Air Conditioning install/selection

[taggteam]

It's getting to be that time of year.....and I'm planning on installing an AC unit in my 28. It's never had it....so I'm not sure of location and size. I believe they went in the forward hatch......where the thruster is.

A few questons....I like it chilly on those hot summer days...and may consider using my Honda 2000 generator on super hot flat days out there on the reefs if it'll work through the start surge.

What size (BTU) are typically installed? I'm thinking of possibly adding a vent to the helm area....I believe I've heard of some 12K units being installed....and ducted to the helm area. I'm just wondering if it's a waste of time, effort and money; or if it really does the job.

[DougSea]

Hi Taggteam,

We have an extensive post on AC in a 28. Just follow this link: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3254

I'm assuming based on your post that you'd normally run on shorepower and would use the Honda to power it when not on shorepower - not that you want to run it on an inverter (whole bunch of other challenges if that's what you want to do).

12K BTU's sounds a bit large. The weird thing with AC is that you want it to run for a while so it can remove the humidity from the air. If the unit is too big it cycles off so fast the air stays damp.

I do think running a vent to the pilothouse is a good idea. Sold our 28 before I got that far, but it was in the plan.

[Jeremyvmd]

I have to pull my paperwork but I think mine is kike a 8k btu or even a 6. either way it does a great job on the cabin. mine is not vented to the helm as I like the fresh air in the summer. but the few times we ran in cooler weather at the start of the season (and when we went down to ac late season) we left the cabin door open and the curtains closed and were very comfortable in pants an a t-shirt (was roughly 45* outside at the time)

[Serenity]

I had a Marina Aire 6 BTU unit installed last year. The unit was more than enough for the cabin. My 28 was set up for AC with a raw water intake thru hull and circuit breaker on the ac panel. The installation guys mounted the unit on top of the bow thruster and the overboard drain went out on the port side galley drain. Condensation dripped into the bilge and the bilge pumps handled the water. The AC makes a huge difference when docked and the outside temp crawls into the 90's.

[Pedro]

I'm considering adding Ac this year,Do you mind sharing what the labor bill was?

[Serenity]

I purchased a MarinAire for $1544.00 in March 2015. (On a prior post I wrote that I purchased a Marine Air. They sound so similar.) The price included 6000 btu unit, pump, installation kit and it included freight. The unit was installed by Marine Specialists for $1300.00. They came one day and glassed in the platform for the unit. The second day they installed the unit, ran the electric, installed 20 feet of duct, mounted the thru hull fitting for discharge and installed the louver under the v-berth. The unit works great, I have the thermostat set for 74 degrees and at times my bride wants me to increase the temp because it gets cold.

[taggteam]

WEll....I went with the Webasto 9K unit. It's sitting on my living room floor awaiting the ice to melt.....I'll post some photos of the install when I get around to getting her started.

[catalina_mike]

Good link from DougSea however if you use too big a unit it will cycle off on temperature before it effectively dehumidifies the space. Being a HVAC guy bigger is not always better. You may have to add a vent to the bridge to increase runtime for effective cooling. Depending on where you use the vessel of course.

[taggteam]

Well...I'm so lucky as to have the power already run for me....damn it. I was hoping....even had my fingers crossed.
Nada.
Started taking some thing apart to investigate....never ceases to amaze me how the previous owner cared for this boat.
Thanks again, Tom.....I know you're occasionally lurking around here somewhere.

Unit is here...sea strainer is here....AC pump is here...free time is not!

[DougSea]

I'm sure it will go well! Let "us" know if you run into any issues. We've got your back.

My recollection of my install is that after the base mounting board was down it all went very quickly. Pretty sure I drilled the hole for the water outlet while she was in her slip. At least I used a cordless!

I just picked up a replacement 9,000 BTU unit for our forward cabin at the Defender sale. Excellent price! Previous unit died midway through last summer and we worked the salon unit hard. (Yes. A 35TE has TWO AC zones! )

Now I just need to find a nice compact unit to add to the flybridge!

[taggteam]

Hey.....what type of hose did you guys use for the water runs? I've seen everything from clear reinforced plastic hose to marine exhaust hose (overkill in my opinion) used. There shouldn't be any real pressure in these systems....and only suction from through hull to pump.

[catalina_mike]

Mine has reinforced hose and I think exhaust hose is a over kill. IMO

[RobS]

Marine exhaust hose is of course overkill for temperature and pressure but I chose it for it's excellent anti-chafe protection and bend radius and resistance to collapse and kink. 99% of this hose is below the waterline and it runs through bulkheads and under floors and a majority of it is in areas that are out of sight from your day-to-day checks. Saving well over $1000 doing the install yourself I don't see how a few dollars a foot on the hose is even worth thinking about…

[DougSea]

I'm with Rob for all of the reasons he mentions, along with eventual resale. Albins have a reputation for being over built and tough. I try to make sure anything I add lives up to that.

While I "could" go with lesser hose there's no way I'd go with the clear plastic, thin walled stuff. Definitely reinforced hose. A failure could be catastrophic. Just MHO.

[RobS]

I'm with Rob for all of the reasons he mentions, along with eventual resale.....

Yup. T-R sold for considerably more than the average 28 of similar vintage.