using the Artic King 5K BTU from Walmart for the past week while working on the interior of my boat. It's been between 95 and 100 degrees here and my boat is in full sun and it works great. Once I get it cooled down I can run the thing on low cool. I've got my window curtains down to block the sun. The V-berth is warmer of course but not uncomfortably so. You could use a small fan to direct the cool air into the v-berth if it was a problem. The unit barely fits in the window and I used towels around it. Its a little cumbersome to put it in the window but doable. As far as mounting it mine is just sitting in the window and I have a 2 1/4" block of wood under it on the outside to support the weight with a towel around it to fill the gap.
 
We used the Artic King last July and August in Pensacola, while I was working on the inside of the CD 25 (the 23 is considerably smaller volume). I also insulated the windows with the auto windshild bubble/reflective material. This brought the inside temp to 20 degrees below ambient temp--so if ambient temp was 95, the inside of the boat was 75--if 100, the boat was 80. Not chilling, but adequate, since the time you really need AC is when trying to sleep, and the outside temp is lower.

Even with my back problems, I don't find that it is a problem to put the Artic King into the front window of the CD 25. I use split foam (insullation for water pipes), as well as a skirt of Sunbrella to seal the opening. Keep the winds, and put snaps on them, to help seal the sides.
 
Wow, it is amazing to hear that those little 5000 BTU AC's can keep a 22 cruiser cool in 100 degree weather. If you are able to put the AC on low with window curtains than I should be able to keep the boat cool without curtains?

My concern is that when I'm on these dive trips I get up early and dive all morning. By the afternoon I'm pretty beat and usually take a nap to rejuvenate. After that I sometimes dive more or just kick back and drink a couple of beers. So I will need something that can cool the boat in the heat of the day. Depending on how hot it is at night I might use it then also.

How long can a Honda 1000 run a 5000 BTU AC? I'm assuming that once the AC is started you can run it on eco mode.

Thanks for the advice,

Bill
 
I did a little test today. I put a thermometer on my gunnel and it registered 115 degrees. I moved it to the dinnette table and ran the 5K for 30 minutes on high cool with the side window curtains down, I don't have curtains on the front windows or door. The boat had been closed up for about 30 hours previously sitting in direct sun. In 30 minutes the temperature registered 88 degrees and I switched to low cool and in 30 minutes it was at about 82 degrees. 82 degrees doesn't sound to warm but when it's 115 outside it's pretty comfortable. I think perhaps with some sort of insulation on the interior of the roof and all windows covered it would make a pretty big difference. My curtains are nothing more than one layer of sunbrella.
 
Thanks for the test Marvin. How hot do you think it was outside during the test? 100, 105? It sounds like under those conditions if you left the unit on high and put a fan blowing into the V berth that maybe you could get the whole boat under 80.

I ordered an 8000 BTU portable AC and today I bought a 5000 BTU frigidaire window AC. When the portable AC gets here next week I'll try them both and see which one I like better. The window unit sounds nice because it is outside of the boat. The portable AC will fit under the dinette table. The nice thing about it is that it is larger so it should be able to cool down the whole boat including the V berth. You can also move it so all of its air blows in the V berth.

Now I just need a heat wave here in So Cal!

Bill
 
Best Day":3vrt2bg2 said:
Thanks for the test Marvin. How hot do you think it was outside during the test? 100, 105? It sounds like under those conditions if you left the unit on high and put a fan blowing into the V berth that maybe you could get the whole boat under 80.
Bill
Click to expand...

It was probably about 100 when I did the test. Bottom line as Bob posted the unit easily lowered the temperature by 20 degrees. One of the Walmart 12 volt box fans hung from the entrance to the V-Berth should make it comfortable. I got envolved in something else and forgot and left the unit on. When I went in the boat about an hour before dark it was 65 degrees in the cabin.
 
Best Day

You could try using a light parachute- type fabric tarpoline and hang it from the roof hand rails to the bow rail. It would keep the sun off the v-berth and help keep temp. down.

Allan
 
Allans parachute idea is a good one. Extend it over the cabin for even more sun protection. If there is a breeze maybe you won't have to fire up the a/c.
 
I HAVE THE GE 5000 BTU $88.00 WINDOW MOUNT AIR CONDITIONER. RECENTLY USED IT WHILE ATTENDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY GET TOGETHER. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE OF MY BOAT AND AIR CONDITIONER BY GOING TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY 2008 PHOTO ALBUM. I CAN TELL YOU, OF THE 25+ C-DORY BOATS, MY 22' WAS THE COOLEST!
WORKS OUTSTANDING, FITS ALMOST PERFECT, JUST RAPPED A TOWEL AROUND THE UNIT AND THAT SEALED THE OPENING. 90 DEGREE WEATHER AND 72 IN THE BOAT. GREAT SLEEPING. CAN'T GO WRONG.
GO LUCK. STORES IN THE BOW WHEN NOT IN USE.
PAT
 
capt. patrick campbell":wo2bueuk said:
I HAVE THE GE 5000 BTU $88.00 WINDOW MOUNT AIR CONDITIONER. RECENTLY USED IT WHILE ATTENDING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY GET TOGETHER. PICTURES ARE AVAILABLE OF MY BOAT AND AIR CONDITIONER BY GOING TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY 2008 PHOTO ALBUM. I CAN TELL YOU, OF THE 25+ C-DORY BOATS, MY 22' WAS THE COOLEST!
WORKS OUTSTANDING, FITS ALMOST PERFECT, JUST RAPPED A TOWEL AROUND THE UNIT AND THAT SEALED THE OPENING. 90 DEGREE WEATHER AND 72 IN THE BOAT. GREAT SLEEPING. CAN'T GO WRONG.
GO LUCK. STORES IN THE BOW WHEN NOT IN USE.
PAT
Click to expand...

Pat-
Good going and nice report on the A.C.!

I assume from the photo below that you ran oh Shore Power and not a generator, right?

Have you tried it on a 1000 or 2000 watt generator?

Joe. :teeth :thup

DSC00925.jpg
 
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