Replacing heater with a/c?
Hello all! I have a situation that has been bugging me for a while now and I'm hoping someone here will be able to tell me if my goal is indeed possible. We own a small/medium(?) RV (two bedrooms,...
Forum Discussion
Basically you want to add central air to your trailer. Doable? yes. Cheap or easy? no.
I understand your thinking on the portable, they are inexpensive and easy if you could just stuff it in there and hook the ducts to it. First thing is the portable will have to be as big or bigger than the roof air. Second the fan in the portable isn't made to push air through ducts, so a different blower will be needed. Third, our 5000 BTU unit wouldn't fit where our furnace goes. Even if it did the back end has to have fresh air flow for it to work.
Call the HVAC company and tell them you want to put central air on the trailer and they may have more ideas but just like a house you would have a condenser unit outside and the evaporator in the plenum.
With a portable you would take the cover off, have the refrigerant pumped out. Cut the lines to the evaporator and remove it. You would also need to remove the controls to be placed inside. The condenser unit will stay outside like on a house and tubing added to reach the evaporator inside the plenum. You will likely have to custom build the plenum unless you can use something from the heat system. The controls will have to be mounted inside with their wiring extended back to the condenser so that you can operate it from inside. Once it is done have the system evacuated and charged up, then you have a central air system like a house has except the condenser unit isn't as pretty. Not too bad if you have the tools and skill needed.
My first thought would be to add a inexpensive window unit on the ends of the trailer to help out the main A/C. Those may not be allowed so you could get two of the portable units with the hoses that go to the windows. Either would be easier and less expensive than adding central air or gutting a window unit.
I understand your thinking on the portable, they are inexpensive and easy if you could just stuff it in there and hook the ducts to it. First thing is the portable will have to be as big or bigger than the roof air. Second the fan in the portable isn't made to push air through ducts, so a different blower will be needed. Third, our 5000 BTU unit wouldn't fit where our furnace goes. Even if it did the back end has to have fresh air flow for it to work.
Call the HVAC company and tell them you want to put central air on the trailer and they may have more ideas but just like a house you would have a condenser unit outside and the evaporator in the plenum.
With a portable you would take the cover off, have the refrigerant pumped out. Cut the lines to the evaporator and remove it. You would also need to remove the controls to be placed inside. The condenser unit will stay outside like on a house and tubing added to reach the evaporator inside the plenum. You will likely have to custom build the plenum unless you can use something from the heat system. The controls will have to be mounted inside with their wiring extended back to the condenser so that you can operate it from inside. Once it is done have the system evacuated and charged up, then you have a central air system like a house has except the condenser unit isn't as pretty. Not too bad if you have the tools and skill needed.
My first thought would be to add a inexpensive window unit on the ends of the trailer to help out the main A/C. Those may not be allowed so you could get two of the portable units with the hoses that go to the windows. Either would be easier and less expensive than adding central air or gutting a window unit.
