Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

[mwilley22]

We were bouncing around some ideas to cool down our cuddy cabin on hot nights. We were wondering if anyone out there uses some type of battery operated cooling system. We thought with all the boating and camping that takes place, that someone would sell a battery operated A/C unit to cool down small spaces. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Idlespeedonly]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

Never seen a battery operated cooling system. At least none that could be used in a boat. The power required is just to much for batteries and or an inverter. We just use a couple of fans. We have thought about those self contained units that use the tubes for the hot air exhaust. But that will require either shore power or a generator. A generator is to heave to try loading and unloading from my boat. So I will continue to sweat it out I guess.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

Battery powered A/C is not going to happen...

Even a lot of boats with A/C can only run them when tethered to shore power (those without gensets). A possible option for you is a 12v powered swamp cooler - I have seen models that are built using smallish marine coolers and could fit into the space where your portapotty usually sits in your cuddy. All that moisture in a cabin could just be asking for problems, though.

I open the hatch on the foredeck, open the cabin door, and turn on my cuddy's fan. Been in there when it was high 80's out and in direct sun, and its habitable.

If I was down south, I think I would invest in a boat with a larger cabin and/or air conditioning.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

The only thing I can think of that might provide a little relief, are the small aircraft air conditioners that basically use ice (or maybe dry ice) and a cooler with a fan motor mounted. Would probably work fine for a cuddy cabin, but they're pricey. Most start around $450 and go up to several thousand depending on the number of fans/vents and the cooler size. Here's an example:

http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/product/16540

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

I would steer away from dry ice systems as the build up of CO2 probably might cause a health hazard. I haven't tried one of the ice systems yet but have done a little reading on them and they don't appear to have the capacity to get the job done.

I looked into an A/C system and was floored by the price and would only be able to use it at a dock with shore power unless I added a large battery bank and converter or gen set. Neither is a viable option for my boat and the space constraints.

I think the amount of ice required would be better used to keep beverages cool and make drinks

Here is a place to start looking though
http://www.swampy.net/12vcombo.html

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

I haven't tried one of the ice systems yet but have done a little reading on them and they don't appear to have the capacity to get the job done.

An icechest-sized swamp cooler could easily cool a cuddy cabin provided it had the air circulation capacity - even a "big" cuddy. I have lived in huge military tents with 200+ bunkbeds and god knows how many people jammed into them cooled only by swamp coolers (big ones, granted), and they were liveable. The problem is that they, as one would expect, generate huge amounts of moisture and make the air very humid. I would expect that any ice-driven cooling system would wreck havoc on a cuddy with regards to water and mold/mildew damage in short order.

 

[Geko45]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

The only thing I can think of that might provide a little relief, are the small aircraft air conditioners that basically use ice (or maybe dry ice) and a cooler with a fan motor mounted.

This is what I was gonna recommend. If I remember correctly then there is a fairly affordable option that fits into an existing cooler, but it didn't get great reviews.

Here is a slightly more affordable purpose built unit: PORTABLE AIRCRAFT - AIRPLANE / HELICOPTER AIR CONDITIONER - ARCTIC CHILL COMFORT

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

An icechest-sized swamp cooler could easily cool a cuddy cabin provided it had the air circulation capacity - even a "big" cuddy. I have lived in huge military tents with 200+ bunkbeds and god knows how many people jammed into them cooled only by swamp coolers (big ones, granted), and they were liveable. The problem is that they, as one would expect, generate huge amounts of moisture and make the air very humid. I would expect that any ice-driven cooling system would wreck havoc on a cuddy with regards to water and mold/mildew damage in short order.

I have used those same portable systems as well.
But Water going from liquid to vapor will require(absorb) about 970 BTUH per pound. where as ice going from a solid to a liquid will only require (absorb) about 144 BTUH per pound requiring about 7 times as much water to do the same job.

and you're right the humidity could be harmful to the cabins condition making it breeding ground for molds and mildew

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

I"m sure there are some ready made systems out there, but... What is the water temp where you boat? It is 10-20 degrees cooler (or more) than the air? If so, it would be relatively easy to make your own cooling system. Take in raw water, send it through a small radiator, blow a fan through said radiator, and then get the water back out.

Obviously the air coming off the fan will never be cooler than the water temp, but if your conditions allow, that is an easy/cheap way to cool it off without adding humidity.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

So running a ice chest a/c system and a dehumidifier simultaneously is out of the question?

 

[bgc]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

I"m sure there are some ready made systems out there, but... What is the water temp where you boat? It is 10-20 degrees cooler (or more) than the air? If so, it would be relatively easy to make your own cooling system. Take in raw water, send it through a small radiator, blow a fan through said radiator, and then get the water back out.

Obviously the air coming off the fan will never be cooler than the water temp, but if your conditions allow, that is an easy/cheap way to cool it off without adding humidity.

We (guys at shop) talked about using raw water and a radiator/coil.
Wonder how much energy the pump would consume if the draw was equal to the return?

 

[tswiczko]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

We (guys at shop) talked about using raw water and a radiator/coil.
Wonder how much energy the pump would consume if the draw was equal to the return?

How about pumping ice water from a cooler of ice and water mix through an air over heat exchanger coil this would dehumidify as well.

When the ice is gone the water could be partially drained and replaced with more ice, if you had a mixture of antifreeze and water you could freeze that at a lower temperature than 32 degrees and get even cooler discharge temperatures but I am not sure of that will change your latent heat of melting.

 

[Restless22]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

I have an Amana 5000 BTU mounted on my bow hatch area, with a sort of "hood scoop" looking cover. I run it off the shore power when in the slip, and my new Honda EU2000i when out. It sure came in handy for my nieces birthday party last weekend. The teens had a small party with pizza and were comfortable. It's nearing triple digits here now, so I'll put it to good use.

My boat is a 1988 Wellcraft Aruba 232 with a comfortable sized cabin for us.

 

[bgc]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

How about pumping ice water from a cooler of ice and water mix through an air over heat exchanger coil this would dehumidify as well.

When the ice is gone the water could be partially drained and replaced with more ice, if you had a mixture of antifreeze and water you could freeze that at a lower temperature than 32 degrees and get even cooler discharge temperatures but I am not sure of that will change your latent heat of melting.

Good idea! What if the air pass through the heat exchanger and it was submerged in the ice bath? Like a large shop vac hose or aluminum dryer vent hose?

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

... Wonder how much energy the pump would consume if the draw was equal to the return?

If the water supply and returns are both below water level, the net pumping height is zero.
You would only have to overcome the friction of the lines.
It could use a small sump pump to move it.
A few hundred gallons an hour would be a lot of heat capacity.

There is a reason that air conditioning units are rated in TONS.
A very small 1/2 ton a/c unit (6000 BTU) is equal to 1000 lbs of ice per day.
That is a little over 40 lbs of ice per hour.
You can cool with ice and a fan but be ready to add another 20 lb bag of ice every 30 minutes.

Freezing cold water is not the same as Ice.
It take 80 time"s more "Heat" to melt a pound of ice as it does to heat a pound of water one degree.
That is why icebergs last for months and can travel thousands of miles.

 

[jeffnick]

Re: Cooling your Cuddy Cabin

http://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2011/09/boat-air-conditioning.html