Portable Air conditioner in engine room

[Fish Tales]

Anybody have any experience with the portable R2D2 style AC units that have ducted hot air exhaust?

I want to try one in my engine room to aid with moisture and hot air. I use my exhaust fans, but they return outside air back in that is humid and salty.

A 14,000 btu unit will cool the engine room comfortably and de-humidify, and when underway, I can secure it to a bulkhead. I have a very roomy engine room.

I have a spare 4 inch exhaust vent for some reason, so I can attach the hot exhaust hose to it. So no water pump and thru hull to deal with.

Have a great weekend.

Tim

 

[Westfield 11]

You will need a hose to a sump or bilge for the condensate, they make a lot of water. Otherwise, there is no reason it would not help cool things down. It’s just a lot of heat for a little unit......

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Anybody have any experience with the portable R2D2 style AC units that have ducted hot air exhaust?I want to try one in my engine room to aid with moisture and hot air. I use my exhaust fans, but they return outside air back in that is humid and salty. A 14,000 btu unit will cool the engine room comfortably and de-humidify, and when underway, I can secure it to a bulkhead. I have a very roomy engine room.I have a spare 4 inch exhaust vent for some reason, so I can attach the hot exhaust hose to it. So no water pump and thru hull to deal with.Have a great weekend.Tim

You just can’t hide money.

 

[Pete]

About 10 years back I installed a Mermaid self contained 16K cool/18K heat unit hung from the ceiling of the engine room and it is definitely among the top 10 items I have added. I did the install for my personal comfort while working in the ER.

The install required NO new fittings in the hull. The basic install was to buy an additional pump relay for the Cruisair relay box, tee into the output of the existing AC pump with a couple of gate valves to regulate flow, and connecting the cooling flow exhaust to an existing spare fitting on a "drain sea chest" . Mermaid sells a separate venturi effect suction device to drain the condensate into the cooling water exhaust flow.

It works great. It turns the engine room into a comfortable work space year round.

The only change I would make is to not get a reverse cycle unit, instead a cooling only unit, as the block heaters keep the ER space perfect during colder weather. I also substituted a finer filter on the condensate suction tube as the one supplied tended to clog the venturi. In the past 6 or 7 years no more clogs.

 

[rourkeh]

I have a GREE 12,000 btu portable as a backup unit for my boat. It does not put out that much cool air compared to a regular inverter based split home style unit, but is good enough for short term use.
The power cord is very short so it requires an extension which needs to be of a very heavy gauge wire or it will burn up and cause a fire. Also these things create a HUGE amount of hot air that needs to be vented.

 

[SEVEN]

You will need a hose to a sump or bilge for the condensate, they make a lot of water. Otherwise, there is no reason it would not help cool things down. It’s just a lot of heat for a little unit......

X2 on making a lot of water but it works.

 

[Fish Tales]

Thanks for the help.

Think I will use a portable until it gets cooler, and this spring, I will go ahead and install a split system. I have the open bridge model, but there is provision for a bridge AC for the enclosed boat. Thru hull is there, as well as breaker, discharge, and shelf space for the compressor.

Should be an easy task, just need to get the BTUs right.

Be careful of the storm
Tim