RogerD
New Member
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- Sep 26, 2019
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It says it's 490 watts / 4.5 amps. That's all I really wanted to know. I have a frigidaire that is 410 / 3.8, which is the lowest that I could find anywhere.
Solar setup needed to run RV AC 13,500BTU
- Thread starter ronm69
- Start date
It says it's 490 watts / 4.5 amps. That's all I really wanted to know. I have a frigidaire that is 410 / 3.8, which is the lowest that I could find anywhere.
The actual load is much less than the tag states. That, to me, is quite interesting for an older unit. I wonder if today's units are as conservative with their specifications. BTW Roger, the info was not really all about you. It was intended to give everyone interested a "case study". Not everything is about you Roger. Cheers
eddie1261
Solar Enthusiast
When I virtually traveled in the RV world (2 years ago) everything I read about trying to run AC on solar essentially said you need like a football field covered in panels and a separate trailer just to carry the batteries. Everybody seems to run their AC only when the generator is running. I don't know firsthand though.
Nothing bad at all; you don't need many panels if you have a small RV. I calculate about 1kw of panels will do. All you need is about a 5k btu window unit, about 200 ah of batteries with a good 2kw inverter. Not too bad at all for such mobility. It all depends on use. If you want to run it to significantly reduce the heat load in a small RV when it is in the mid-nineties outside (so you can sleep) then no problem. If you want to run an A/C 24/7 for a 40 foot RV with double slides and all the bling then you will need to spend the big money. If you have that big of a rig you probably have the resources so that is that. Lots of variables and lots of iterations in-between. Just do the math for your needs. That is what you need. Do the math for your implementation.
Getyourbone
Hard to offend but hard to bend...
Yeah, sorry I was ranting and probably should have just kept my big keyboard shut...wasn’t meant for any single person...
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I would be VERY interested to find out if the current tags are as conservative as the tags (or claim of performance specifications) that were placed on units back in the day when consumer protection was a lot better. If you could please, post measurements of your units current draw once it is started and "warmed up" meaning, putting out its lowest air temperature. That would be very good information for the group and I am glad that you and I had this discourse. Very productive in my mind. Cheers
Very cool but looks expensive. What are the costs? I am sure it is amazing efficient but at what price? I wonder if the efficiency comes at too high of a price tag. Maybe sacrifice some efficiency at the price of adding a couple more inexpensive solar panels? I bet you can come up with a system that works well enough for much less. Of course, depending on how and where it will be used. If you have a big rig, you might be well served by purchasing the big money unit. You simply need to do the math. Calculate the variables. It is not difficult to do. If you need help then ask. There are plenty of people that can help you calculate. No harm in asking.This site looks to have an interesting option between minisplit and rv roof unit...
Dometic
We offer smart and reliable products for people who enjoy outdoor activities enabled by a car, recreational vehicle, or boat.www.dometic.com
Ceefiveceefive
New Member
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- Sep 28, 2019
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- 94
This is the system Im thinking of getting.
That is an excellent system if it performs as advertised. Unfortunately, in these times misrepresentation is all too common. Whas the return policy? What kind of support will you have? Honestly, just buy a window unit and add more panels. The panels if properly mounted will shade the top of your rig. The more panels that you imstall always saves you money.
RogerD
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2019
- Messages
- 109
I have the Frigidaire FFRE0533S1 5000 BTU window unit. It has the lowest power consumption of any I could find.
The max it uses is 410 watts, it has a soft start and an ECO mode that doesn't run the fan when cycling, except for 20 seconds every 10 minutes.
When in cool mode and cycling the fan runs and uses about 65 watts. When the compressor kicks on it will use about 335 watts and very slowly raises until it gets to 410.
Once it gets to 410 it will run until it reaches the set temp and then the compressor shuts down and cycles.
How well your rig is insulated is really going to matter and is key! So that it holds the cold air well / the cycle times when the compressor doesn't run are longer. You want to insulate the floor. Hot air rises and cold air falls.
You can easily run it with a 1000 watt peak / 800 watt continuous generator.
I have the Energizer eZV2000p generator. It's 1600 continuous / 2000 peak. In Eco mode, the specs say that it runs at 25% (400 watts) for 11.5 hours on .9 gallon of gas. So it sounded like a good fit for the AC since it's 410 watts. Plus I got an open box for only $379.
www.frigidaire.com
I just looked and you can get the eZV2000p for $399/new on eBay. It's through the exact same company I got my open box from off ebay ... VM Express. It's currently $505 on Amazon.
