diy solar

diy solar

DC Air Conditioner (minisplit/rooftop/anything)

Short_Shot said:
Jesus.

That's really shooting for the stars. 100a max draw.

Variable speed is good though. Probably be a nice unit after the sticker shock.
Click to expand...
That sticker shock is less than I thought it would be! For 20k BTU, im kind of impressed. Too bad its only 12v. Who wants to run 0AWG like 30 feet to their roof? Im guessing this is more for Sprinter Van's etc.
 
Lt.Dan said:
That sticker shock is less than I thought it would be! For 20k BTU, im kind of impressed. Too bad its only 12v. Who wants to run 0AWG like 30 feet to their roof? Im guessing this is more for Sprinter Van's etc.
Click to expand...
Well. Yeah. The form factor is a huge plus.

I could actually stick that condenser underneath my tiny little mypod, for example. Or so says the listing anyways. If I fill the tongue box with batteries it would almost be worth it.
 
apcorob said:
Lt.Dan

Here is the 48 volt version of the same unit.... https://www.premierproducts.net/order/premier-air/turbo-2-12v-and-48v.html
along with power usage and temp delta... and heat chamber test which I don't quite understand. Recpro is only selling the 12 volt version
Click to expand...
That's awesome, with very nice graphs. I can't find very much information on actual running watts compared to other units!!

I sent them a long email with many questions, but it being Friday, I expect to not hear back until Monday.
 
Lt.Dan said:
That sticker shock is less than I thought it would be! For 20k BTU, im kind of impressed. Too bad its only 12v. Who wants to run 0AWG like 30 feet to their roof? Im guessing this is more for Sprinter Van's etc.
Click to expand...
AWG 2 should be sufficient for 100A To be safe you can use AWG 1. no need for AWG 0

I've seen some people just use 2x 6 gauge parallel for easier handling.

Definitely not the easiest to wire, but I just saw a way - I can run the Wire inside the A/C ducting - at the front and the back of RV the ducts are terminating inside cabinets.

Inside the ducts would be even easier to run a thinner wire - since it's cooled :p
 
eXodus said:
AWG 2 should be sufficient for 100A To be safe you can use AWG 1. no need for AWG 0

I've seen some people just use 2x 6 gauge parallel for easier handling.

Definitely not the easiest to wire, but I just saw a way - I can run the Wire inside the A/C ducting - at the front and the back of RV the ducts are terminating inside cabinets.

Inside the ducts would be even easier to run a thinner wire - since it's cooled :p
Click to expand...
2 ga is still a decent amount of wire, plus the cost of the wire!

If I had to run 2ga all the way to my back ac, from my battery compartment, thats probably a good 50-55 feet, now thats a lot of wire!!

But if the 48v model works out, then I'll only need to run 10ga/8ga, which is much much cheaper and easier!
 
Lt.Dan said:
2 ga is still a decent amount of wire, plus the cost of the wire!

If I had to run 2ga all the way to my back ac, from my battery compartment, thats probably a good 50-55 feet, now thats a lot of wire!!

But if the 48v model works out, then I'll only need to run 10ga/8ga, which is much much cheaper and easier!
Click to expand...
when you spend $3-5k on a A/C and Batteries to run it - spending $50-100 additional for wires shouldn't be the issue :p

I would love a 24V or 48v system,
 
eXodus said:
when you spend $3-5k on a A/C and Batteries to run it - spending $50-100 additional for wires shouldn't be the issue :p

I would love a 24V or 48v system,
Click to expand...
Man. I keep looking at trying to cram 1800w on top of a trailer to run a mini split and inductive cooktop (future project I want to do with my girlfriend) and everything just keeps coming back to 24-48v being the cheapest option altogether, including running a bigger inverter for said mini split.

Especially when you consider how much roof space it takes up that could just be solar panels instead lol
 
FWIW I bought a nomadic 4000 48V unit (they don't even sell it anymore). Probably the worst possible experience possible with the A/C, but OK-ish support from nomadic.

Quick summary (The meh)
  • The "48V" unit is actually a 24V with a stepdown
  • Its loud as fuck
  • It doesn't have an eco-mode or anything like it
  • The fan always stays on (drawing ~3-5A from my 48V pack) when the AC is on. Even when target temp is reached (compressor does turn off though)
  • The included installation bracket was for the 3K unit
  • One of the fiberglass cover drill holes doesn't allign with the bolt, so I had to re-drill it myself
The ugly
  • The unit has a strong + loud electrical buzz, I am 90% sure its the stepdown, but it could be from the compressor. I can hear this over the fan
  • The unit DOES NOT DRAIN built up condensation, and ended up spewing a massive amount of water into my van, over my inverter an other stuff after about 75 minutes of use. You can feel on the drain ports a strong vaccuum, keeping the water from leaving. As soon as I turn off the fan tons of water comes rushing out. I worked with the nomadic guys on many fixes, included drilling additional drain holes, drilling more airflow holes in the coil box, etc. This was never resolved.
    • This is in mild ~80 degrees PNW weather. Not even in Florida.
The good
  • It blows a lot of air?

