12v fans

[Bad Obsession]

White noise can be a good thing. My V-berth fan is an older fan and it makes some noise. It pushes a little bit of air but I like the noise. I would like to replace it for a more efficient bulkhead mounted fan.....but it is WAY back on my list. I have another fan that I move around and it is a west marine version. It draws low amps and it pushes more air. It is also quieter. It gets used the most when I am cooking in the galley to push the heat out the Companionway.

 

[zeehag]

my 02cool moves a lot of air and has lasted so far, a year, and is still young.

 

[shipwreck66]

Again, I began with the preface, IF.. daysailing or overnighting only. In the 105deg summers I just wanted something with a bit more airflow than 12v was providing.

 

[GorillaToast]

Again, I began with the preface, IF.. daysailing or overnighting only. In the 105deg summers I just wanted something with a bit more airflow than 12v was providing.

Have you tried one of those 12v trucker's fans? I think you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[zeehag]

02cool is a big fan and uses both or either 12v /120v--good fan. lots of air flow. i am in tropix--cant get much better recommendation than that, methinks. is already 95 by lunch time. we should be in the 100s by early next month.

 

[Benny17441]

Don't know the capacity of your battery banks but if you want airflow run a 120V box fan through an adequate size inverter. We have done it while cruising in the deep end of the summer.

 

[Joe Diver]

The 12v fans are adequate for me.

I simply cannot tolerate the heat like I used to, so when it's hotter than about 98 or so, I just don't go out. Last summer was so bad, it was a real bust for me. From mid June until late September, I stayed in the house from Noon until 9:00 PM.

If I went sailing, it was break of dawn until 11:00 AM. Didn't do any overnighters on the boat, as by August our lows were 86, highs 108 to 112...and at midnight it was still 100. I can't sleep in that. I just lay there sweating heavily.

I'm really hoping we don't have another brutal summer like last year. It sure ruined everything for me.

 

[shipwreck66]

Joe, I've been running an evaporative unit in my boat. Only draws .6amp hr. I start by dumping a bag of ice in it and then top with a gallon of water, works quite nice. The unit holds about 2.5gal. You can't get them around FTW, gotta go out to Weatherford Home Depot for around $99, but well worth it. I was in there today with the hatches closed and quite comfortable. Good airflow too. "they" say an evap unit won't work on the lake but "they" be wrong. You are welcome to come out some weekend and check it out. I still have the window unit installed in back of galley wall for when at dock, but it has a pinhole leak in the line somewhere and freezes up after a couple hours. Oh, and Gene is trying to sell his C36 again.

 

[Joe Diver]

Gene has been trying to sell his C36 for a while now....I don't think he's been trying real hard though....I can't blame him, I'd hate to get rid of that boat if it was mine.

I remember last year when you built that swamp cooler...didn't you fab something up out of a cooler, fan and pump?

 

[shipwreck66]

Joe, tried it with a bag of ice and a gallon of water, worked great with all hatches shut I was comfy inside for a couple hours. The unit isn't insulated so ice melts pretty quick, but evap does work on the boat while on the water just fine even on just water.

 

[finding41]

What is the brand name of the unit? I cant find a 12v one on HD's website. They all seem to be 120v...
Thanks

 

[zeehag]

is time here for air conditioning. no other solution. then i use 12v or 120 v fans to circulate air thru the boat. works great. i dont die. yesterday i did. last yr i got a/c for gato--this year i am suffering a lil tad of hat prostration-- is HOT here---LOL
so far, gato is doing better than i am.... goood kitty

 

[shipwreck66]

Evap unit is 120volt, but only draws .5amp, so through my inverter will run all day. KuulAir is the name

 

[Maine Sail]

Evap unit is 120volt, but only draws .5amp, so through my inverter will run all day. KuulAir is the name

It may draw .5A at 120V but when inverting from 12V to 120V you have inefficiencies in the inverter and the current draw differences between 120V & 12V to consider.

The conversion of watts to amps at given voltage is determined by the equation;

Amps = Watts/Volts

So 70 watts/12 volts = 5.8A

Or 70 watts/120 volts = .58A

The smallest KuulAir I see draws 70W at 120V or .58A @ 120V. That same 70 watts at 12V is 5.8A PLUS about a 20% inverter inefficiency or 5.8A X 1.2 = 6.96A..

So a normal AC load of just 0.58A quickly becomes close to 7A when run off 12V through an inverter... You may be taking a lot more out of your batteries than you thought...

 

[catsailor]

There you go MS, confusing folks with numbers....

In addition to 4 Caframo Boras, we have a 20-inch AC fan that moves a lot of air using--not surprisingly--a lot of AHs. But it works because we only use it during certain peak times, and thus it is a practical part of the hot weather equation.

http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2011/09/discount-air-conditioning.html

TANSTAFL

 

[Ross]

Perhaps the best way to deal with boating in very hot weather is to leave the boat and find some nice shade to sit and read a book.
MS .5A @ 12volts is 6 watts.

 

[shipwreck66]

yeah, I love number crunchers. Sometimes you just gotta start experimenting with gadgets, some work out, some don't. And Joe, I've yet to run out of power on the Group 31. I did give up on the minifridge, what's the point of keeping it 30 deg cooler when it's 105deg?

 

[thinwater]

yeah, I love number crunchers. Sometimes you just gotta start experimenting with gadgets, some work out, some don't.

Because easy number crunching is generally cheaper and faster. And because sometimes experimenting (bridges, refineries, towers) is bad.

 

[Bill Roosa]

I use the D-Cell powered fans. They have a wall-wart for when you are at a slip. With fresh batts they go around 5 nights of continuous use. You can place them so the breeze is directed right at your body, they are very quiet and fold down and stow well.
Aside from sleeping on deck they are our preferred choice.