Re: A/C and Generator
 

I just read the stuff that dcBreeze has on the website and a big red flag they raised was humidity. Since you're in S FL you should ask them a liot of questions about the effect of our weather on the system performance. My water excahnged unit creates truly gallons of condensate per day here on the central Florida coast.

Also looked like a lot of hardware to get 10,000 btu's of cooling. Mine is a 35 Formula and the 10K unit keeps it very comfortably cool--but it works to do it. My 10K unit is as small as they come and a single unit---the dc breeze looks like two units that are bigger than my single unit. I don'y have any more space tha is already used so I couldn't even think about that product.

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Interesting website, that dcbreeze place.
600 watts is running pretty efficiently.

Mermaid marine can't do but 750 watts or so, and that's the best I'd seen previously.

So 600 watts for 8 hours? 400 amp-hours? Yeah, that's 5 batteries. 200 pounds. $400 worth of trolling motor batteries.

Not too bad.

I did notice that the "PRICING" part of his website is blank. No prices. Hmm.
And you'll need a $250 100 amp Balmar alternator and voltage regulator.

But it will still take you almost 24 hours to recharge your batteries with a 20 amp shorepower charger. And about 5 1/2 hours to recharge with the alternator on the motor (assuming you are running over 2500rpm that long, as it will take longer if you are idling around).

But I stand corrected. Sounds like you CAN cool your boat on batteries with only a reasonable stash of batteries...

IF you have cool enough sea water to keep the unit in its efficient range.
IF you don NOT OPEN the cabin door hardly at all (to keep moist outside air out of the cabin).
IF 5000 btu is enough for your boat (It's about right for a 35 foot Cig or Formula go-fast style cabin).

A 46 Sea Ray has two 6000 Btu units, and one 12,000 Btu unit...

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Actually I just relayed the information that I was told and have seen it demonstrated myself. The a/c motor is a rewound 3 ph motor that if I am not mistaken only draws a mere 3 amps of power. The a/c will run 8 continous hrs. with only the 2 gel batteries. If they work as well as the manufacturer says, then this will make gensets obselete in performance boats.
They were displayed at the Miami boat show.
I did some research and could not find anything that weighed less. When I said 600+ pounds, that includes the addition of the a/c, wiring, batteries, and battery charger. That is sustanially less than anything else I have found. There may be some out there, but I did not see them in Miami.
(oh course, I am sure I missed a lot there. Too much to see)

Re: A/C and Generator
 

I think the 115V units only weigh 50lbs or less ? and if you use a honda portable it weighs in@ 47lbs .....

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Yeah, Honda portable is around 45 pounds. Very quiet. Must run on swim platform.

Several 4000 - 5000 watt permanent install water cooled USCG marine generators around 200 pounds. Gas ($2,600) or Diesel ($4,500).

Truly hard to beat the Honda portable. $900, 45 pounds, and 2000 watts.
If you want to run the AC while underway, add a $400 Coleman 3kw inverter and a $250 Balmar alternator.

A/C is nice. It's also nice to be able to plug in whatever else you want. Microwave, Hair dryer, laptop charger, 13" tv/vcr, table fans, you name it.

A decent 10" fan that blows decent amount of air (for the sunpad, etc) is $13 at WalMart. A decent 12v fan is $75.

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Finally found the info on the Marine A/C manufacturer in Tampa--it's Marine Comfort Systems by Anchor Manufacturing-- www.coolyourboat.com

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Mcollinstn,

You sure do know some chit. After reading your post, I think I am going to pull my generator. how hard is it to install the inverter and alt.?

Re: A/C and Generator
 

Maybe I didn't make myself very clear. I am a fan of gensets, either portable or permanent.

But I've tried to show the goods and bads of what I consider the 12v setup's benefits or drawbacks to be.

And for some people, any way to get away from a generator may be worth the hassle.

Trouble to install an inverter? Big fat battery cables, a place to mount that receives good airflow, and is not near gas fumes...

Trouble to install a Balmar alt? You got a socket set? Nothing to it.
You'll also need a pretty large shorepower charger to top those batts off after draining them all day..

Re: A/C and Generator
 

I have owned both set ups.

With a 12v system you are consantly worried about the batteries going dead.
When they do go dead, it takes hours at cruise speed to get them back up, even with a twin engine boat and two alternators. Who wants to start up their main engines early in the morning to make a cup of coffe? You may think it won't happen, but it will. Now I have a inverter and a gen set. Best of both worlds. I can use the inverter for small stuff like coffe, micro, and the genset to run hot water or a/c heat. If the batteries go down, just start up the gen and the inverter automatically charges the batteries with a built in 3 stage 75a charger. Was able to off two 4d batteries and put in a 31 deep cycle optima yellow top. My engine room looks much nicer without those cat batteries. Sure the gen is one more item to maintain but so far it has been worth it. I would NEVER go back to a 12v system in a larger boat. Way too many batteries and too many hassles.

Steve Hixson

Re: A/C and Generator
 

I installed a Westerbeke 3.0 BPMG and 12k a/c with reverse cycle heat, the gen weighs only 165 lbs. and runs 2200 rpm. so far I have 220 hours and is still going strong. The only problem I had was I wanted to use the gen underway which led me to enlarge the mushroom pickup to provide more flow at higher speeds. Since there is so much aerated water near the step, we went with a 1-1/2 inch pickup and that solved the problem at any speed.