After the ~5th time in 2 weeks it spewed water in my van (even with me trying to turn it off hourly for ~5 minutes to allow it to drain) we decided to just take up their offer on a full refund, and are going to try a different AC.

In summary I would heavily not recommend the 4000 unit, which I doubt they sell anymore. I personally am not willin to try the 3000 due to the issues with this unit. For now I will just buy a dometic RTX 2000, and re-evalute the DC airconditioner market in a year or something.
 
apcorob said:
Do you mind copying me or sharing the email. My email is rob at rwl. NET
I am very likely buying two once I get a little more info.
Click to expand...
I am conversing with them through email now, but I'll try and just share all the information on here for everyone to have. So far, this is a very nice unit.
 
Lt.Dan said:
I am conversing with them through email now, but I'll try and just share all the information on here for everyone to have. So far, this is a very nice unit.
Click to expand...
Wow, they actually got back to you? I have two emails, a phone call, and questions to a member in another thread to someone that claims to say “my company”, please reach out, and nothing in response.
But, you are right, it does seem to have some good specs and I have found Coachman Galeria videos that seem to prove it to be quiet. Not sure on the power consumption because in the videos, they say ‘ look at the low draw! But the solar is on’
Damnit , turn the solar off and show us what the unit is drawing!!!!!
All a moot point for me as as much as I would like a 12 volt native system, it won’t fit between my solar panels, skyline, and roof vents.
recpro.com seems to only be selling the 12 volt version. It comes from premierproducts.net They have a 48 volt version on their site but they are the ones that have been unresponsive to me.

I think I’m back to a mini split
 
By using the photovoltaic panel as the evaporator for a heat pump, efficiency can be increased...

diysolarforum.com

Heat Pumps Harmonizing Heating and Cooling Needs

Hello, People like lower temperatures for some times, and higher temperatures for other times. It seems to need a lot of electricity energy.. Heat pumps, especially in the form of refrigerant based compressor systems, and also peltier based systems, are capable of controlling heat flow with...
diysolarforum.com diysolarforum.com
More recently, however, PVT modules coupled with refrigeration system have been gaining attention too. Here, the compressor is powered by the PV panel while thee PVT module itself also serves as the evaporator of the refrigeration system. The evaporator cooling effect lowers the solar cell working temperature and improves the PV efficiency. This arrangement can give an even better performance as compared to air or water cooled systems.
Click to expand...

Numerical Study of Integrated Solar PhotovoltaicThermal Module with a Refrigeration System for Air-Conditioning and Hot Water Production under the Tropical Climate Conditions of Singapore​

Click to expand...
Proposed System
The proposed PVTR system produces electricity, hot water and air-conditioning at the same time by integrating solar PVT and VCR systems. Electricity is produced by the PV cells, while the refrigeration system produces hot water at its condenser and air-conditioning (cooling) at a section of the evaporator through a fan coil unit (FCU). At the same time, the refrigeration system also cools the PVT modules to optimize their performance
Click to expand...
The results show that attractive electrical and thermal perfor- mance can be achieved with a maximum annual cooling COP of 9.8 and a heating COP of 11.3. The PV e±ciency and power saving were 14% and 53%, respectively.
Click to expand...
 
richard cabesa said:
Wow, they actually got back to you? I have two emails, a phone call, and questions to a member in another thread to someone that claims to say “my company”, please reach out, and nothing in response.
But, you are right, it does seem to have some good specs and I have found Coachman Galeria videos that seem to prove it to be quiet. Not sure on the power consumption because in the videos, they say ‘ look at the low draw! But the solar is on’
Damnit , turn the solar off and show us what the unit is drawing!!!!!
All a moot point for me as as much as I would like a 12 volt native system, it won’t fit between my solar panels, skyline, and roof vents.
recpro.com seems to only be selling the 12 volt version. It comes from premierproducts.net They have a 48 volt version on their site but they are the ones that have been unresponsive to me.

I think I’m back to a mini split
Click to expand...
Premier Products is who I emailed, and they got back to me very fast. The President got back to me first, and CC'd the Vice President to answer my questions, and the Sales manager to get me pricing. Both of them got back to me and answered questions and got me pricing within the next 10 minutes. Me and the Vice President have had a few emails back and forth since.

Premier products does a good job at laying it out plain and simple, with a graph showing watt consumption at a given ambient temp, comparing typical 110v AC units, other 12v units, and theirs. Like you said, I've seen so many companies claim "Look, only 80 amps!" But it means absolutely nothing. You dont know what the ambient temp was, or if the battery voltage was 11 volts, or 14.6 volts, etc. Garbage.
 
