SSL674 ~ LG mini-split A/C on a SAILBOAT.. Crazy, or GENIUS?!? (Making BOAT LIFE Better) 

So what was I thinking when I installed an LG home-style mini-split air conditioning unit on a SAILBOAT? Well, I was thinking it was a good practical alternative to a marine air conditioning unit at a fraction of the cost! When we needed to bring the temperature down inside 'SOPHISTICATED LADY' during our engine transplant, it fit the bill perfectly and worked so well in fact, that we are still using it! There are many ways to improve your comfort level onboard a small sailboat, and I have been exploring many of them including air conditioning in order to show what is possible in a small living space while making it almost completely self-sustainable off-grid. The Tiny Home revolution is real and growing fast, and with it comes some of the newest and best technologies ever available to increase self-reliant electrical systems using solar generators, solar panels, wind turbines, and more to power all the devices we want to utilize.. so stay tuned because I have some very interesting content coming up for you this season! As alwasy, thanks for watching, and I look forward to your comments below! Cheers, Capitan Rick

I installed a mini split on my 1979 Gulf Star 37 back in December. Best move I made. 9,000 BTU of ice cold air conditioning. Eliminated two thru hulls and a noisy water pump. The best part... $718.00 and 3 hours of my time compared to almost $2k for a new MarinAire unit, accessories and shipping.

We installed two Pioneer 120 volt 12,500 BTU mini-splits on our Bertram 42 cruiser two years ago. A friend had installed them on his yacht a year and a half before, and I let his boat be the test bed before we installed our own. So far, they are wonderful. They keep our boat cool, even in the hottest sun on the Gulf of Mexico. We put the outside units on our bridge and covered them with a bench, sun tan pad, I built myself. We leave them on all the time, to keep the humidity down in the boat at the marina. Underway, they both run easily on our 8.8 KW genset. It's also nice to leave the boat, and not worry about an AC hose busting and sinking the boat while the AC is running. At their price ($2000 combined for both units), even if we had to replace them every five years (the length of the warranty) it wouldn't be that bad. And, the only part is exposed to salt water is the outside unit. And, replacing that, would be really easy.

In Curacao I have two of the LG AC’s. I spray automotive undercoating in the bottom of the compressor. Available in any automotive store.

I see a manual in your future on what the end result is of all your "upgrades". Washing machine, converter, solar panels, wind turbine, air conditioner, etc. That DYI manual would save a lot of folks a lot of research and issues. For boats and small homes. Thanks again.

I always enjoy the Tech Time. Even though I don't live on a boat I've been able to apply much of your knowledge to certain applications out here in the country. As always Cap'n, thanks for all the work behind these great video's you put in and share with all of us

Get a second heat exchanger. When you switch to the water cooled setup you can use the second exchanger inline to heat water for "free" to use for laundry, cleaning, bathing, whatever. A related land application is people using similar exchangers on their home units to heat a pool while also making the AC more efficient and silent. Those units are often SS or even titanium, might want to look into that over the copper you have?

Thanks Rick for explaining the results of your experience using the domestic split air system and your plans for the future.

The drip tube, "drain line", they make mini split condensate "drain line" pumps. Can fit in behind the air handler, inside the cover and out of the way. You can also run a much small diameter drain line with a pump as well. The pumps are small. and can wire direct to the air handler. See if they make a water cooled condenser, inverter type. If so you can stick a small condenser below deck. Inverter tech is the most efficient. The compressor can load and unload as temp fluctuates. CRC makes some good corrosion inhibitors for outdoor use. U can spray the metal down on the condenser, especially the pan. We would spray down the inside of our outboards with this and they would look brand new years later. The product leaves a film. It never really dries, stays tacky, but it was very effective at stopping corrosion. Just give the condenser coil a quick fresh water spray down once a week and it will prolong life. Nice vid.

