Adding a 2nd AC...which one??

[WTP-GC]

We're going to add a 2nd AC unit to our rig before summer. It will go into the pre-wired and configured spot in the front bedroom. Any advice on the quietest, ducted, low-profile 13.5K or 15K BTU unit? I'm hearing Attwood Air Command, but others have told me the Coleman Mach 8.

[pianotuna]

Hi Scott,


And how does one balance the fan?

ScottG wrote:
Many of them can be made much more quiet by balancing the condensor fan.
Made a huge difference to my Mach's.

[wa8yxm]

As for quiet.. Well not sure such exists though I will admit it is hard to hear my Coleman run.

Now the thing about colemans. Not inside but outside. THEY SUCK.
Most all the competition BLOWS.

Now I am not speaking slang but literally The fan on the condenser coils (Outside up on the roof) Sucks air in Through the condenser. This means that crud. like Cotton wood cotton and such. collects on the OUTSIDE of the condenser. You take out 4 Phillips head bolts. Lift the cover off. Peal the cotton off (or brush it) put the cover back and replace the bolts. Job done.

With the others that BLOW the crud collects on the INSIDE

About 10 screws mroe or less to remove the cover (I can understand more is better here)

Now you need to remove the inner cover over the condenser this may be a few more screws or on my Advent air. cut and remove tape. bend tabs. NOW you can get to teh dirty side. you may need to remove the fan if your hands are XXXL like mine. and of coure put it all back together.

Thankfully teh fan on my Advent Air was a CHINA BOMB (It blew up.. Literally) and the replacement .. Well the only thing the dealer had that would fit was a COLEMAN so now it sucks too. Way easier to clean let me tell you.

[Big_Katuna]

We run both often in Florida. Fleetwood mounts the rear air forward of the bedroom it’s fairly quiet at night.

[doxiemom11]

We have 2 ducted 13.5 ac units and seldom run both units. We did have to during summer in the SW sitting in full sun with temps 100 plus. We also use the LR a/c at night as using the bedroom one makes it too cold and it's noisier.

[ScottG]

Many of them can be made much more quiet by balancing the condensor fan.
Made a huge difference to my Mach's.

[Big_Katuna]

If you already have 30A you can get away with running one run of 10 ga and have two legs of 30A. It’s what I’ve got at home. You can easily run both ACs and anything else.

Replace single breaker with a duplex 30A.

[imgoin4it]

I had an Atwood acnd unit installed because I think it is the quietest one available. It was very quiet and had more air flow than the Dometic unit it replaced. Unfortunately I also wanted a heat pump feature which it had, but would not heat the space or any space. It was not made to heat . Doubt you can find quieter, but do not get one with heat pump.

[WTP-GC]

Let me go on the record stating that the Dometic Brisk Air is not quiet at all on the inside. That article must clearly be referring to outdoor noise (how I’ve seen it compared in the past) and it is indeed very quiet on the exterior. But boy it’s miserably loud on the inside.

I don’t wish to use anything less than a 13.5K BTU because a second AC does serve a redundant function. If the main AC failed during the heat of the summer, a 9K unit wouldn’t come to close to making the unit comfortable.

We don’t plan on using it at night. The main unit doesn’t have any trouble keeping up during the night time hours, so we would not use the 2nd AC at night. We put the fan on low during the night so that it always runs, which creates air flow and white noise. And for me, the unit turning on/off during the night would wake me.

[DutchmenSport]

Delete

[Walaby]

Im assuming you have a ducted A/C system. Our's is ducted, and we have two A/C's. I run the B/R A/C in the evening and it keeps the LR cool. When I go to bed, I switch, and run the LR A/C and it keeps the BR cool. So, a 13.5K in the BR would still keep the LR cool, depending on the outside temp.

Mike

[wanderingaimles]

For a front br, go with a 9 or 11k btu. Quieter and you can usually run them with a single 2k Genny if the converter is off.

[Big_Katuna]

If you camp where 30A is common you should look at amps if you want to use both ACs on 30A.

There are some power savers, low start up current units out there.

[jplante4]

We have a 13.5 in the bedroom and we never use it. Too cold and too noisy. If we need air, we blow it in from the front with a fan. Get the smallest, quietest unit you can find.

[Dick_B]

Isn't a `quiet A/C' an oxymoron? Kinda like an honest politician...