Has anyone added air conditioning to a 35.5? What unit did you purchase? Where did you install it? How many duct vents did you install, and where? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
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Wayne Estabrooks
AC on my 340 similar
Norm, What I plan to do on my 340 would be adequate for your 35.5. I recommend you search the archives there is lots there. I recently purchased al of the materials necessary to install air conditioning with reverse cycle heat. It is a 16,000 BTU unit made my Mermaid and I plan to install it myself this fall. The unit comes with most everything you need to install it. 16,000 BTU is the largest unit you can run on 30 A shore power and should be adequate for your 340 in the NE. As far as placement goes, there are drawings that should have come with your 340 showing general ductwork layout and location of the compressor / exchanger. I would suggest you look an another 340 with AC already installed in order to get an understanding of where everything goes. As far as installing it yourself, it take about 40 hours if you have all of the necessary tools such as 4 and 6 inch hole saw and good mechanical and electrical skills. I am installing the seawater pump and strainer in the bilge area. I installed the required thru-hull last year when the boat was hauled out. Marine Air also makes a good unit and many Hunters have that as original equipment. They have a great web site with lots of good information and installation suggestions. Good luck with whatever you do. The 340 is designed to have the main cabin supply vent and the thermostat control in the hanging locker above the nav station, the forward V-berth supply vent in the hanging locker on the starboard side and the aft cabin supply vent in the wet hanging locker in the head. The return air is via a vent into the setee where the compressor unit is installed. The evaporator/compressor/exchanger is mounted under the starboard setee where you sit when at the nav station. Hope this helps. I have mixed feelings about hauling around all that stuff but the Admiral will enjoy the boat on the hot humid July and August days when there is no wind and too hot to sail. 16,000 BTU is adequate for here in North Carolina where in is hotter and more humid than where you are. There are things you can do to improve the cooling efficience like covering hatches and the windshield with an insulated cover to reduce heat ingress. Hope this information helps.
Norm, What I plan to do on my 340 would be adequate for your 35.5. I recommend you search the archives there is lots there. I recently purchased al of the materials necessary to install air conditioning with reverse cycle heat. It is a 16,000 BTU unit made my Mermaid and I plan to install it myself this fall. The unit comes with most everything you need to install it. 16,000 BTU is the largest unit you can run on 30 A shore power and should be adequate for your 340 in the NE. As far as placement goes, there are drawings that should have come with your 340 showing general ductwork layout and location of the compressor / exchanger. I would suggest you look an another 340 with AC already installed in order to get an understanding of where everything goes. As far as installing it yourself, it take about 40 hours if you have all of the necessary tools such as 4 and 6 inch hole saw and good mechanical and electrical skills. I am installing the seawater pump and strainer in the bilge area. I installed the required thru-hull last year when the boat was hauled out. Marine Air also makes a good unit and many Hunters have that as original equipment. They have a great web site with lots of good information and installation suggestions. Good luck with whatever you do. The 340 is designed to have the main cabin supply vent and the thermostat control in the hanging locker above the nav station, the forward V-berth supply vent in the hanging locker on the starboard side and the aft cabin supply vent in the wet hanging locker in the head. The return air is via a vent into the setee where the compressor unit is installed. The evaporator/compressor/exchanger is mounted under the starboard setee where you sit when at the nav station. Hope this helps. I have mixed feelings about hauling around all that stuff but the Admiral will enjoy the boat on the hot humid July and August days when there is no wind and too hot to sail. 16,000 BTU is adequate for here in North Carolina where in is hotter and more humid than where you are. There are things you can do to improve the cooling efficience like covering hatches and the windshield with an insulated cover to reduce heat ingress. Hope this information helps.
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Joe Remke
AC on '90 35.5
I installed a Mermaid Air, 16,500 btu unit under the dinette settee immediatly in front of the sink. This was the only unit available at the time low enough to fit beneath the settee. The hot water heater was relocated next to the holding tank thru an access panel aft of the aft cabin. The bottom drawer was replaced with a vent that cools the aft cabin. Forward areas are cooled by a vent in the settee.
I installed a Mermaid Air, 16,500 btu unit under the dinette settee immediatly in front of the sink. This was the only unit available at the time low enough to fit beneath the settee. The hot water heater was relocated next to the holding tank thru an access panel aft of the aft cabin. The bottom drawer was replaced with a vent that cools the aft cabin. Forward areas are cooled by a vent in the settee.
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Wynn Ferrel
Check the archives
Query the archives. There is lots of great info already posted on this subject for sizing, brands and installation. Wynn Ferrel S/V Tranquility
Query the archives. There is lots of great info already posted on this subject for sizing, brands and installation. Wynn Ferrel S/V Tranquility
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Jim Rushing
Settee A/C Location
I had a special unit built up by Arctic Marine of Clearwater, Fla. I installed it in the Starboard settee. One duct went aft through the head into the aft cabin and the other went forward into the forward cabin hanging locker. If you are into doing it yourself, a 16,000 btu unit installed will run around $2500 including having the marina do the through hole work.
I had a special unit built up by Arctic Marine of Clearwater, Fla. I installed it in the Starboard settee. One duct went aft through the head into the aft cabin and the other went forward into the forward cabin hanging locker. If you are into doing it yourself, a 16,000 btu unit installed will run around $2500 including having the marina do the through hole work.
