Not looking for one, just wondering if there is (or was one.)A co-worker who is an RV'er and I were talking campers and somehow we stumbled on the concept of a propane air conditioner. Seem logical (since propane cools RV refrigerators...) but logic aside- is there such a unit that exists?

Hi,Yes at one time they did exist. The Absorption cycle is not too efficient so it would use LOTS of propane. Cool down time would be similar to the fridge as well. A large cubic foot per minute fan would still be needed, so a large battery bank would be required.If you live in a dry climate an evaporative cooler may be a better choice for a low electrical load.

I'm old enough(barely) to remember absorption gas A/C house units in the 1950s & 60s You do not want one. Your fridge barely keeps cool on a hot day on propane, how do you think it would do for cooling the house?

Why not a solar absorption A/C? Use a couple of mirrors to focus the heat of the sun in place of a propane burner.Probably not practical for RV applications due to physical size limitations (you would have to have a reflector mounted in a position that could be moved/rotated throughout the day.)

The standard concept of an absorption based A/C is usually what most folks think of when a propane A/C is mentioned, however, I wouldn't mind seeing a roof A/C unit that worked like the refrigerator unit on a semi trailer, and has a small propane motor driving the compression vs an electric motor, or a unit that can use either.

Home natural gas adsorbtion based units did exist (and still do, to some extent). They work just as well as a compressor based air conditioner, but BTU/BTU they aren't near as efficient. They only make sense if there is a very large price difference between natural gas and electricity.On an RV, the gasoline needed to drive a generator to power a compressor based A/C will cost a lot less than the propane needed to fire an adsorbtion A/C. Look at it this way, as soon as you hook up shore power, what doe the refer do? It switches to electricity. There is a reason.Now, that's not to say I don't see an advantage to having a propane, or dual-fueled generator on board...

Propane RV air conditioner...? | Good Sam Community

13 Replies

Boatycall
Explorer
Oct 19, 2013
smkettner wrote:
Just leave the fridge/freezer door open :B

NOOOO!!! THE BEER WILL GET WARM!!!
time2roll
Nomad
Oct 19, 2013
Just leave the fridge/freezer door open :B
CraziFuzzy
Explorer
Oct 19, 2013
$/pound doesn't matter when the pound of each has a different heat content. The numbers I listed were $/BTU, not $/pound.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Oct 18, 2013
Hi,

Except a pound of propane costs a bunch more than a pound of gasoline, in Canada. Rated output of the generator also goes down. Gas is easy to find and propane is sometimes a scarce commodity.
CraziFuzzy
Explorer
Oct 18, 2013
Boatycall wrote:
Propane AC works great.

I push "Start" on my propane-powered generator. Then turn on my AC.

Works great.

See, THIS is the proper way for it to be done. Propane is lighter and (marginally) cheaper than gasoline.

Propane has 22000 BTU/lb
Gasoline has 18771 BTU/lb

Propane (at $3/gal) costs $0.033/kBTU
Gasoline (at $4/gal) costs $0.035/kBTU

Is it worth spending the money on converting your existing gas generator to propane? maybe not - but I see no reason why they shouldn't be ordered as propane from the start.
Boatycall
Explorer
Oct 18, 2013
Propane AC works great.

I push "Start" on my propane-powered generator. Then turn on my AC.

Works great.
CraziFuzzy
Explorer
Oct 18, 2013
NRALIFR wrote:
What would make more sense would be if a safe way were developed to use propane not as an energy source to drive the refrigeration cycle, but as the refrigerant itself. Propane is an excellent refrigerant, but as we all know it's also combustible.

It takes less propane to charge the system than any of the traditional R-whatever refrigerants, so the compressor doesn't have to work as hard to achieve the same results. Consequently, the compressor starts easier and it consumes less power.

It's my understanding that most of the new residential refrigerators in the EU use propane as the refrigerant. But, they've had a few accidents with them as well.

:):)

Using Propane as a replacement for R-22 is kind of pointless. It actually has less latent capacity than the R-22 it replaced, and is not all that much cheaper. It also is of no point in this conversation. Refrigerant is not 'used' in a system, it is a working part of the system. You would still require an energy source (electricity) for the cycle, and the less efficient propane filled unit would require more of it to move the same heat. The odorants added to propane also break down the oils in the refrigeration system causing failure of the compressor.
NRALIFR
Explorer
Oct 17, 2013
What would make more sense would be if a safe way were developed to use propane not as an energy source to drive the refrigeration cycle, but as the refrigerant itself. Propane is an excellent refrigerant, but as we all know it's also combustible.

It takes less propane to charge the system than any of the traditional R-whatever refrigerants, so the compressor doesn't have to work as hard to achieve the same results. Consequently, the compressor starts easier and it consumes less power.

It's my understanding that most of the new residential refrigerators in the EU use propane as the refrigerant. But, they've had a few accidents with them as well.

:):)
CraziFuzzy
Explorer
Oct 17, 2013
Home natural gas adsorbtion based units did exist (and still do, to some extent). They work just as well as a compressor based air conditioner, but BTU/BTU they aren't near as efficient. They only make sense if there is a very large price difference between natural gas and electricity.

On an RV, the gasoline needed to drive a generator to power a compressor based A/C will cost a lot less than the propane needed to fire an adsorbtion A/C. Look at it this way, as soon as you hook up shore power, what doe the refer do? It switches to electricity. There is a reason.

Now, that's not to say I don't see an advantage to having a propane, or dual-fueled generator on board...
JoeChiOhki
Explorer II
Jun 17, 2013
The standard concept of an absorption based A/C is usually what most folks think of when a propane A/C is mentioned, however, I wouldn't mind seeing a roof A/C unit that worked like the refrigerator unit on a semi trailer, and has a small propane motor driving the compression vs an electric motor, or a unit that can use either.