Installed air conditioning - need info

[chuck53]

I'm getting ready to put an installed AC unit in my boat.  Just like to know where everyone has located theirs and where did you put your seacock?
When looking to buy our C-34, we looked at several with AC and usually they were located under the dinette seat behind the forward bulhead.  We did see one that was either in the cabinet just aft of the nav station or it was put in a box under the nav station - can't remember which.
If under the dinette seat, how do you route the duct work to the aft stateroom?
The one installed near the nav station had a duct routed thru the head and into the aft stateroom.
What size unit do you have?  Is 12k BTU enough or do I need 16K?  I'm on the lower Potomac.

Any other info I need to know would be greatly appreciated.

[sailaway]

chuck. I installed a 12k unit in my boat. I bought it at a good price. We are on lake Erie. I installed the unit under the vee berth.  I ran one duct up to the  starboard dresser top and one to the main cabin. 6 inch duct with one tee. I put the seacock for the intake near my speed meter.  cools the vee berth and main cabin good.  Hope this helps Charlie

[Ken Juul]

Couple of different installation are documented in the Tech Wiki, look in the interior section. 

This is one of those  subjects that gets discussed at least once every spring or summer. Not trying to avoid answering a good question, but please use the search function in the blue menu bar at the top of the page, you will have hours of reading.  Alot easier than retyping it all again.

[chuck53]

Thanks Ken.  I did do a search as I thought it had been covered but couldn't find anything.  I guess I just wasn't doing it right.

[pablosgirl]

I installed a 16K unit under the v-berth.  The thru-hull is 12' forward and to port of the speed sensor.  The duct work is split just aft of the unit.  One branch goes into the back of the port drawer cabinet an comes through its top with a teak register box.  A hole is cut through the bulkhead and a 4" register vent installed to cool the main cabin and another register vent is installed in the forward face of the teak register box to cool the v=berth.  The starboard branch goes through the hanging locker and out its top into another teak register box where there is another 4" register cut through the bulkhead into the main cabin.  The teak register boxes are used to allow for higher placement up the bulkhead in the main cabin.  No duct work leads to the aft cabin.  the aft cabin is sufficiently cooled by leaving its door open to the main salon.  Even on the hot humid Gulf coast, the unit will have you reaching for a blanket before the morning has arrived.

Paul Shields

[Ken Juul]

Did a quick scan, came up with these.
http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,536.0.html  

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3196.0.html

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4343.0.html

http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,260.0.html

Any way you do it, getting a duct to the aft cabin is hard.  The easiest way is to to route it thru the cabinets above the stove and thru the bulkhead.  But that kills your galley storage.  It might be possible to get one under the ice box, under the stove then build a riser in the back cabin to bring it up the back side of the bulkhead.  Our aft most outlet is under the galley sink, we use a fan to push cold air into aft cabin. 

[sailingdream]

I have a MarineAir. The unit is in my v-bert. The output hose goes behind the draws. The intake is just under the settee behind the bulk head. The hose for the air was fed through the locker in the v berth. A teak box was built to hold a T joint to have a vent in the V berth and then another hole into the main salon. Nothing into the aft cabin. The PO said something about the installer wanting to feed a vent back there but decided not too. Not to sure why. Most likely losing a lot of cabinet space.

[Ken Juul]

If you have read any of the past posts you know I have a split system.  12K that feeds the salon and 4K that is isolated to the vee berth.  POs set it up.  When my big unit died a couple years ago I debated whether to replace it with a 16K unit and remove the 4k when it eventually dies.  Some unexpected expenses popped up, so I stayed with the less expensive 12K system.  As it worked out it was the correct choice, with the fan turned on to minimize start up loads, my Honda 2000 will easily run the12K unit while charging the batteries, looking at the specs, I don't think I couild do that with any of the 16K units.

[chuck53]

Guys, thanks for all the replys.
I was thinking about putting it under the forward dinette seat as there is room for it there and room next to the starboard water tank for a new thru hull and water pump.
After the previous owner reminded me of an unused thru hull in the cabinet behind the nav station, I'm seriously thinking about going in another direction.
I want to put the AC unit in that cabinet and utilize the thru hull already there.  I'll put the return register on the side of the cabinet underneath the nav table and 1 large output register on the top of the cabinet and not run any ductwork either forward or aft.
We never sleep with any doors shut and I'm sure both cabins will stay more than comfortable.
By going this route, it should be a very easy install.
I ran this idea past my AC guy and he liked it alot.  Much cheaper and simpler install.