Hello all. Do you or anyone you know have a 29.5 or 290 with air conditioning in it? I want to retrofit it to mine (1994 29.5) and I am going to put in a 12,000 btu unit which I am hoping to steal a deal on at the Miami boat show in a few weeks. My question is, how does the air get to the aft berth? Is it ducted back there or does it naturaly gravitate there? I am going to install it the unit under the v berth where there is acres of space, and have the large vent on the bulkhead, but it's probably at least 15-18 feet from the aft berth and I have read you are not really supposed to go over 10 feet ducting run. Any thoughts or experiences please? Neil
29.5 AC install
- Thread starter Neil Hodgson
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29.5 with A/C
Neil, I bought five years ago a 1995 29.5 with A/C. The unit is located as you said underneath the v berth, cool air goes to the closet next to the head and the air vent is located on the top portion of the side of the closet with the control panel (3 knobs). The air gravitates down to the aft berth. The unit cools the cabin well without any problems very fast including the aft berth even in Kemah Texas very high temperature is the norm. The room of upper portion of the closet is very much all gone, although you can still hang a jacket or two (jackets without lining please!!!). Water to cool the condenser is taken from a new thru hull hole about half way the length of the boat, a valve and a large filter for raw water are installed in front of the pump. The pump is placed below the surface of the water. The water goes out of the hull above the water line. Hope this answer your question and have a great time at the boat show. Jorge
Neil, I bought five years ago a 1995 29.5 with A/C. The unit is located as you said underneath the v berth, cool air goes to the closet next to the head and the air vent is located on the top portion of the side of the closet with the control panel (3 knobs). The air gravitates down to the aft berth. The unit cools the cabin well without any problems very fast including the aft berth even in Kemah Texas very high temperature is the norm. The room of upper portion of the closet is very much all gone, although you can still hang a jacket or two (jackets without lining please!!!). Water to cool the condenser is taken from a new thru hull hole about half way the length of the boat, a valve and a large filter for raw water are installed in front of the pump. The pump is placed below the surface of the water. The water goes out of the hull above the water line. Hope this answer your question and have a great time at the boat show. Jorge
Jorge you are a saviour....
Jorge, Thanks for the reply. I guess from what you have written is that the duct that you mention coming from the inside of the hanging closet faces the v-berth. Is this correct or does it angle round 90 degrees to face the galley somehow from where it migrates to the aft berth? How many ducts do you have? Is your ac 12000 btu also? I never thought to put a 4" duct in there. The system I am looking at requires a 8"x6" duct within 6 feet of the unit which is the bulkhead for me, and then it describes other ducts required for the right amount of airflow over the condenser. Thanks once again. Neil
Jorge, Thanks for the reply. I guess from what you have written is that the duct that you mention coming from the inside of the hanging closet faces the v-berth. Is this correct or does it angle round 90 degrees to face the galley somehow from where it migrates to the aft berth? How many ducts do you have? Is your ac 12000 btu also? I never thought to put a 4" duct in there. The system I am looking at requires a 8"x6" duct within 6 feet of the unit which is the bulkhead for me, and then it describes other ducts required for the right amount of airflow over the condenser. Thanks once again. Neil
Self Intalled AC
Hello Neil, I installed a 12k BTU system. I installed the unit under the v-berth and ran 2 of the 3 supplied vents up imto the small compartments on both starboard and ports sides of the v-berth. I installed the vents facing aft. I decided to wait and test the system last summer to determine if an aft berth vent was needed. End result the 12k BTU did it's job and i did not need the aft berth vent. This past summer was very hot and all was well. I elected to not install another seacock. Decided to share the engine intake for the ac unit cooling water supply. Good luck. If you need photos feel free to write. Cheers! Chet s/v Calibra shubert11@verizon.net
Hello Neil, I installed a 12k BTU system. I installed the unit under the v-berth and ran 2 of the 3 supplied vents up imto the small compartments on both starboard and ports sides of the v-berth. I installed the vents facing aft. I decided to wait and test the system last summer to determine if an aft berth vent was needed. End result the 12k BTU did it's job and i did not need the aft berth vent. This past summer was very hot and all was well. I elected to not install another seacock. Decided to share the engine intake for the ac unit cooling water supply. Good luck. If you need photos feel free to write. Cheers! Chet s/v Calibra shubert11@verizon.net
A/C Install
Neil, I don't think you will have problem with longer duct runs if they are sized and routed properly. The unit manufacturer can help you with that. I cool a 306 with 9K BTU. Fabricated a plenum for the unit take off which gives me a small vent up front in the V berth, two four inch vents in the salon and a vent in the aft berth. The filtered return is floor level in the V berth. I used the MSD thru hull as a supply and re plumbed the MSD pick up into the head sink drain so as to have the ability to flush with fresh water and not have another thru hull. Purchased a 'Mermaid' condensator so I could keep my dry bilge. Super product, no moving parts, no moisture in the bilge, no problems. I would suggest an easily accessible valve just upstream of the pump in the event you lose prime. Have fun!