Living in Mekong delta 6 years, rainy season has just begun. No saltwater but brutal conditions of excessive heat 95° in the daytime 75° at night. Incredibly hard tropical rain followed by bright sunshine on the outside unit and incredible amount of dirt, fine dust, etc. Consistently cold if you clean the filters every six months on the inside unit and have the outside unit washed down. Happy Expat American. ☮️ I thought you would appreciate the information about how durable and reliable the LG is in harsh conditions. I am a lifelong sailor who is landlocked at the present time.

So cute, Matty giving Little Ricky his swimming lessons 😂 ❤ good job Matty !!!

Love the A/C! I'm sure less mold and less humidity are game changers!! 🎉❤🎉❤🎉

Very impressed Captain. You are one smart man (from somebody who can barely change a light bulb). 😄

Always so interesting, love your work

Thanks, Rick Very interesting.

I’ve been waiting for you to do this 👍🏻👍🏻

Excellent Professors

You always do a great job on the technical stuff.

Great job Captain, keep up the testing.

I never saw AC .... until High School ... the parents got a 10,000 BTU for their bedroom, which my brother and I could hear out our open window ...... as we laid in sweat ....... trying to sleep. I thought Torture was OUTLAWED in the Geneva Conventions. When I finally started buying new cars ..... that was more important than auto trans. On my 3rd Cape Code now ... all had a heat pump. I could never go back. Trapped under the beating Sun ........ you took the best option for wife and progeny ..... and with style as usual. Keep 'em flyin

Gotta love this outta the box thinking, and so funny how it clearly scares the bejeezus out of the old guard who are horrified at the thought of seeing a terrestrial aircon unit mounted on a boat! 🤣 More power to ya I say, will be keen to hear how long it lasts, and how your water cooled copper pipe gizmo works when you install it. Cheers! 👍🏼💥👏🏼

Great video and nice idea... Thanks ⛵

That poor hull is getting more holes than swiss cheese! Man you are smart and most impressively free. I wish I had the guts... Good luck Rick.

Thats amazing you have found a way to live the life you want. Id give about anything to be able to leave this truck driving job behind and start a life of relaxing and seeing a different kind of world as you have done

Awesome video, thanks for sharing your experience and I’m going to be making plans to do likewise!

Off grid is the way Captain. Really enjoy your videos. I for one like seeing what new technology is efficient for international sailing. Thanks for sharing keep up these awesome videos.

Yessiree…Captain knows his Stuff…Always has his Eye out for Better Ways to do Things👍 Continue to Stay Safe & Enjoy😎

Hope your feeling better 🤞 Nice to see the videos starting again but your health comes first captain 🙏🥰🥰🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Great to hear your voice is in full recovery mode Rick. I've never heard you talking so much in a video in 6 years I'm wondering if your Doctor is a new subscriber? 👀🤭Always a pleasure to watch your video, take care 💪

So interesting again.

Tech time is good time 🎉 thank you for filling in the curiosity in my head about how long it will last in salty environments

Please keep doing exactly what you are doing. sailing, cruising, living, tech, best on water.

1 unique lil tiny house ! You won cap'n Rick. : ) best of the best.

So nice to see you posting again 👍❤👍

Glad 2 hear your having good luck with minisplit repaired 1 today most buy the cheap lowes unit which helps me lol.

Interesting review. Thanks for sharing.

Great info Capitan!

Always good Captain, great review on the LG mini-split,, cool dry air .. 👍👍

Impressive on my Cabin Cruiser when you installed yours I put one on down in the cabin and sleeping area. Havent had a bit of problem at all. The outside unit is upstairs on the deck but you dont notice it. I do have a very quiet diesel generator 8kw and a diesel heater. The Generator is diesel and the heaters are diesel and the good part the aux batteries auto start and recharge the system when it gets very cold or over 90 degrees. I have 250 gallons of diesel on board treated and it will last for months. Mine is a 34 year old boat but the mechanics are good. I have had it 20 years. I really love your set up it is the best I have ever seen as far as being a Home. You cannot get it any better. I do use Slick 50 oil additive and spray and to date I have had no failures or corrosion problems on anything. Slick 50 spray will stop corrosion. Not kidding. You are doing good and you have a very impressive channel. I am retiring soon as a Senior 747 Cargo Captain. I would love to visit your boat one day. I think it is absolutely impressive. My 8kw Generator is overkill but it works just fine. Your Son is growing up... Great Family. Hope your voice gets better.

