Don W wrote in news:m_6xg.134232
:


This weekend I measured the actual power draw on
our Cool Mate CLM12K (12,000 BTU) air conditioner
and found that it was drawing 12 amps at 124V AC
instead of the 9.1 amps claimed on the Dometic
website.


How much it draws is heavily dependent on its condensor temperature,
which changes the pressure the compressor has to work against. Monitor
its current and let it stabilize at 12A. Spray some water into the side
of the case so the fan can suck it into the condensor and watch the load
ease on the compressor.

The unit will probably draw less current after it has been running a few
hours so the case fills up with condensate water. There is a slinger
ring around the fan that blows through the hot condensor. This ring
picks up water from the pan it's built on and throws it up in the airflow
to the condensor, water cooling it with distilled condensate water from
the evaporator, exactly like a $99 cheap window air conditioner, which is
what the coolmate really is. Once the water supply has been condensed
and run outside into the slinger, it'll cool the condensor much better,
dropping your current drain.

It's also drawing more current because you're applying more voltage to
the unit than it was designed for, which doesn't really hurt it. The
plate probably says 115VAC, not 124VAC you measured.

If you're thinking about driving it with a generator or inverter, plan on
providing it with TWICE the running current drain, 24A AC, so you can
START it. It draws a LOT of current for a couple of seconds when it
starts. The genset must provide this starting power (the peak rating on
the genset) without tripping out or sagging voltage too far. A 3KW
genset is about right for this unit....but not a 1500W. I'm pulling TWO
8000 Btu LG Electronics Korean window units to cool my stepvan shop.
There's also a 2.7 cu ft R-12 fridge that starts all at the same time off
a Honda EU3000i electronic inverter superquiet genset mounted permanently
on the back. If it'll pull that load, it'd be great for your unit.

Now, put all that test equipment away, get a cold alcoholic beverage out
of the cooler and go sit in front of the Coolmate before you get a notion
to take the cabinet off to see what's wrong and screw it all up!

Larry wrote:
Don W wrote in news:m_6xg.134232
This weekend I measured the actual power draw on
our Cool Mate CLM12K (12,000 BTU) air conditioner
and found that it was drawing 12 amps at 124V AC
instead of the 9.1 amps claimed on the Dometic
website.

How much it draws is heavily dependent on its condensor temperature,
which changes the pressure the compressor has to work against. Monitor
its current and let it stabilize at 12A. Spray some water into the side
of the case so the fan can suck it into the condensor and watch the load
ease on the compressor.

The unit will probably draw less current after it has been running a few
hours so the case fills up with condensate water. There is a slinger
ring around the fan that blows through the hot condensor. This ring
picks up water from the pan it's built on and throws it up in the airflow
to the condensor, water cooling it with distilled condensate water from
the evaporator, exactly like a $99 cheap window air conditioner, which is
what the coolmate really is. Once the water supply has been condensed
and run outside into the slinger, it'll cool the condensor much better,
dropping your current drain.

Well, the only problem with this theory is that
the condensor is raw water (sea water in this
case) cooled. The cooling water comes from a
seawater pump attached to a thru-hull.

It's also drawing more current because you're applying more voltage to
the unit than it was designed for, which doesn't really hurt it. The
plate probably says 115VAC, not 124VAC you measured.

True. I considered that, but the current draw is
33% higher, and 9V out of 115V is only about 8% or so.

good advice snipped

Now, put all that test equipment away, get a cold alcoholic beverage out
of the cooler and go sit in front of the Coolmate before you get a notion
to take the cabinet off to see what's wrong and screw it all up!

;-) Actually, I'm considering doing something
worse, which is relocating the unit to somewhere
else in the boat. Right now, its completely
taking up the only closet that has any hang-up
space in the rear cabin :-(

Don W.

Don W wrote in news:LYexg.11933
:

;-) Actually, I'm considering doing something
worse, which is relocating the unit to somewhere
else in the boat. Right now, its completely
taking up the only closet that has any hang-up
space in the rear cabin :-(

D

Hmm....I'm not very "nautical". Tugboats and other commercial vessels
did what I think is the right thing....scrap all this marine crap and put
a Coleman RV rooftop AC on top of that leaky hatch over the main salon
with the louvers pointed fore and aft. To hide it from the purists, have
the canvas shop make you a Ships Wheel Cover or one with nautical-looking
logos or flags or knots. It does make a dandy deck seat if the boom
isn't swinging. Tell the curious it's the "safety box" on deck after you
hide the Coleman logo in canvas...(c;

I talked a fellow in a nice catamaran into scrapping his crappy, always
clogged with something, marine AC and putting a Coleman on each pontoon.
They like to froze to death because they had the thermostat too cool..(c;

Rooftop air units have all the "heat loads" OUTSIDE the boat, not in the
closet with the intake heating up and eating your Btus. Once you get the
hot compressor, hot seawater evaporator and hot fan motor OUT of the air
conditioned space, it takes a few thousand LESS Btu to cool the boat! I
also like the RV units with "Easy Start" kits in them. INstead of that
huge starting current blinking the lights, Easy Start units SLOWLY start
the compressor, using no more power to start the compressor than to run
it. No surge current, you can use a lot smaller genset to power it.

Ok, this commercial is over. Just look at your current installation and
see how many lockers, cupboards, storage spaces you'd regain hauling out
all those nasty hoses, ducts, the unit itself.

Oh, I forgot to mention the rooftop AC is 1/10th the NOISE inside the
boat while you're sleeping!

Larry wrote:

Don W wrote in news:LYexg.11933
:


;-) Actually, I'm considering doing something
worse, which is relocating the unit to somewhere
else in the boat. Right now, its completely
taking up the only closet that has any hang-up
space in the rear cabin :-(

D


Hmm....I'm not very "nautical". Tugboats and other commercial vessels
did what I think is the right thing....scrap all this marine crap and put
a Coleman RV rooftop AC on top of that leaky hatch over the main salon
with the louvers pointed fore and aft. To hide it from the purists, have
the canvas shop make you a Ships Wheel Cover or one with nautical-looking
logos or flags or knots. It does make a dandy deck seat if the boom
isn't swinging. Tell the curious it's the "safety box" on deck after you
hide the Coleman logo in canvas...(c;

I talked a fellow in a nice catamaran into scrapping his crappy, always
clogged with something, marine AC and putting a Coleman on each pontoon.
They like to froze to death because they had the thermostat too cool..(c;

Rooftop air units have all the "heat loads" OUTSIDE the boat, not in the
closet with the intake heating up and eating your Btus. Once you get the
hot compressor, hot seawater evaporator and hot fan motor OUT of the air
conditioned space, it takes a few thousand LESS Btu to cool the boat! I
also like the RV units with "Easy Start" kits in them. INstead of that
huge starting current blinking the lights, Easy Start units SLOWLY start
the compressor, using no more power to start the compressor than to run
it. No surge current, you can use a lot smaller genset to power it.

Ok, this commercial is over. Just look at your current installation and
see how many lockers, cupboards, storage spaces you'd regain hauling out
all those nasty hoses, ducts, the unit itself.

Oh, I forgot to mention the rooftop AC is 1/10th the NOISE inside the
boat while you're sleeping!

Yep, I've considered replacing this AC with an RV
unit, and may yet do just that. The only place I
could put it would be over the hatch in the
V-Berth. We'll see...

Don W.