Neil, I don't think you will have problem with longer duct runs if they are sized and routed properly. The unit manufacturer can help you with that. I cool a 306 with 9K BTU. Fabricated a plenum for the unit take off which gives me a small vent up front in the V berth, two four inch vents in the salon and a vent in the aft berth. The filtered return is floor level in the V berth. I used the MSD thru hull as a supply and re plumbed the MSD pick up into the head sink drain so as to have the ability to flush with fresh water and not have another thru hull. Purchased a 'Mermaid' condensator so I could keep my dry bilge. Super product, no moving parts, no moisture in the bilge, no problems. I would suggest an easily accessible valve just upstream of the pump in the event you lose prime. Have fun!
As always a good advice....
Thanks to both of you for your replies. Chet, as they say, a picture paints a thousand so would you mind forwarding some to me or posting them on here please? My email is nhodgson@cfl.rr.com. I can't wait to get started!!! Neil
Thanks to both of you for your replies. Chet, as they say, a picture paints a thousand so would you mind forwarding some to me or posting them on here please? My email is nhodgson@cfl.rr.com. I can't wait to get started!!! Neil
Engine sea cock?
Chet, is your engine sea cock 1/2" and aft of the engine meaning you had to run a hose 1/2 the length of the boat? I assum eyou have enough cooling water? And MKing, is your head near the v berth? I am not familiar with your models' orientation. I like the idea of using the MSD water through hull though, Chet did you think about that? Very interesting thread.
Chet, is your engine sea cock 1/2" and aft of the engine meaning you had to run a hose 1/2 the length of the boat? I assum eyou have enough cooling water? And MKing, is your head near the v berth? I am not familiar with your models' orientation. I like the idea of using the MSD water through hull though, Chet did you think about that? Very interesting thread.
AC response
Neil, I will be glad to forward pictures but need to visit the boat. She is in the water and was planning to visit 2/17. I will take a few pics and send if you can wait, please advise. I found pics of a 29.5 install on this site so try a search. I'll send you those this weekend. Currently out of the country. The engine cooling seacock is 1/2 inch. I preferred limiting my exposure to failure and decided to tap off the engine intake. Given my use of the ac is limited it is not an issue for me. If i needed to use it on a daily basis or weekend year round I would likely put an additional intake in. But given the potential it is worth the trade off. I installed a 3 way valve to divert from engine to ac unit when neede. I installed the pump within 2-3 feet of the intake, fastened to a structural member just aft of the engine compartment. The pump is very quiet and when running cannot hear it. My cooling discharge is located close to the ac unit, pump discharge line runs through galley sink cabinet and under port setee. The flow is significant and never had an issue with overheating of the ac unit. Hope this helps Neil. It was a enjoyable project requiring you to bend your body in ways you never thought possible in order to position yourself to do the install. Estimated time was 10 hours and 1 case of 12 oz frosty beers. Good luck Neil and let me know if you can wait for the pics. ps...I purchased a 12k btu from OceanBreeze Air on Ebay...I like the owner...very helpful and very good price. Cheers, Chet
Neil, I will be glad to forward pictures but need to visit the boat. She is in the water and was planning to visit 2/17. I will take a few pics and send if you can wait, please advise. I found pics of a 29.5 install on this site so try a search. I'll send you those this weekend. Currently out of the country. The engine cooling seacock is 1/2 inch. I preferred limiting my exposure to failure and decided to tap off the engine intake. Given my use of the ac is limited it is not an issue for me. If i needed to use it on a daily basis or weekend year round I would likely put an additional intake in. But given the potential it is worth the trade off. I installed a 3 way valve to divert from engine to ac unit when neede. I installed the pump within 2-3 feet of the intake, fastened to a structural member just aft of the engine compartment. The pump is very quiet and when running cannot hear it. My cooling discharge is located close to the ac unit, pump discharge line runs through galley sink cabinet and under port setee. The flow is significant and never had an issue with overheating of the ac unit. Hope this helps Neil. It was a enjoyable project requiring you to bend your body in ways you never thought possible in order to position yourself to do the install. Estimated time was 10 hours and 1 case of 12 oz frosty beers. Good luck Neil and let me know if you can wait for the pics. ps...I purchased a 12k btu from OceanBreeze Air on Ebay...I like the owner...very helpful and very good price. Cheers, Chet
Great minds Chet...
think alike!! yes I can surely wait for the pics, thanks for the offer!. I too have spoken to the owner at Ocean Breeze (in Stuart Florida??) and he is by far and away the cheapest on the planet right now. For a 12000 btu machine and all the install kit and keboodle, he wants a lot less than Marine Airr distributors and the like. Prices are going up after the boat show so if I don't get a steal of a deal there, I may well go to him. How is the unit for effectiveness and quality of manufacture? Neil
think alike!! yes I can surely wait for the pics, thanks for the offer!. I too have spoken to the owner at Ocean Breeze (in Stuart Florida??) and he is by far and away the cheapest on the planet right now. For a 12000 btu machine and all the install kit and keboodle, he wants a lot less than Marine Airr distributors and the like. Prices are going up after the boat show so if I don't get a steal of a deal there, I may well go to him. How is the unit for effectiveness and quality of manufacture? Neil
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