As a long time subscriber and electrical mechanic my opinion is “Genius” - look after your voice too we love your work and all onboard - Kind Regards Australia

FREAKING GENIUS!!!!

All very well said sir !!! Well said!!! Well said !!!!⛵🌅💖🏝️

Seems like the key to improving temporary setups is being able to connect and disconnect the coolant lines. That way when it's time to set sail you can move the outside unit inside.

Good Vlog buddy 🤙

Thanks for the review and rundown of what you have done and what you are thinking of doing. I've been looking at household units and couldn't understand the MASSIVE price and efficiency disparity between household AC and marine AC. Yes, marine ones are made of better materials, more compatible materials etc, but they are SOOOOO disproportionally expensive, and they still dont last very long. I'm going to be building a custom Aluminium a.55' performance cat soon. I say performance, but as I do like my gadgets, comfort, Toys and COLD AC in particular, I'm slowly changing the design to more semi-performance rather than outright performance. So, now your making me think about buying a few household AC units. Strip down the AC outside unit to just the pump & gas switching system, lose the fan and large aluminium radiators for water cooled units like you showed, but with several on each unit with the gas hooked up in series and the water hooked up in parallel and hiding the small remaining outside unit(s) down somewhere aft that's relatively dry (Maybe in the engine rooms)? I dont think that one of them water heat exchanger units you purchased will be nearly enough, but a larger one or several with water supplied in parallel should work, or simply a larger version of something like that. I dont know that, but looking at the size of production marine versions, they have a LOT more surface area for heat/cold transfer. I gotta do some more research.

Great dump load using the tube and shell heat exchanger for domestic hot water with a solenoid valve to switch from sea water to the domestic side. Use one of your relays on the Cerbo to operate the solenoid based on tank temp. However, in most caribe areas there is no need to heat water for showers. I believe you can get those in marine stainless steel rather than copper or cupro-nickel. Be aware the condenser will handle your "latent/humidity level" better than the tube and shell.

The minisplits are awesome. I just installed the 38 seer minisplit on my 30 foot holiday rambler. Its a 220 volt unit that draws 600 watts to start and cool the place down for 10 or 12 minutes then it drops in power consumption to 200 watts to keep it cool. Its absolutely amazing. If anyone is wanting to get a minisplit to run off batteries or solar and batteries i highly suggest the 38 seer because it uses half the power of the 20 seer units over a period of time. Makes it possible to run 24 7

They are sooo much quieter than a window a/c!

Amazing, to see your AC installation on S. L. We just installed the horse and a half unit in our bedroom here in the Philippines. So quiet and so efficient!!. Dual inverters just like yours there. Us smart guys need to stick together, right?.. LOL. I know you love yours and your back up idea sounds terrific! Way to go Captain Rick. Happy sailing.

Id love to see how that test comes out with the watercooled heat exchange. That could be the awnser to so many of my problems and by making hot water the same time as making ac... wow thats awesome

Great idea . Hope that coating holds up on the condensing unit. Bosch makes a similar unit but they are outrageously expensive.

ingenious

I installed a 3 ton Daikin my power boat about 10 years ago. It has been great. The 3 ton unit it replaced had a 50 amp breaker and needed a heat strip. The Daikin uses a 20 amp breaker, with no heat strip.

check out plate heat exchangers also as they are mostly made of stainless steel and are rated for high psi with lots of pipe sizing and btu's to choose from great idea btw! you will get even better efficiency with the cool water temp

Awesome. Suggestion Capt. recycle and reuse the condensate from the AC.

Hello Capt.Rick, A video ago you told us about your voice instinction coming. You can lower your voice of a notch and amplify your microphone as much as required, and you can speak less and make us more drawings before you loose completely your nice voice. Try to think to save your voice, and anyother health issues if, because we prefer our peers happy all together. You're making us better sailers because of your knowledge and unlimited generous heart. Take a brake, and rethink of a better way you can continue your passions. Thanks from Chinada,

LG. = Life is Good......Wishes from South Africa..

