Install Air condition in hunter 38

A

ANGELS

.
Jul 29, 2022
5
Hunter 340 CYPRUS-LARNAKA
Good morning to everybody.
As family with 2 kids we are new sailors, and we thinking to pass from hunter 340 year 1997
to hunter 38 year 2006 triple cabin version, (second hand)
Is it a good choice?
Unfortunately in hunter 38 there is not installed air condition.
Is it possible to install an A/C?
What lines i have to follow?
Has anybody did this?
Please advise
Thanks in advace
 
ggrizzard

ggrizzard

.
May 27, 2004
2,051
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
There are several mfgrs of aftermarket, DIY AC systems available online.
Defender.com is one seller that is well known.
Which system is best?
No one but you can decide that. It depends on how many 'tons' of cooling you need and how much you can afford to spend on the project.
There are many YouTube videos available online that show different situations
and the solutions that those cruising sailors decided best met their needs.
But, be aware that you are entering the world of "complex" DIY projects dealing
with electrical, plumbing, carpentry and aesthetics. Take your time to do it right the first time.
If you do the research and then decide to let a "Pro" do the work, you will have the opportunity to ask the myriad questions of someone who (hopefully) has done the job before.
Good Luck.
 
BigEasy

BigEasy

.
Jun 21, 2004
2,874
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
ANGELS said:
Unfortunately in hunter 38 there is not installed air condition.
Is it possible to install an A/C?
What lines i have to follow?
Click to expand
Best option would be to locate a Hunter 38 that has a factory configured A/C and note the location of the A/C unit, ducting, return air vent, plumbing & water pump, as well as shore power inlets, breakers, wiring runs, thermostat location, & method of discharging condensate water. You may find the layout in your Hunter owner’s manual. I would guestimate that a 16,000 btu system would be adequate for a 38’ boat. Be sure to include ducting / supply vents to each cabin to cool & heat each cabin effectively. As @ggrizzard mentioned, this is a complex project that is certainly
doable by a motivated & skilled DIY owner. I would caution that if you decide to have a contractor do the installation, be sure he does these installations routinely. On my first boat, a boat yard did the installation & totally botched it. It is certainly much easier to install a system while the boat is being assembled in factory to allow easy installation for ducting, electrical, & plumbing vs an after market installation. Finally, a self contained system is simpler as it comes precharged with refrigerant vs a split system that has to be purged, vacuumed, & charged after installation; however, if the layout of your cabin will not allow for necessary duct runs, a split system may be your only option. Definitely a labor intensive project, so there’s potential for substantial savings $$$ for the DIY owner. Good luck!
 
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ggrizzard

ggrizzard

.
May 27, 2004
2,051
Hunter 30_74-83 Ponce Inlet FL
"I would caution that if you decide to have a contractor do the installation, be sure he does these installations routinely."

Amen to that sentiment!:clap:
 
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quadrille38

quadrille38

.
Apr 11, 2010
972
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
BigEasy said:
Best option would be to locate a Hunter 38 that has a factory configured A/C and note the location of the A/C unit, ducting, return air vent, plumbing & water pump, as well as shore power inlets, breakers, wiring runs, thermostat location, & method of discharging condensate water. You may find the layout in your Hunter owner’s manual. I would guestimate that a 16,000 btu system would be adequate for a 38’ boat. Be sure to include ducting / supply vents to each cabin to cool & heat each cabin effectively. As @ggrizzard mentioned, this is a complex project that is certainly
doable by a motivated & skilled DIY owner. I would caution that if you decide to have a contractor do the installation, be sure he does these installations routinely. On my first boat, a boat yard did the installation & totally botched it. It is certainly much easier to install a system while the boat is being assembled in factory to allow easy installation for ducting, electrical, & plumbing vs an after market installation. Finally, a self contained system is simpler as it comes precharged with refrigerant vs a split system that has to be purged, vacuumed, & charged after installation; however, if the layout of your cabin will not allow for necessary duct runs, a split system may be your only option. Definitely a labor intensive project, so there’s potential for substantial savings $$$ for the DIY owner. Good luck!
Click to expand
my 38 actually has 2 air conditioning units installed as original equipment. First ins in the main cabin under the settee and the second is in the aft cabin under the bed. Two separate controls. Main is in the bulkhead near rhe nav table. Rear is in the wall just above the engine cover in the aft cabin.
you might want to check as Hunter often installed duct work and some wiring for options even if they weren’t ordered.
 
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marcham

marcham

.
Jun 17, 2022
228
Hunter 380 Comox BC
The Hunter 38 owner's manual details where are the components of the A/C should be installed. The boat is most likely pre-wired for AC.
 
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BigEasy

BigEasy

.
Jun 21, 2004
2,874
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
marcham said:
quadrille38 said:
my 38 actually has 2 air conditioning units installed as original equipment.
you might want to check as Hunter often installed duct work and some wiring for options even if they weren’t ordered.
Click to expand
The boat is most likely pre-wired for AC.
Click to expand
That would be a huge advantage if ducting & wiring is already present; Beneteau was not so generous.

Just curious as to the total btu rating for each of your A/C units.
 
quadrille38

quadrille38

.
Apr 11, 2010
972
Hunter 38 Whitehall MI
BigEasy said:
That would be a huge advantage if ducting & wiring is already present; Beneteau was not so generous.

Just curious as to the total btu rating for each of your A/C units.
Click to expand
I will check when I’m at the boat next. Manuals are there.

here is something else I found on line that might be useful.
 

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senang

.
Oct 21, 2009
316
hunter 38 Monaco
Our H38 (2nd owner, owners version large aft cabin) came with an airco installed in the main cabin. Wiring and ducting for a 2nd airco unit in the owners aft cabin was installed, but no airco installed there). To get cold air from the main cabin unit to the aft cabin a duct was run on the SB side that ended behind the aft cabin SB locker. My guess is the cheapskate French agent had the buyer pay for a complete 2 unit Airco installation and pocketed the difference by eliminating the 2nd unit.
The difficulty for an aftermarket installation will be to get from the under seating installed unit to the ceiling. On our boat this is accomplished with flat tubing in the space between main cabin forward bulkhead and forward cabin aft bulkhead. They are about 2“ apart. Good luck with your installation, better DIY then done by a “professional”. Their installation choices are always based on time cutting and never on best solution.
 
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