I plan to install air conditioning in my 2001 Catalina 36 mkii and would like opinions on the best unit to buy. A 16,000 BTU unit which is reverse heat and air is desired. I've checked Practical Sailor and Good Old Boat, and done a google, but haven't found any authoritative reviews of the various brands.
What is the best air conditioning unit
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I like Frigoboat for reefer systems, maybe there is something similar for A/C with keel coolers?
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air conditioners
A few months ago I was searching for a new 16000 btu AC. the people at meremaid told me that the 16000 btu unit would not run on a honda 2000 generator. they said the 12000 wouold but not the 16000. Are you posters above telling me you have one running on your HONDA 2000i?
In my search I found only the rotary compresser units were able to soft start (or hard start) on the small honda 2000. I have a flagship 16500 and it runs on the honda. I am also told that the dometic units also run off the honda but may need an adaptor.
A few months ago I was searching for a new 16000 btu AC. the people at meremaid told me that the 16000 btu unit would not run on a honda 2000 generator. they said the 12000 wouold but not the 16000. Are you posters above telling me you have one running on your HONDA 2000i?
In my search I found only the rotary compresser units were able to soft start (or hard start) on the small honda 2000. I have a flagship 16500 and it runs on the honda. I am also told that the dometic units also run off the honda but may need an adaptor.
I have AC but never use it. It does not work when away from shore power and if all I want to do is sit at the dock then home is much more comfortable. I do use 12 volt fans to great effect though. Pretty amazing what a breeze will do for sleeping comfort. During the day I would note that there is a large body of water right off the stern that you can use to get wet in.
FWIW
FWIW
Mermaid here also. It is a 12K and does run with the Honda 2000. And I have seen several posts here stating that their 16K units run with the Honda. But I think that they had to install a startup capacitor, a device to carry the Honda through the high startup current.
That's fine if you dock your boat in a more rural area but some folks keep them in cities where it is very hot and jumping in the water around the marina might be both prohibited and a little icky!
We use the AC at the dock when it is hot. We run it all day for our dog as it is not always practical to leave him in the cockpit when we are at work. Open hatches, fans and a dip off the transom work great at anchor. Ice cream also helps!
We had a Large Beneteau from Montreal and a few powerboats around us this weekend that ran their generators all night so they could have AC. I refuse to be a nuisance in an anchorage where I go to find peace and quiet. Others should follow suit. If they turned off the AC and opened a hatch they would have found it very pleasant after about 9pm. This coming from a guy who hates the heat.
I have seldom used the A/C away from the dock for the reasons that Bill and Tim cite. But after docking it is the second thing I do after tie up, first being to plug the boat into shorepower. When it is 90+ there is nothing like taking a break from mainsail flaking and covering. Course all you guys with furling mains wouldn't know about that.
I have a 16K Mermaid, and can assure you it runs fine on a Honda EU2000i. I don't start it on Eco throttle, but once the AC has started, the generator can be throttled down and works great. I also won't run it at night because of the noise, but it's nice to have in late afternoon or when it rains on the hook.Terry in Naples said:
For the OP,
You may want to consider also asking on the www.C36ia.org forum, they know your boat as well as the very good A.C. material presented here.
You may want to consider also asking on the www.C36ia.org forum, they know your boat as well as the very good A.C. material presented here.
My unit is a Marine Air and it has performed well.. I installed it in '95 .. It ran for 15 years with no problems.. The compressor case corroded thru last year because the condensate water was not draining out well enough.. I attribute that to the installer and the "normal" starboard list that the H-34 has.. The installer is me.. Last year, I put a new compressor in and it is doing fine again.. This unit runs on "Dehumidify" cycle when I am not there.. every four hours, it starts and runs a while to dehumidify the cabin air.. This happens all year long, not just the summer months.. In addition, I spend time on the boat during the week (it is about a 1 hour drive there from my home) and on weekends.. again this is all year long and the unit is often used for cooling through November.. for sleeping back in the slip on the bayou.. In the cold weather, I use the reverse cycle.. I haven't yet run it on the Generac inverter generator I have for hurricanes, but I am pretty sure it will do fine.. The only thing I would have changed about the unit is to use a plastic condensate pan .. I restored the pan when I changed the compressor and coated it with the Rhino stuff that they use in piickup truck beds..I also corrected the drain problem.. I would definitely consider another by Marine Air.
Do you plug the Honda into the shore power connection or is there some kind of direct connection from the Honda to the Mermaid?
My A/C is on a dedicated shore power circuit with a separate 30 amp inlet. I actually have the Honda EU2000i Companion model, which is identical to the regular EU2000i except it has a 30 amp twist lock connector in place of one of the usual 20 amp blade connectors, so I can use my 30 amp shorepower cord from the generator to the inlet. You can also simply use an adapter and a heavy duty extension cord with the regular EU2000i.hynnic1 said:
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