A/C installation

[Adam]

I just installed a new 16,000 btu a/c unit in the starboard hanging locker in front of the head. The boat only had one outlet installed just above. I was wanting to add more vents, especially to the V berth and wanted to know who has done this, where they put the vents, and any problems to consider. It sure is great to have A/C in the south!

Thanks, Adam

[john stevenson]

Adam,
I inherited an A/C similar to the one you've just installed in the handing locker.  The PO ran a 3″ vent to the forward cabin, down the lockers behind the starboard settee backs.  It exits through a smal vent on the port side of the forward berth.  He also ran a vent to the aft cabin (through the locker behind the head sink and outboard of the shower liner to another vent on the navigation desk. 

The A/C works well for the forward cabin and pulls the temp down to the low to mid 70s on the hottest days.  The aft cabin vent doesn't do much.  The problem is most likely in the duct work to which the A/C output is connected.  When and if I replace the existing A/C I'll try to learn a little bit about ducting and maybe improve the aft cabin situation.

Two problems with this arrangement.

1. The vent hose takes up a lot of space in the lockers behind the settee backs.
2. Condensation can produce a fair amount of moisture in those lockers.

Neither problem is very serious.  I certainly am glad to have the A/C for the last 6 weeks in New Bern.  It has been cool for 3 or 4 days now, but we had a month and a half where the high temp just about never got below the mid 90s.

John

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 11:31 PM, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I just installed a new 16,000 btu a/c unit in the starboard hanging locker in front of the head. The boat only had one outlet installed just above. I was wanting to add more vents, especially to the V berth and wanted to know who has done this, where they put the vents, and any problems to consider. It sure is great to have A/C in the south!

Thanks, Adam

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

[rdugger]

My heat pump installation is similar to Johns. I bought a Mermaid from Defender.
I have a large vent coming out of the locker immediately aft of the hanging locker door for the main cabin, a vent that leads to the head, one that leads forward to the v berth (like John's) and another that leads aft to the Nav station (like John's).
 
Rick
Eclipse

 
On 9/3/09, John Stevenson < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Adam,
I inherited an A/C similar to the one you've just installed in the handing locker.  The PO ran a 3″ vent to the forward cabin, down the lockers behind the starboard settee backs.  It exits through a smal vent on the port side of the forward berth.  He also ran a vent to the aft cabin (through the locker behind the head sink and outboard of the shower liner to another vent on the navigation desk. 

The A/C works well for the forward cabin and pulls the temp down to the low to mid 70s on the hottest days.  The aft cabin vent doesn't do much.  The problem is most likely in the duct work to which the A/C output is connected.  When and if I replace the existing A/C I'll try to learn a little bit about ducting and maybe improve the aft cabin situation.

Two problems with this arrangement.

1. The vent hose takes up a lot of space in the lockers behind the settee backs.
2. Condensation can produce a fair amount of moisture in those lockers.

Neither problem is very serious.  I certainly am glad to have the A/C for the last 6 weeks in New Bern.  It has been cool for 3 or 4 days now, but we had a month and a half where the high temp just about never got below the mid 90s.

John

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 11:31 PM, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I just installed a new 16,000 btu a/c unit in the starboard hanging locker in front of the head. The boat only had one outlet installed just above. I was wanting to add more vents, especially to the V berth and wanted to know who has done this, where they put the vents, and any problems to consider. It sure is great to have A/C in the south!

Thanks, Adam

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

[joe shimkonis]

I installed one 16000 BTU same place.I wanted to run one vent of 3 vents to service the V berth.Running inside the upper cabinets it was a very tight cut and fit just a the bulkhead separating v berth from main cabin.The other consideration was to go down under the floor boards and up at the v berth but I was concerned with needing much more insulation-so I did neither.I have 3 vents coming out in the main cabin and it doesn’t do that bad in Myrtle beach,sc even in 95 degrees and only 16000 btu’s.Installed 3 years ago.

<.. snip>

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Joe Shimkonis

[john stevenson]

Rich,
If (when) my OceanAir unit fails I intend to replace it with a similar from Mermaid.  Has that A/C worked well for you?

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:32 PM, Rick Dugger < ([email][/email])> wrote:

My heat pump installation is similar to Johns. I bought a Mermaid from Defender.
I have a large vent coming out of the locker immediately aft of the hanging locker door for the main cabin, a vent that leads to the head, one that leads forward to the v berth (like John's) and another that leads aft to the Nav station (like John's).
 
Rick
Eclipse

 
On 9/3/09, John Stevenson < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Adam,
I inherited an A/C similar to the one you've just installed in the handing locker.  The PO ran a 3″ vent to the forward cabin, down the lockers behind the starboard settee backs.  It exits through a smal vent on the port side of the forward berth.  He also ran a vent to the aft cabin (through the locker behind the head sink and outboard of the shower liner to another vent on the navigation desk. 

The A/C works well for the forward cabin and pulls the temp down to the low to mid 70s on the hottest days.  The aft cabin vent doesn't do much.  The problem is most likely in the duct work to which the A/C output is connected.  When and if I replace the existing A/C I'll try to learn a little bit about ducting and maybe improve the aft cabin situation.

Two problems with this arrangement.

1. The vent hose takes up a lot of space in the lockers behind the settee backs.
2. Condensation can produce a fair amount of moisture in those lockers.

Neither problem is very serious.  I certainly am glad to have the A/C for the last 6 weeks in New Bern.  It has been cool for 3 or 4 days now, but we had a month and a half where the high temp just about never got below the mid 90s.