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Len Dietch
A/C on H35.5
My H35.5 was equipped with a Cruisair 16,000 BTU unit. It was installed above the port settee just forward of the galley. The locker just below the window was removed and the unit was installed on a shelf that extends out above the settee. A teak enclosure houses the A/C. Air is discharged out of the side toward the v-berth. It is not elegant, but it is simple. The Cruisair A/C is very noisy compaired to the Mermaid, but it works and it is mine! If I redo it, it will be one of the under the settee installations previously described. Moving the hotwater heater is a drag.
My H35.5 was equipped with a Cruisair 16,000 BTU unit. It was installed above the port settee just forward of the galley. The locker just below the window was removed and the unit was installed on a shelf that extends out above the settee. A teak enclosure houses the A/C. Air is discharged out of the side toward the v-berth. It is not elegant, but it is simple. The Cruisair A/C is very noisy compaired to the Mermaid, but it works and it is mine! If I redo it, it will be one of the under the settee installations previously described. Moving the hotwater heater is a drag.
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Pat Spino
Legend 35.5 AC installation
There are numerous entries in the archives you can check as I did. I opted to install the unit on a shelf built under the nav. station in order to lose as little storage room as possible. The main duct (7") ran under the bottom of the starboard shelf behind the setee backs into the fwd v-berth hanging locker with the air exiting via a vent on the bulkhead into the main cabin. Secondary vents (3") were run: (1) into the v-berth off of the main duct via a junction box placed inside the hanging locker, and (2)aft from the main unit through the head into the aft cabin. This installation is not ideal in terms of not restricting the air flow. However, I found that by placing an air restrictor in the two smaller vents (v-berth & aft cabin) I was able to achieve more even cooling/heating throughout the boat with greater air flow in the main cabin where it is needed. The return air vent was cut into the face of a cabnet built under the nav station. It's a very tight space but it does work, however it did require the elimination of the two useless chart holders and the accompanying woodwork which extends down from the main chart table. The unit is a CruiseAir 16000 BTU reverse cycle and had to be installed sideways in order to fit into the space. Also make sure that the temperature sensor in placed directly behind the return air vent. You should be aware that there is a bit of noise with the CruiseAir unit which could be diminished by an under setee location. I found the the loss of space for such an installation, as well as the necessary modifications were unacceptable. You should also install the SMX controller unit as this will double the manufacturer's warranty. I also considered moving the water heater in order to install the AC but decided not to do so. In my mind this might be the 2nd best soultion providing a spot for the water heater and accompanying plumbing can be found. I didn't feel that I had room for that method of installation. The Legend 35.5 is a very airy boat and lets in a gret deal of sunlight. You can help the AC efficiency by using some kind of shade for the overheads and large windows during the hottest weather. We use a combination of curtins (aft cabin and head) and window shades cut to fit the overhead difussers (fitted behind the difussers and left in place until the weather moderates) and overhead hatches. My opening hatches have been fitted with aluminum framed window screens held into place with velcro. The shade material is then fitted by just laying it inside the screen and is held in place automatically when the screen is put in place. You can contact me for more details at captainpat@prodigy.net
There are numerous entries in the archives you can check as I did. I opted to install the unit on a shelf built under the nav. station in order to lose as little storage room as possible. The main duct (7") ran under the bottom of the starboard shelf behind the setee backs into the fwd v-berth hanging locker with the air exiting via a vent on the bulkhead into the main cabin. Secondary vents (3") were run: (1) into the v-berth off of the main duct via a junction box placed inside the hanging locker, and (2)aft from the main unit through the head into the aft cabin. This installation is not ideal in terms of not restricting the air flow. However, I found that by placing an air restrictor in the two smaller vents (v-berth & aft cabin) I was able to achieve more even cooling/heating throughout the boat with greater air flow in the main cabin where it is needed. The return air vent was cut into the face of a cabnet built under the nav station. It's a very tight space but it does work, however it did require the elimination of the two useless chart holders and the accompanying woodwork which extends down from the main chart table. The unit is a CruiseAir 16000 BTU reverse cycle and had to be installed sideways in order to fit into the space. Also make sure that the temperature sensor in placed directly behind the return air vent. You should be aware that there is a bit of noise with the CruiseAir unit which could be diminished by an under setee location. I found the the loss of space for such an installation, as well as the necessary modifications were unacceptable. You should also install the SMX controller unit as this will double the manufacturer's warranty. I also considered moving the water heater in order to install the AC but decided not to do so. In my mind this might be the 2nd best soultion providing a spot for the water heater and accompanying plumbing can be found. I didn't feel that I had room for that method of installation. The Legend 35.5 is a very airy boat and lets in a gret deal of sunlight. You can help the AC efficiency by using some kind of shade for the overheads and large windows during the hottest weather. We use a combination of curtins (aft cabin and head) and window shades cut to fit the overhead difussers (fitted behind the difussers and left in place until the weather moderates) and overhead hatches. My opening hatches have been fitted with aluminum framed window screens held into place with velcro. The shade material is then fitted by just laying it inside the screen and is held in place automatically when the screen is put in place. You can contact me for more details at captainpat@prodigy.net
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Larry Baswick
Portable AC
I have used a Cruise air portable which fits perfectly into the salon hatch. It cools the boat very well, drys it out, and takes up no interior space. It takes about 5 minutes to set up. I just sold my 35.5 and kept the unit but my new boat has AC installed so I no longer need the portable.
I have used a Cruise air portable which fits perfectly into the salon hatch. It cools the boat very well, drys it out, and takes up no interior space. It takes about 5 minutes to set up. I just sold my 35.5 and kept the unit but my new boat has AC installed so I no longer need the portable.
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