Would this work?

[jr438234606]

Air Conditioner / Generator match-up.

Hi All. My boat has a 16,000 BTU, A/C-powered Cruisair air conditioner. I am thinking of purchasing a small, gasoline-powered generator for the occassional over-night anchoring out. The generator I have my eye on is the Yamaha EF2400Is. Yamaha Inverter EF2400iS Home, information, info

I no longer have the spec-sheet for the A/C, so I am unsure what the exact continuous running load is. I think this generator would handle the surge/starting load as I have read that it will supply up to a 6000 watt load for 3 seconds.

So, my main concern is the continual load. The generator is rated at 2000 watts maximum for a continual load. I don't have an amp meter, so it's hard to figure the load. Anyone know much about these A/C units?

[Boasun]

Why not get a small diesel gen set. then you don't have the volatile gasoline on board.
Then come to finding where you can mount it.
Fuel connections to your fuel tank
Pipe the exhaust line overboard.
Hard wire the Generator into your existing power system. Or add another power panel for the distribution of the 120/240 AC voltage.

Question what is the high amperage draw when you have several electrical units on line? Is there surge protection? Isolation from shore power?
What is the smallest gen set you can use?

[sherrod01]

According to the Mermaid website a 16,500 like I have draws 12 amps cooling and 13.5 amps heating.

[Freesail99]

I believe on start up, they draw much more. If it only drew 12 amps cooling you cool use your batterys. At least for a while.

[ebs001]

The problem is not run, but start. Most small gens stall out when the A/C tries to start.

[Freesail99]

Originally Posted by ebs001

The problem is not run, but start. Most small gens stall out when the A/C tries to start.

Didn't I say that ?

[jr438234606]

Thanks guys. I'm not too concerned about start-up loads. As I mentioned, the generator I'm considering will support 6000 watts for up to 3 seconds. That should be enough to kick it into motion. If not, I could get a hard-start capacitor.

My real concern is how much of a sustained load would this particular Air Conditioner place on this particular generator. I don't want the generator to have to struggle to keep up. I figured 1/2 of rated continuous capacity would be about right.

[btrayfors]

Freesail99..

That's 12 amps @ 120V (1440 watts), NOT 12 amps @ 12 volts (144 watts).

Many cruisers use small AC generators to charge their batteries and provide 120VAC for tools, hair dryers, and other purposes. The favorite is the Honda line, with many favoring the 2000EU. Great little generator.

The problems with the small AC generators are:

1. They're gasoline powered and, as such, produce a considerable amount of carbon monoxide. You have to be very careful where and how you mount them, especially if you're planning to run them while sleeping.

2. They may not be able to sustain their output ratings in high ambient temperatures. Like any generator/alternator, when the temperature rises their sustained output falls somewhat.

3. They may or may not have enough oomph to absorb high starting loads, such as air conditioners or refrigerators draw. While a 16,000BTU A/C may draw 16A while running, startup current is much higher. For example, my 16,500BTU Flagship marine A/C draws 14.1 amps at full load (running) but draws at least 21 amps (about 2,500 watts) when starting. This heavy draw is momentary, but you need to have a generator which is fully capable of handling it.

Finally, why not a fixed diesel generator? It may be a space problem, but for many cruisers it comes down to a cost issue. A small Honda generator will cost about $1,000. A small diesel generator will cost at least five times that, even if you do the installation work yourself.

Bill

[ebs001]

Freesail, I guess what I said is what you meant to say.

JR, I think you had better recheck the specs on the Yamaha 2400. According to their website the max power is 2400 watts. The sustained power is 2000 watts. The draw on a Mermaid 16,500 BTU is 12 amps or 1440 watts. The cruise air should be similiar. Your problem is start not run. Yes you can hard wire in a start capacitor to attempt to assist in the start.

[jr438234606]

Yes, diesel genset is out of the question for two reasons:

1.) They are very expensive and are way overkill just to power an Air Conditioner. I don't need to charge batteries, just run Air Conditioner.

2.) They require a permanent installation, whereas I would like to be able to tote the Yamaha back to the house for when the next Katrina hits. (I live on Lake Pontchartrain's Northshore).

1440 Watts sounds doable by that Yamaha. My understanding is that it supply 6000 watts for 3 seconds, 2400 watts for up to 20 minutes, and 2000 or less for an unlimited amount of time. The official specs don't seem to say that, but the dealers tell me that.