The max it uses is 410 watts, it has a soft start and an ECO mode that doesn't run the fan when cycling, except for 20 seconds every 10 minutes.
When in cool mode and cycling the fan runs and uses about 65 watts. When the compressor kicks on it will use about 335 watts and very slowly raises until it gets to 410.
Once it gets to 410 it will run until it reaches the set temp and then the compressor shuts down and cycles.
How well your rig is insulated is really going to matter and is key! So that it holds the cold air well / the cycle times when the compressor doesn't run are longer. You want to insulate the floor. Hot air rises and cold air falls.
You can easily run it with a 1000 watt peak / 800 watt continuous generator.
I have the Energizer eZV2000p generator. It's 1600 continuous / 2000 peak. In Eco mode, the specs say that it runs at 25% (400 watts) for 11.5 hours on .9 gallon of gas. So it sounded like a good fit for the AC since it's 410 watts. Plus I got an open box for only $379.
Frigidaire 5,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner
Check out this Frigidaire 5,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner and other appliances at Frigidaire.com
www.frigidaire.com
https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FFRE0533S1-Window-Mounted-Mini-Compact-Full-Function/dp/B01B4XUUDI
I just looked and you can get the eZV2000p for $399/new on eBay. It's through the exact same company I got my open box from off ebay ... VM Express. It's currently $505 on Amazon.
Energizer EZV2000P 1600 Watt Small Gasoline Powered Portable Inverter Generator for sale online | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Energizer EZV2000P 1600 Watt Small Gasoline Powered Portable Inverter Generator at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Nicely done. You and I have proven that A/C is accomplished for not much dollar and not much solar and using a tiny inexpensive generator once in a while. It can be done very easily and cheaply if you want to evacuate heat for sleep in a small RV. That is the entire message. A/C is not difficult nor is it necessarily expensive, A/C at this wattage can be easily and inexpensively accommodated for practical purposes.
somewhereinusa
Solar Enthusiast
That is basically the same as an inverter mini split that isn't split. So I doubt that it's probably going to be all that much more expensive than a standard roof air. The only price I could find was in Australia at about $1550 US. As for efficiency, I have inverter mini splits and think they are fantastic.
Getyourbone
Hard to offend but hard to bend...
I sure don’t wanna take anything away from the last couple of posts in achieving something with compromises made but understand the difference between what you achieved and what the 0P was asking…
Yes yes yes it is doable! People are doing it. Please do it. BUT as others have already proved in posts above this one, compromises are likely...go in with eyes open. Hedge bets by find highly efficient components/equipment/appliances...doing “unsexy” things like insulating and sealing may be the first places to start.
Do a dry run just using a generator for a few “bad” days and measure energy usage. Figure out where reductions could have been made and adjust numbers accordingly. Work those numbers into a solar/battery system formula and one is more likely to succeed.
not bad questions...
Just deserve fair, realistic answers...
Yes yes yes it is doable! People are doing it. Please do it. BUT as others have already proved in posts above this one, compromises are likely...go in with eyes open. Hedge bets by find highly efficient components/equipment/appliances...doing “unsexy” things like insulating and sealing may be the first places to start.
Do a dry run just using a generator for a few “bad” days and measure energy usage. Figure out where reductions could have been made and adjust numbers accordingly. Work those numbers into a solar/battery system formula and one is more likely to succeed.
not bad questions...
Just deserve fair, realistic answers...
RogerD
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2019
- Messages
- 109
Trying to run a 13.5K AC on solar is nuts. The wattage it uses is probably around 1500.
My previous post about a 5K window unit was just to show an option for something more reasonable on wattage.
The OP would probably need 2 of them for his trailer. Also if he could section off his trailer when using, he could spot cool just the section he is in.
A mini-split may very well be a better choice since it will be more efficient / higher BTU.
My previous post about a 5K window unit was just to show an option for something more reasonable on wattage.
The OP would probably need 2 of them for his trailer. Also if he could section off his trailer when using, he could spot cool just the section he is in.
A mini-split may very well be a better choice since it will be more efficient / higher BTU.