The best part of a/c is the prevention of the growth of mold and as you said, its dehumidifier which just makes miserable humid days tolerable...and that means happy wife and baby :)

That is the ultimate, to have the ac running in the lounge and just fans for the bedroom and the fresh air moves from one room to the other and no dryness of ac air.

Awesome video Rick ! I am a fan of using "non-marine" products onboard...purely do to cost (the marine industry must think we are all millionaires). 👍👍

Why not, we have been using them in the RV 's for a few years now! Cheap to run and install.

I installed a split system on my 45ft cat 20 years ago....Still going....to dramatically reduce corrosion on the fins l spray lanolin twice a year...so far so good😊

Rick pull all the covers of that condenser and flood it with lanolin spray. I use Lanotec heavy duty, it won't short circuit electrical, spray it all over circuit boards etc, everything. Will add years to its life. There a similar us product cant think of name but salt belt mechanics use it to protect car chassis.

The geek side of me wants your outdoor unit to fail soon so I can see how your water-cooled retrofit works! But I'm glad you guys are comfortable and the boat is staying healthier inside.

I could talk for hours about air conditioners and refrigeration. I started refrigeration school in 1961. I was a jet fighter mechanic and a millwright. I love everything about LG and most people are missing the boat on air conditioning systems. If you have a vacuum pump place 16 oz. of water in a glass jar and put a thermometer in the jar also. insulate the jar. When you pump a perfect vacuum on the jar you will lose 1 oz. of water but the water will now be 36 degrees. To make your system last longer clean out the rust and coat it with Ospho then spray with cold galvanizing. To keep the saltwater away spray with Fluid Film. The Yankees put this under their salty cars.

Very "Cool" to have you back Capt'n ! I wonder if there is a product you could spray on the compressor to slow down the corrosion without blowing up anything?

Great! Your liquid cooled exchanger should work well (to begin with) as water cooled AC condensers work better than air cooled. One issue that I would be working on is how to keep the exchange surfaces clean and clear of marine life. Your unit is a sealed unit, as are all the ones I have seen, which will leave the critters undisturbed in a warm saline environment. hmmm. Maybe there is a type, or make a type that has a removable low pressure (outer) casing for periodic cleaning. Or better yet, use a solid plate exchanger - more expensive but you will not be scrubbing high pressure coiled copper pipes (with delicate braised end connections). Or use well filtered water. I will look forward to your experiments! Thanks for sharing!

😃👍👍👍❤ 2nd heat exchanger for free hot water and get that "thing" off your deck ASAP!

This is amazing, I was wondering if this would work. Looking at new boats AC is a $15k to $35k option depending on how many cabins you want cooled. You could even buy 1 mini-split with multiple head units for different parts of a boat.

would love to get a tour of your electrical system

Thank you for putting together insights on sailing with a mini split. I am considering the option. Can you share the manufacture/ model of step up transformer you are successfully using to power the unit? Well made electrical components are critical in wet and challenging environments. Thanks

Use Fujitsu Air Conditioner, ideal for coastal areas with superior durability, it takes a long time to rust due to the presence of sea air.

Hey Rick, Loved the video. Would you put a link or give us the model number of the LG unit. Thanks for great content thru the years.

Hey Capt'n Rick, new subscriber here. Really great execution. Do you miss the re-circulation effect of taking out cabin air by splitting the unit? I always thought that exhausting the cabin air is where you took out most of the humidity? I installed a 5Ton window ac unit in my cabin door and have been wanting to make changes - too much in the way. I have it install on casters so I can roll it out of the way when guests are in and out, but it's leaving me wanting. I purchased a front hatch from someone salvaging their Vanguard and I will look back in your archives to see how you managed it. Keep up the great content! Good on ya!

Second, watching now xx

What brackets did you use to suspend the inside wall mount unit from ceiling? Good idea. I'd like to do the same.

