“Low” energy air conditioning?

[fallguy1000]

3-designing my own cooler that uses seawater or lakewater and goes through an exchanger with a circ pump and coolerguys fans blow across it; this system might require multiple exchangers, one for saltwater to freshwater or antifreeze and another for air to blow across the non-corrosive water..

I’ve been toying with this idea. Maybe dropping a pickup overboard and pumping lake water through a radiator with a fan blowing across it. Lake gets up to mid 70s in the summer, so not sure there would be enough BTU exchange there to do enough cooling. Might be fun to try.

Jbo

U need a raw water intake, screen, and then you can either exchange it or pump it to a REAL hydronic heater coil.

My boat has the heater coils and an anti-freeze, non-corrosive mix to run thru. All I would need is wayer exchanger, but then my hydronic heaters would make water from condensation, so nothing ideal.

One hydronic heater with a drip pan, circ pump would cost like 3-500, raw water n screen another hundo.

Nothing cheap about it.

[jbo_c]

I think I could cobble enough stuff together to do it cheap for proof of concept. (I’m a pathological tinkerer.). Don’t think it would be too expensive to make what I’m thinking of. In fact, it will have to be done cheap for the prototype or I won’t do it, especially since I’m skeptical it will work sufficiently. LOL.

I think for it to work, I’d need 60F water and I won’t have close to that.

Jbo

[fallguy1000]

Most of the real issues with cabins is they get stuffy and stale. Changing air at 6 times per hour is a good goal. I am working now on that idea.

[jbo_c]

On a related note, is there any real need to have opening side windows? In motion, any air movement would be bow to stern. Then at anchor, the bow will swing to point toward the prevailing wind, making air movement again, bow to stern.

So is it adding unnecessary complexity to have opening windows in the side of the boat?

Jbo

[piperdown]

Thinking ahead to how(if) I’ll be able to cool off my cabin in the summer months. I’ll have only about 435 cubic feet of inside space. I do plan to insulate and the cabin will be painted white. But I’m in the southeast(Atlanta), so heat and humidity will rule day(and night) for 4+ months per year.

1. Are there any small AC units that would run off the smallest of generators?
2. Outside the box options? Humidity here means swamp coolers are out, so would need to be more creative than that.
3. Other ways to moderate the air temp inside even if maybe not cooling it as much as an actual AC unit would? I have an imaginative, if unlikely to be successful, thought I’ll detail in a separate post after a few responses.

I realize I’m asking how to catch a unicorn, but any suggestions are worth exploring.

Thanks.

Jbo

I am facing similar. Unhappy with the concept of paying $5500 for a 24v air system.

A few thoughts I've been contemplating...

1-just putting an air in and air out small enclosure fan ip67 rated from coolerguys.com for air changes as the cabin gets stale

2-buying a small portable, but ducted a/c unit 110v

3-designing my own cooler that uses seawater or lakewater and goes through an exchanger with a circ pump and coolerguys fans blow across it; this system might require multiple exchangers, one for saltwater to freshwater or antifreeze and another for air to blow across the non-corrosive water..

4-find a mini heat pump

Dan, for option 3 it's very similar to a counter chiller that's used to either cool down hot wort (beer making) or chilling down beer in a cooler if I'm reading what you wrote correctly. I'm wondering if something like this, plus a recric pump and fan in a boxed housing would work. https://draftwarehouse.com/default/draf ... .html.html

[BB Sig]

The smaller Mr. Cool DIY minisplit units run on 120V but their amerage is up near 20. Might be an option if you want to get a real AC unit for the cabin. Just a thought

[jbo_c]

Dan, for option 3 it's very similar to a counter chiller that's used to either cool down hot wort (beer making) or chilling down beer in a cooler if I'm reading what you wrote correctly. I'm wondering if something like this, plus a recric pump and fan in a boxed housing would work. https://draftwarehouse.com/default/draf ... .html.html

Piperdown, funny that you mention that. I was literally thinking yesterday that if I hadn’t gotten I’d of my wort chiller I could use it in my proof of concept. (Made that myself too, by the way.)

That’s basically what I had in mind. Really not sure I’ll be able to exchange enough energy given my water temps, though. Even if I pulled water from say 20’ deep, it would be in the 74F range. Though dropping even 5 degrees when it’s 90F would feel much cooler.

Jbo

[Jaysen]

On a related note, is there any real need to have opening side windows? In motion, any air movement would be bow to stern. Then at anchor, the bow will swing to point toward the prevailing wind, making air movement again, bow to stern.

So is it adding unnecessary complexity to have opening windows in the side of the boat?

Jbo

Edit: I just realized that I’ve mixed two threads. My answer below is around sailing not motor vessel. Sorry.


Wind under sail is rarely bow to stern. Almost never. It is mostly from a beam angle. Portholes are generally closed underway to prevent water ingress and dorades provide air flow. At anchor/dock opening portholes allows for more air flow and comfort.

[Rogerdog]

A lot of teardrop camper owners use micro-AC units. The video at the link below shows a test of one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rCJXSVauPk

That one can operate on 110v AC or 24v DC. It would cost, but the combination of a 24v lithium battery with enough amp hours and a small gas generator to power it and one of those micro-AC units could probably power a cool night in 450 cubic feet.