John

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 11:31 PM, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I just installed a new 16,000 btu a/c unit in the starboard hanging locker in front of the head. The boat only had one outlet installed just above. I was wanting to add more vents, especially to the V berth and wanted to know who has done this, where they put the vents, and any problems to consider. It sure is great to have A/C in the south!

Thanks, Adam

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

[john stevenson]

Sorry, Rick not Rich

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:38 PM, John Stevenson < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Rich,
If (when) my OceanAir unit fails I intend to replace it with a similar from Mermaid.  Has that A/C worked well for you?

On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 4:32 PM, Rick Dugger < ([email][/email])> wrote:

My heat pump installation is similar to Johns. I bought a Mermaid from Defender.
I have a large vent coming out of the locker immediately aft of the hanging locker door for the main cabin, a vent that leads to the head, one that leads forward to the v berth (like John's) and another that leads aft to the Nav station (like John's).
 
Rick
Eclipse

 
On 9/3/09, John Stevenson < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Adam,
I inherited an A/C similar to the one you've just installed in the handing locker.  The PO ran a 3″ vent to the forward cabin, down the lockers behind the starboard settee backs.  It exits through a smal vent on the port side of the forward berth.  He also ran a vent to the aft cabin (through the locker behind the head sink and outboard of the shower liner to another vent on the navigation desk. 

The A/C works well for the forward cabin and pulls the temp down to the low to mid 70s on the hottest days.  The aft cabin vent doesn't do much.  The problem is most likely in the duct work to which the A/C output is connected.  When and if I replace the existing A/C I'll try to learn a little bit about ducting and maybe improve the aft cabin situation.

Two problems with this arrangement.

1. The vent hose takes up a lot of space in the lockers behind the settee backs.
2. Condensation can produce a fair amount of moisture in those lockers.

Neither problem is very serious.  I certainly am glad to have the A/C for the last 6 weeks in New Bern.  It has been cool for 3 or 4 days now, but we had a month and a half where the high temp just about never got below the mid 90s.

John

On Sat, Aug 29, 2009 at 11:31 PM, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

I just installed a new 16,000 btu a/c unit in the starboard hanging locker in front of the head. The boat only had one outlet installed just above. I was wanting to add more vents, especially to the V berth and wanted to know who has done this, where they put the vents, and any problems to consider. It sure is great to have A/C in the south!

Thanks, Adam

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

Post generated from Pearson424 Forum using Mail2Forum

[Adam]

Yes I am running into the same problem as Joe. The entryway through the bulkhead into the V berth is very tight. It looks like I will have to bring the cushion outward to make room for this vent. How do John’s and Rick’s boats deal with this? Is the vent 4″ going forward and 6 ” going to aft cabin.

Also I have the Mermaid unit and it made the CO detector go off in the middle of the night. On the second night it did it again with 3 ports open.

Thanks for the advice

Adam

[rdugger]

My vent to the main saloon is 6″
My vents fwd and aft are 4″
Yes it was very tight getting through the bulk head into the V berth.
I have carbon monoxide detectors in the V Berth and aft cabin and have never had a problem with them going off when the AC was in use.
 
In Virginia, on the southern Chesapeake Bay, the 16,000 btu Mermaid has performed well. On a day where the temp is 98+ it cannot keep the cabin temp in the low 70s… it will however keep the humidity low and even though the cabin temp is upper 70s it still feels great.
I think our size boat probably needs 20,000 btu but or so to keep them really cool.
 
I think the Mermaid is a good value (I also installed one in our last boat, and ODay 34) and the mfg has given good advice and support when requested.
 
Our marina electrics couldn't support a larger unit if I wanted to get more AC.

Rick
Eclipse
On 9/7/09, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Yes I am running into the same problem as Joe. The entryway through the bulkhead into the V berth is very tight. It looks like I will have to bring the cushion outward to make room for this vent. How do John's and Rick's boats deal with this? Is the vent 4″ going forward and 6 ” going to aft cabin.

Also I have the Mermaid unit and it made the CO detector go off in the middle of the night. On the second night it did it again with 3 ports open.

Thanks for the advice

Adam

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[john stevenson]

Here is picture of the vent in Sarah's forward cabin.

John

On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 5:04 PM, Rick Dugger < ([email][/email])> wrote:

My vent to the main saloon is 6″
My vents fwd and aft are 4″
Yes it was very tight getting through the bulk head into the V berth.
I have carbon monoxide detectors in the V Berth and aft cabin and have never had a problem with them going off when the AC was in use.
 
In Virginia, on the southern Chesapeake Bay, the 16,000 btu Mermaid has performed well. On a day where the temp is 98+ it cannot keep the cabin temp in the low 70s… it will however keep the humidity low and even though the cabin temp is upper 70s it still feels great.
I think our size boat probably needs 20,000 btu but or so to keep them really cool.
 
I think the Mermaid is a good value (I also installed one in our last boat, and ODay 34) and the mfg has given good advice and support when requested.
 
Our marina electrics couldn't support a larger unit if I wanted to get more AC.

Rick
Eclipse

On 9/7/09, Adam < ([email][/email])> wrote:

Yes I am running into the same problem as Joe. The entryway through the bulkhead into the V berth is very tight. It looks like I will have to bring the cushion outward to make room for this vent. How do John's and Rick's boats deal with this? Is the vent 4″ going forward and 6 ” going to aft cabin.

Also I have the Mermaid unit and it made the CO detector go off in the middle of the night. On the second night it did it again with 3 ports open.

Thanks for the advice

Adam

—
Regards,
John Stevenson
http://www.svsarah.com

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