That is the point that I have been trying to make. You can buy a good Frigidaire 5000 btu unit for about $125. You can install two. I plan on having two. Most of the time I will run one. If I find myself in a situation where I need the second one I can also run it off the solar array if conditions are right. Most likely if it is sunny and hot conditions are right. I should be able to run two units off my 960-watt array without much worry. Yes, there are losses. If the A/C units are pulling 360w and I am running two then the losses are overcome. There may be enough to also charge the batteries at some level. I don't foresee a situation where I would need to run two units for very long. Once the heat load is removed the one unit should maintain temperature. It all depends on the square footage, the quality of the insulation, if the windows are covered on the outside etc. Total cost for two units: $250 for an effective 10,000 btu. How can anyone beat that? Even if you bought the larger 8000 btu units that are $230 each you can get an effective 16,000 btu that is pulling just 12 amps or 1380 watts until you only need to run one. How can you beat that for the money? You can always spend more money. There are more efficient units. I just cannot justify the cost of those split systems when I can get 10,000 btu for $250 that a 960w solar array can run with margin. I don't have money to burn. I would rather burn daylight.
I have the Frigidaire FFRE0533S1 5000 BTU window unit. It has the lowest power consumption of any I could find.
The max it uses is 410 watts, it has a soft start and an ECO mode that doesn't run the fan when cycling, except for 20 seconds every 10 minutes.
When in cool mode and cycling the fan runs and uses about 65 watts. When the compressor kicks on it will use about 335 watts and very slowly raises until it gets to 410.
Once it gets to 410 it will run until it reaches the set temp and then the compressor shuts down and cycles.
How well your rig is insulated is really going to matter and is key! So that it holds the cold air well / the cycle times when the compressor doesn't run are longer. You want to insulate the floor. Hot air rises and cold air falls.
You can easily run it with a 1000 watt peak / 800 watt continuous generator.
I have the Energizer eZV2000p generator. It's 1600 continuous / 2000 peak. In Eco mode, the specs say that it runs at 25% (400 watts) for 11.5 hours on .9 gallon of gas. So it sounded like a good fit for the AC since it's 410 watts. Plus I got an open box for only $379.
Frigidaire 5,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner
Check out this Frigidaire 5,000 BTU Window-Mounted Room Air Conditioner and other appliances at Frigidaire.com
https://www.amazon.com/Frigidaire-FFRE0533S1-Window-Mounted-Mini-Compact-Full-Function/dp/B01B4XUUDI
I just looked and you can get the eZV2000p for $399/new on eBay. It's through the exact same company I got my open box from off ebay ... VM Express. It's currently $505 on Amazon.
Energizer EZV2000P 1600 Watt Small Gasoline Powered Portable Inverter Generator for sale online | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Energizer EZV2000P 1600 Watt Small Gasoline Powered Portable Inverter Generator at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!www.ebay.com
I think this might be the route i need to go. That is why my question about the size of the installed (13,500 btu) unit was more than i needed. Downgrading that big unit to a smaller 6,000-8,000 btu unit would serve my situation better. Why do they put such inefficient equipment in these things? Seems counter productive to the needs of the customer.
Thanks everyone so far for your input.
Love all of this info everyone, thank you.
Since I haven't picked it up yet I don't know how much roof space i have for panels, but I think downgrading the installed unit (13,500) to a 6,000-8,000 btu unit would be the most efficient way to go for starters. Then I can probably size my system accordingly.
Since I haven't picked it up yet I don't know how much roof space i have for panels, but I think downgrading the installed unit (13,500) to a 6,000-8,000 btu unit would be the most efficient way to go for starters. Then I can probably size my system accordingly.
They sell those 13.5k btu units in huge RVs to people that are expecting to be plugged into a spot at some cram-packed RV park with no solar installed or running a 5kw generator that is loud as hell until 2am. Obnoxious people they are. Some people would look at a smaller more efficient unit unfavorably. People want more and more and more and bigger. Then they find that they have bitten off more than they can chew and their RV becomes a blight in their neighborhood. I don't feel sorry for them. You have done your research and asked the right questions. Good for you.
RogerD
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2019
- Messages
- 109
This guy has an Ameri-lite 25 ft bunkhouse trailer and uses 2 of the Frigidaire FFRE0533S1 5000 BTU window units.
However, a mini-split may be more efficient and something I would look into.
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