10000 btu air conditioner

INFO
The 5,000 cools a 7'6" X 8" bedroom at night. Ambient air is 86F with R/H approaching 85%

The rig is sitting in full on shade. With 3 hours of afternoon sun hitting the front 5' of the roof (the 3 Kyocera panels)

With the other two units on, and the sliding door to the driver compartment closed, the 2 units keep the rest of the rig at around 75% and 60% R/H. When it cools down after sunset, I switch any of the (3) fan speed to "low" which removes even more moisture from the air.

70F with 70% R/H is not comfortable. I experienced the school of hard knocks in Southeast Asia, where 70F and 95% humidity left me chilled and there was no easy way to cure things except to try and dry the air out. Going into the river was a no-brainer. There were yellow sea snakes and salt water crocs. There was no anti-venin for sea snake bites and a 100% mortality was guaranteed.

Almot

There is likely a pretty good price difference in the different units. My ES A/C unit was $100 more than the typical and the lowest draw two door mini fridge is $100 more than the next lowest puling just .16a more. Most that look just like it pull more than twice as much because they are not designed for off grid use. They are meant for on grid where the power is plentiful and cheap.

Anytime it is built to be efficient it is going to cost you.

9000 BTU @575W sounds a bit different from typical 1,200W of mini-split of that size. Probably on the lowest setting?

This is the unit I am using. It uses 50-65w less than the typical one does.

Frigidaire 5000 BTU energy star A/C


DB

I ran a thread on the initial testing of the A/C in the trailer. It was 95 degrees here in town and stuck back in the bunk window it kept our poorly insulated trailer sitting in the sun down to 81*. Were we to need it outside of the high elevations that we use it, I would skip the 6000 BTU and go straight for the 9000 BTU split. This works for us because it's rarely humid and we only need it in full sun.

My three panels are 250w polys. 40-50a at peak and flat and 20-25a mid day when overcast.

JiminDenver wrote:
DB

Were I to get serious and need more cooling than the 5000 BTU window unit I use now, I would go to a mini split for the very reason you pointed out. I can get 9000 BTU of cooling from the same three panels that power that 5000 BTU unit but four panels wouldn't run the next size up window shaker.

Hey Jim,
This may have been asked and answered before but what brand 5K A/C are you using? I am going to bend to comfort pressure and plan to install one.

Hey JiminDenver, ya they sound like the way to go. I wish they would make a 6000 btu mini split. My next camper is going to be custom so I am looking into a small window shaker or a mini split. 4x320 watt LG panels should help with the charging.

DB

Were I to get serious and need more cooling than the 5000 BTU window unit I use now, I would go to a mini split for the very reason you pointed out. I can get 9000 BTU of cooling from the same three panels that power that 5000 BTU unit but four panels wouldn't run the next size up window shaker.

There are 9000 btu mini splits out there that use around 575 watts, over half what a coleman etc. uses.

A/C placed low is an interesting idea. When it's hot, you mostly sitting or laying, indeed.

Now, please pause for second - are you saying that a SINGLE 5000 BTU unit will cool the lower 36" to 70F at 40-50% cycle in Michoacan jungle? Is it in your casita or motorhome?

They serve as tables, with a teak top. Goldstar products were fantastic. The Chinese were breaking-into the world market and yes Almot I agree today's LG brand is not match for the original.

The nice part is I can plug into a Mexican 15-amp outlet and SAFELY run any one of the three. My nightstand is a Goldstar. Since it is on the floor, it fills the losed door bedroom with dehumidified chilled air with zero draft. It will fill the room to around 36" from the floor then it'll will cycle off. As much as the ceiling complains about not getting chilled air, I lay in bed and ignore the moaning.

I bet I use one-tenth (or less) the kWh of a full-on roof air unit and down here if high usage slams the account and puts the rate into DAC, even that 5,000 BTU unit will consume twenty-five US cents per hour. On the warmest nights the duty cycle is around 40-50% to allow a flat 70F room temperature.