Aircon: Frigomar inverter 2amp start up.

These look like a very interesting hi tech solution to traditional ac units.
Would easily run on Honda suitcase genny?

45% saving on electricity use because of dc brushless motors/continuously variable with no thermostat.

2 amps low amps start up load.

Marine Air Conditioning Systems

The low starting amps are nice. (double that number for those of us on 120VAC). The 16000 btu version uses about the same amount of power when running at full speed as a traditional 16000btu air conditioner. You might be able to use a small genset if its continuous rating will support the max power demand. Much easier to do than trying to support the starting amps of a traditional air conditioner.

Home systems have been using inverter systems for some time. I have one at my home. I think the 45% saving might be over rated.

BlueYonder said:

The low starting amps are nice. (double that number for those of us on 120VAC). The 16000 btu version uses about the same amount of power when running at full speed as a traditional 16000btu air conditioner. You might be able to use a small genset if its continuous rating will support the max power demand. Much easier to do than trying to support the starting amps of a traditional air conditioner.

Home systems have been using inverter systems for some time. I have one at my home. I think the 45% saving might be over rated.

Click to expand...

I believe the smaller 8k btu unit is about £1k, but by the time you add in all the bits and pieces it starts to get expensive.

The only advantages I can see are the small start amps, and the facility of the unit to auto switch to low power when you turn on another appliance on the boat.

Silent running at night time would be a big bonus; no cutting in and out of the thermostat.

The 45% energy savings is entirely possible.

Marine A/C systems are notoriously inefficient. Most 16,000 btu systems draw 14-16 amps AC at 120 V. That includes the power to run the seawater pump which is often ignored in the manufacturer's specs.

At 15 amps it has a EER (a measure of efficiency- btu/watts) of about 9. Modern home central A/C units are 12-18.

David

This new system requires a seawater pump also. Is the sea water pump full speed all the time, or does it vary with the compressor?

The system on my boat only runs the pump when the compressor is running. If this variable system runs longer at a lower amp draw, I bet the seawater pump is still running full speed. Probably still more efficient than current systems.

I would not be surprised to see the big guys come up with inverter based designs in the near future, the low starting amps alone would allow for a smaller genset and lower boat cost.

"I would not be surprised to see the big guys come up with inverter based designs in the near future, the low starting amps alone would allow for a smaller genset and lower boat cost."

All of the modern Mini Split systems have been using inverter DC tech for a decade .

They have advantages , if you can use them.

First they are a bit more efficient running full blast , but way more efficient at part load.

Second they can produce 300% to 500% more heat (with no low temp restrictions) from the same amperage.

Usually when the air or water get below 40F old units would switch to resistance heating , really expensive per BTU.

All over euroland the locals have the compressor package on deck or on the stern rail , and enjoy heat and air cond at low electric cost.

Burrying the system in the bilge and adding a circ pump and seacock only makes sense replacing outdated equipment with least effort.

Split systems are great if you can install one. A lot of boaters are limited to the all in one package for their air conditioners. Not enough bilge space to mount a split system and running copper tubes to the evaporator increases the cost and complexity of the install. Frigomar is offering a self-contained unit with the inverter driven compressor. The Frigomar inverter units have a water temp limit of 40F for heating, is there a system out there that can pull heat out of water much colder than 40F?

I'm curious about systems that you can hang on your stern rail, or mount on your deck. Are these water cooled or air cooled? I had a hatch mounted system on a sailboat that worked pretty well.

Hopefully my current system will continue working for a long time. By the time I need to replace it, who knows what kind of technology might be out there.