[C320-list] Air conditioning

[Warren Updike]

Just to add a note... It seems Dometic is now selling the CruiseAir products under the Dometic brand. I'm told by an owner sourcing an AC that there is now a 14k BTU unit from Dometic. 
We installed a 12k unit several years ago in the port locker with one vent in galley and return in aft cabin. It is more than enough cooling for us here on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. The v-berth and aft cabin are cooled although will be slightly warmer than the salon. 
Instead of doors, Pattie made a Sunbrella piece that attaches over the hatch cover and drapes over the companionway. It has a window and a metal rod sewn in the bottom to keep it from blowing in the wind. It's easy to enter/exit with the soft door in-place. 
One suggestion, when installing, extend the thermometer into the living space rather than leave attached to the unit in the locker. The reason is that the locker will be hotter than the cooled space from the heat of the unit together with the heat of the Sun beating on the outside of the locker. This will make controlling the temp in the living space simpler.

Warren and Pattie Updike
1994 C320 "Warr de Mar" #62
Middle River, Chesapeake Bay




-----Original Message-----
From: jbrown5093 at yahoo.com [mailto:jbrown5093 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 12:12 PM
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Air conditioning



Sent from my iPad

> On May 15, 2017, at 11:58 PM, Rick Sulewski <rsulewski at bex.net> wrote:
> 
> John, 
> Even if you go with a contractor installed AC unit, you will want to consider the following:
> Size: 16k unit will more quickly reduce your cabin temps and provide less cycling if you are in a high humidity and higher summer temp region, including the lower Great Lakes area. Also, a 16k unit will recover temps more quickly when the companionway is open. Consider the convenience of Zarcor swing doors if you are going to use the AC or heat often vs. shuffling the companionway hatch boards. The AC/Heat unit was most appreciated by the spouse along with the installation of Zarcor doors. MarineAirr/Domenic is the name brand ac unit I purchased thru the contractor who did the  install along with Marsh water pump. Like with any appliance, you get what you pay for. After 10 plus boating seasons on our AC/Heat unit, so far all is working well. Just learn how to winterize your unit. On my port locker installation I only need to pull the exit water hose from the thru-hull and pour in some antifreeze into that exit waterline a few time and blow it all the way out the intake water seacock and repeat,  to ensure the AC internal unit is pickled, while emptying the inline filter for the winter season.
> Unit Type: For $100 to $200 more you can get a reverse cycling Heat/AC unit if spring or fall boating is important to you. Total cost for the unit and all misc. parts and installation can run about $4k plus, depending on your region and quotes you seek from contractors. You could pay as much as $800 to $1,200 for an installation, depending on the placement of the unit.  Some installation  are more costly than other locations and vent arrangements.
> Placement: The port locker is the easiest and least expensive install that will only result in a cold air exit duct above the bread box with the air intake at the foot of the aft cabin. Installing multiple vents runs up the cost and with a 16K unit and variable speed fan, the bread box exit air vent is more than adequate to send air all the way into the v-berth. I avoided placing the AC/Heat unit in the starboard corner locker above the fuel tank because the compressor and fan noise from the unit would be aligned with the pillows when sleeping in the aft cabin. Also I did not want to having to remove the AC unit if the fuel tank ever needed to be serviced or replaced, which is a common issue after the hull turns 15-20 years old. As it turned out, I installed the AC/Heat unit 12 years after we purchased our boat after having used an overhead hatch portable air unit for about 8 of those 12 years. By year 21, I replaced the fuel tank and was glad I had installed the AC unit in the port locker. Also, the electrical power is only a short distance away on the port side and the condensate water can either be easily  drained to the bilge or exited out aft by a gravity line or attaching a fancy water vacuum gizmo attached before the water exit thru hull (that is conveniently  lower and therefore quieter with a the port side installation).
> Notes: Placing a grill in the aft cabin door allows the aft cabin door to be closed while the AC or heat is  turned on. Using a memory foam topper on the aft cabin foam mattress really reduced the water pump noise to a very faint hum. The AC water pump and AC intake thru hull & AC seacock are located just ahead of the engine cooling water intake because you will want to have the water pump and filter below the waterline to avoid air locks. The AC unit panel is located near the nav station adjacent to electrical panel and next to the marine radio. A breaker must be installed in the electrical panel for the 120 volt power to the AC unit.
> Regarding install contractors: I learned that some may or may not have experience with a 320 installation and many are open to being directed to clarify what it takes to satisfy their customers. If the contractor is difficult, then just pass on him and go with someone who is open to your specifications, after all, you are going to have to live with choices the contractor will otherwise make for you if you do not specify what you want.  If you go the "do it yourself route" count on spending a long weekend cutting fiberglass and drilling holes in your boat along with doing the wiring, unit mounting, etc. For me, going with an install contactor was the right choice and given what the job entailed, I did not regret shelling out the bucks for the contractor who gave me a great deal on my unit and all of the installation parts.  In the end, after writing the check I only had to turn on the unit and of course do a little clean up so my boss would be impressed with the new creature comfort that made her very happy!
> 
> Hope this provides you with some initial details to simplify your AC options lists.
> You will not regret making an AC unit investment.  Our only regret is that we did not do it sooner!!!
> Rick Sulewski, 95' 320 hull #277
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of John Jacobs
> Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 6:01 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Air conditioning
> 
> Hi
> Somehow my first send went in advance of me finishing the thought. 
> Just wondering if anyone has had any recent experience in installing an Air Condition system?  i know it’s not cheap and I’m willing to bite the bullet.  The fleet admiral (wife) doesn’t mind a warm sunny day on the water but she’s opposed to sleeping in the heat.
> Any special problems, considerations, encounters of the worst kind that you may have run into.
> 
> John Jacobs
> 1999 #644 “Surprise”=
>