Is there an Air Conditioner using Inverter Compressor

theoldwizard1 wrote:

Peter_Crowl wrote:
I love the split systems that I have in my home.
Now that I have the roof on my 2000 Bounder 34T cleared for recovering I'm wondering if anybody makes an inverter system unit for RV's.

There are some 12VDC or 24VDC A/C systems designed for trucks, but nothing in the RV specific market.

Some people have taken residential mini-split systems which do use inverter powered compressors and installed on RV. Not sure how well they would handle all of the bouncing around.

If you are a HVAC person, it would not be difficult to build your own. All of the parts are readily available.

You can of course run an A/C off of an inverter if you have a large enough one and sufficient battery power.

The big win on 12VDC compressors is that they actually use 3 phase AC motors. 3 phase motors are much more energy efficient than straight DC or single phase AC.

OP: Try a search on the Escapees Heavy Duty Truck ("HDT") forum.
I recall some of the HDT owners (usually Volvo with integrated sleepers) using Mini-splits. Of course the cab is a small area.

However, possibly some may have *also* done something similar for the 40ft 5th wheel trlrs they tow.

~

If it wouldn't look so...trashy...LG makes a 14,000 btu inverter window unit that offers reasonably quiet operation and low power draw.
If they can do that why not a roof top?

LG Inverter Window Unit

StirCrazy wrote:

magicbus wrote:

Peter_Crowl wrote:

magicbus wrote:
The guy who installed my house inverters explained that to operate properly an inverter requires a certain minimum length run between the inverter and the heat exchanger to operate properly. Something like 20’. He has done 3 installations for me so I tend to accept what he says.

Dave

Interesting. I have three in my house. None are that far apart. The line runs are - IIRC - 12 and 16' with the excess line coiled up behind the outside unit.

As I said, something like 20’, it was a couple of years ago. And he said he would have to coil any excess near the inverter. He preferred to bury it which is what started the discussion. Our shortest run was just long enough that there was no excess.

Dave

its probably because the standard lenth of precharged line is 20'. if he had to cut his own line, add the fittings, solder them then purge and charge them the cost would be several times more so a lot of installers are going to the precharged lines and trying to lay it out so there isnt any excess that just looks bad and showes how they did it.

Actually the other two runs were close to 40’ and he did evacuate and charge the system. He wasn’t shortcutting the installation. He explained that inverters, unlike heat pumps, had some minimum requirement for the gas to expand before it was returned to the inverter. At least that’s how I understood the explanation.

Dave

pianotuna wrote:
Here are a few battery powered air conditioners. Fairly pricey.

https://www.nomadiccooling.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PKTBhD8ARIsAHChzRI3SRbre56BRTRN3t54f5dHLaKSO1GMjaSCR2eba9xZzSOgYyTqhv0aAtbXEALw_wcB

and pretty power hungry, 105Amps at 12V on max. I was looking at several of these last year, couldnt find any that were actualy deicent with power usage aside from the swamp cooler types, but then your pumping moisture into your rv.....

Steve

magicbus wrote:

Peter_Crowl wrote:

magicbus wrote:
The guy who installed my house inverters explained that to operate properly an inverter requires a certain minimum length run between the inverter and the heat exchanger to operate properly. Something like 20’. He has done 3 installations for me so I tend to accept what he says.

Dave

Interesting. I have three in my house. None are that far apart. The line runs are - IIRC - 12 and 16' with the excess line coiled up behind the outside unit.

As I said, something like 20’, it was a couple of years ago. And he said he would have to coil any excess near the inverter. He preferred to bury it which is what started the discussion. Our shortest run was just long enough that there was no excess.

Dave

its probably because the standard lenth of precharged line is 20'. if he had to cut his own line, add the fittings, solder them then purge and charge them the cost would be several times more so a lot of installers are going to the precharged lines and trying to lay it out so there isnt any excess that just looks bad and showes how they did it.

This appears to be an inverter unit:

https://www.amazon.com/Midea-Inverter-Conditioner-Flexibility-Installation/dp/B08677DCKN/ref=asc_df_B08677DCKN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459702673131&hvpos=undefined&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18335739938616379956&hvpone=undefined&hvptwo=undefined&hvqmt=undefined&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=undefined&hvlocint=undefined&hvlocphy=9033433&hvtargid=pla-942766582302&fbclid=IwAR2rmQ9sGgE58wVka4PbWzOrBaQH2D2ygUjT0uLsXEAwuQ5ufbPtqs8yyw4&th=1

Peter_Crowl wrote:
Right. A rear mount bracket will have to be welded in off the trailer hitch / frame. I don't see though how to mount a second unit inside the coach. Lines could run on the roof but where would it be mounted without giving up a lot of cabinet space? In the rear above the bed it's fairly easy and not a great loss of space.
I also wonder if a residential unit can stand the rattling and shaking that would be daily life mounted to an rv.

Finding suitable wall space is definitely a big consideration.

Running the lines I would probably go under along the frame and then up for a cleaner install.

Slownsy wrote:
Many people in Australia has installed the household inverter type revers cycle 240V air conditioning in there FW, and also now’s of one using the roof type cassette, not heard of any failure for several years. I and many others have also installed household 240V inverter refrigerator which runs of a 350-375W inverter.
Frank.

That would work in Australia and Europe. They use 230V as home electric. Here, in the USA, not so much.

The roof mount cassette units are just the evaporator, you still have to mount the compressor somewhere else. Also the cassettes are larger than the standard 14" square opening in RVs.
There was one being developed in Australia a few years ago but I think Dometic gobbled them up. Probably killed the unit since it was a competitor. An inverter rooftop AC would be a game changer!
There are some inverter window units available now.

Right. A rear mount bracket will have to be welded in off the trailer hitch / frame. I don't see though how to mount a second unit inside the coach. Lines could run on the roof but where would it be mounted without giving up a lot of cabinet space? In the rear above the bed it's fairly easy and not a great loss of space.
I also wonder if a residential unit can stand the rattling and shaking that would be daily life mounted to an rv.