Ok, so heres the beans;

The 48v model from Premier Products costs $2695, not including shipping

It is advertised at 22,000 BTU, but they say the term "BTU" is pretty vague, because they can claim the BTU rating of their highest performing part in the unit. He did say it was very comparable to my existing Colman Mach 15 units, and i should expect the same performance.

The unit does bolt into an existing 14"x14" Cutout, meaning it is a drop in replacement for existing roof AC's. I've seen too many that needed 14.25"x14.25", which is unreasonable to me.

It is an AC ONLY unit, and they do not offer a heat pump/heat strip option.

It does will work with my existing ducting in the trailer, and no major modifications have to be made. This would have been another deal breaker for me because the ducting is an important aspect in my mind. Only down side in my situation is it will not work with the 3x RVAirflow Styrofoam units that I purchased to improve my old Coleman units.

They do offer a remote digital control panel, sold separately, and the AC unit does work with Firefly Control system, but it will not work with my existing LCI One Control panel to control the AC unit.

The guys seem very nice and helpful, they are pretty quick to respond, and I will add a few emails here if someone would like to inquire with other questions/purchases:
hvacsupport@premierproducts.net - The original email i asked questions to.
eric@premierproducts.net - President/CEO
carl@premierproducts.net - Vice President
brandon@premierproducts.net - Executive Sales Director
 
What's the power draw for those? Max and typical? Also, in your situation are you saying one of the PP 48v units is equal to ONE of your Coleman units or one PP 48v unit is equivalent to all three of your Coleman units?

I guess I'm trying to understand if you need one or three. I'm assuming all three, for nearly $9,000?
 
K8MEJ said:
What's the power draw for those? Max and typical? Also, in your situation are you saying one of the PP 48v units is equal to ONE of your Coleman units or one PP 48v unit is equivalent to all three of your Coleman units?

I guess I'm trying to understand if you need one or three. I'm assuming all three, for nearly $9,000?
Click to expand...
Max power draw varies depending on outside ambient temp. But its typically 40% less than my existing AC. And 1x PP 48v unit is equivalent to 1x Coleman Mach 15 in terms of cooling efficiency and even in CFM rating. Only difference is actual power draw.

I would need 3x and that totals to $8085+shipping.

BUT, since they dont offer heating, then I would probably only get 2, and put one in the bedroom, and one in the garage, and then leave my Colman Mach 15 in the living room strictly for the heat pump feature.

That, or rely on heating from little space heaters or my propane furnace.
 
Lt.Dan said:
Max power draw varies depending on outside ambient temp. But its typically 40% less than my existing AC. And 1x PP 48v unit is equivalent to 1x Coleman Mach 15 in terms of cooling efficiency and even in CFM rating. Only difference is actual power draw.

I would need 3x and that totals to $8085+shipping.

BUT, since they dont offer heating, then I would probably only get 2, and put one in the bedroom, and one in the garage, and then leave my Colman Mach 15 in the living room strictly for the heat pump feature.

That, or rely on heating from little space heaters or my propane furnace.
Click to expand...
Thanks for reporting back Lt.Dan, this thread has got legs?.
Brandon finally got back to my questions in a thread at https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/100929/

He cleared up a few things there but I still have a few questions. They will have to wait as we are hitting the road for a bit. All cool coastal areas so we won’t need the air.

im hoping to narrow down the right unit for us by this winter to have it installed for Spring 2022 travels
 
K8MEJ said:
I'm installing an LG Mega 115v series 12K BTU mini split in my travel trailer this weekend. It will run off my Victron inverter. You can buy cheaper mini splits on Amazon. I didn't find any DC (12, 24, or 48 volt) air conditioners that were cost effective. I can add two more batteries and more solar to my roof PLUS the 115v mini-split for the same or less than trying to use one of the DC air conditioners.

If my rooftop A/C hadn't died two weeks ago I might be inclined to roll the dice and try one of the cheapie units from Alibaba but I just couldn't work up the nerve to risk it, let alone the time it would take to get here.

Do you have an inverter in your set up? If so, maybe you could consider traditional residential mini-splits that run of alternating current.
Click to expand...
where are you mounting the outside unit?
 
If bumper is only source for attachment i would strongly look at reinforcement.
Seen too many pics of bike racks failing on bumper.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
air conditioner disconnect for solar DC disconnect?
Replies
19
Views
1K
Hedges
Hedges
D
Chinese 48V DC mini-split air conditioning - any thoughts?
2
Replies
26
Views
4K
Groscout
Groscout
D
Off grid solar air conditioning system for my parents studio
Replies
11
Views
1K
electrostasis
E
jameshowison
Shore power for DC Air conditioner (or other constant DC loads)?
Replies
10
Views
1K
jameshowison
jameshowison
B
Solar Powered 12volt Air Conditioner | Dometic RTX 2000 |
Replies
23
Views
14K
robstrom
R

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top