Hunter 37c Air conditioning advise needed.

[guidera48]

I am going to install A/C on my 37 C before too long. At this time, I am still pealing off that hidious Herculon fabric off the walls. (it reminds me a lazy boy recliner I once owned in the 60's)
I am looking for a location for the compressor. It seems that every locker I have is occupied by some tank. Both port and starbord setee's have a water tank under them that occupies pretty much the whole locker. The forepeak is occupied by the holding tank and macerator and the rea cabin has the fuel tank. That leaves me the area under the sink. However if I go there , I have no way to get to the aft cabin without many turns and twists.
I am thinking of making a cabinet under the nav table to house the compressor. Iam building a floor storage box there anyway (saw the mod in the 37's picture mod page).
That way I can duct to the aft cabin, main cabin and passing under the head sink and locker, to the forward cabin. Am I in the right track??
Also since the return will be located in the main cabin, do I need a vent in the main cabin??
My wife's idea of roughfing it is black and white TV, so until I can get the boat cool, she won't visit. (maybe I should do without the air)
Also, I have rigged a 8000 btu window unit over the front hatch so I can work on the interior. It berely cools the forward cabin. Even with a fan flowing aft, it is just livable. I feel I may need a 16000 unit to keep the boat cool!
Your air conditioning advise and ideas are welcomed.

 

[Chuck Creel]

WEll i am no engineer but from my own experiences with my H-30 and central A/C, I can tell you that 16K might not be enough for the entire boat.

I have a 16,700BTU unit on the H-30 and it cools it well here on the gulf coast.
In your area it might do the trick since the humidity might be lower there. We often have temps 90 plus with humidty 60 -70 % plus.
Also , do you have a genset onboard?. You will need a 3000watt genset to run the A/C out on the hook.

here is a link to the people I bought mine from and are very pleased with them even before and after the sale.

www.oceanbreezeac.com

 

[Ed Schenck]

You should be able to find a lot on this subject in "Boat Info" for the H37C. Also check "Search". I installed my 12K Mermaid unit in the bottom of the quarterberth locker. I had to reposition the shelf slightly. The output is directly under the nav table, I ran zero ducts. The 12K was sufficient for Lake Erie. Now in Florida I could definitely use the 16K which, at the time, was only slightly more money. The 16K dimensions were identical for width and depth and only one inch taller. It would have fit no problem.

Having it in that locker without ducts made the installation pretty simple. The input water is from a T-valve connected to the engine water seacock. The pump and filter are mounted in the bilge section forward of the seacock where the manual bilge pickup is located. The one advantage of the 12K unit is that it will run away from shorepower with my Honda 2000W generator.

 

[rivettw]

37c A/c

Jose,
My '79 37C has a 16000 btu Marine Air unit with the compressor unit mounted on a shelf in the engine compartment on the quarter berth side aft. The blower and condensor are mounted in the vanity sink cabinet on the port side. The P.O had 3" duct run thru the cabinets portside behind the settee to the quarter berth bulkhead. Short duct run from vanity cabinet to the forward berth bulkhead and to the forward bulkhead of the cabin. Raw water cooling for the Marine air is a pump in the bilge via a thru hull port. 3K Honda Quiet Gen set is more than enough. This 16k will freeze you out on a 90 deg. gulf coast night and at 1 am in the morning you will have to turn it off or get another blanket. Pontchartrain located.

 

[Ed A]

i did it.

I put a 16k marine air in mine . I sold the boat but still have the air.
A 16 k marine air turbo with heat self contained unit. will fit in the bottom of the locker in the aft cabin. The pump should be located in the bildge.
water can be tapped from the main thru hull and run to the unit easily then a thru hull dumps it over. You will need to drop the shelf in the locker a few inches. I took the loovers out of the door and put in return air vents and it worked very well.

 

[Blaise]

I have a 16k kingair unit installed on the port side shelf over the port settee. It is ducted to both the forward and aft cabins. In the summer in Florida it easily takes the boat to 68. The entire shelf is covered in a teak cover with the main cabin discharge vent, the air return and and the controlls.