Looking forward to research outcome of heat exchanger

1. I recommend keeping the compressor outside because it gives off heat 2. I recommend with the refrigeration heat exchanger to use a closed loop system with coil of 316 stainless steel tubing or a metal that is corrosion resistant in salt water

Please comment on the heat pump developments for electric vehicles. Have you considered if these may be feasible for live aboard boat applications? Smaller, 12V, robust, etc?

I’ve been studying the installation on my trawler for some time. How is the system holding up now, 1.5 years after installation? Have you had any problems with the boat rocking and spilling water from the condensate pan? Replacing the radiator with a water heat exchanger was a great idea!

Have you looked into the Eco Flow Wave 2? It seems like it uses between 150-200W for AC also has heating and very portable.

Water cooled mini is definitely the way to go, running on your dc system. 24v units are starting to become more common ( I use that) and I am hoping for 48v units to come soon as this most likely will be the new standard for accessories in automotive etc… Also, just being cautious with higher voltages is paramount in a salty environment. I personally would not use anything over 48v on deck (even though that is enough to kill you, given the right circumstances) unless you have extremely tight safety protocols, Murphy’s law remember!

Oh Rick, your voice!

The condensate from the indoor unit could possibly be consumed. It should be as clean as the air being cooled.

Nice video thinking outside the box! What's your total energy use per day?

Maybe you can build a shroud to go around the portion of the outdoor condensing unit to deter water flooding when hitting those big waves

your lovely wife makes me remember Mila Jocovich, saying multipass. from the movie fifth element.

I have an Innovair mini split in my boxttuck a 9000 BTU 19.3 seer 120v unit. It does about 6kw max a day too, but usually three or four. They make a 38 seer unit that is 230v with the anodized gold fins. I think it can produce e like 10000 or more btus, but is almost twice as efficient as your 23.5 seer(I am assuming having looked it up). I think the outdoor unit would be smaller as well. Of yours is a 12k unit the 9k unit would likely still do the trick but increase your solar retention for other things. The 38seer model is around $1300Us. Just something to think about when this one goes bust.

Good and practical vid thanks Rick . I remember you saying before that you have 'skills' in aircon ; so why does my fridge , which is pretty similar technology , need to be placed on a firm floor , and needs to be allowed to 'settle for 2 days before use , whereas your aircon is being rocked about continuously ? ! ATB .

What about adding zinc in the bottom pan to sacrificial oxidize first?

Maddy’s teeth are looking very nice!

Thats awesume! Could you take the drip water from the ac unit and send it to your reverse osmosis system? After all it is relatively clean fresh water? (i.e. except those that harbor Legioners disease), Or send it to a tank just for non salt water to clean the deck or take showers with? I'm in AZ and in the summer we get gallons of fresh water from our ac, we use it to water plants..

Got to get a bigger boat!

Hi Rick. Nice experiment. The heat pump process..is that in the outside or inside unit?

Try using Fluid Film spray on the base of the outdoor unit.

Works great, provided your compressor isn't trying to operate while heeled over. Marine compressors are built to run in a range of angles. Home compressors are designed to operate on flat, stable ground. The nice thing about the mini-splits is that one external condenser can feed multiple interior units, such as one forward, one aft, and one in the salon. Marine units are much more efficient, however, as water makes for a much more efficient coolant than air.

I am thinking about installing a split on my 46 foot sailboat. I have 1800 watts of solar so power is not an issue. I have read abour hitachi super daiseikai series which is an absolute champion in efficiency. 11000 btu unit is usin max 330 watts. When the temp is settled it can go down to 70 watts. The only concern is the longlivity and positioning of outside unit. I am still thinking abou the best way to do it. As for tricks to increase efficiency google precooling with water mist. If you install a proper mister in front of ventilatir of your ourside unit it can increase efficiency and decrease consumption of ANY conditioner up to 40%. Theoretically. I need to try this 😎

What brand of sump for shower do you recommend. I need to replace ours with automatic versions.

Good evening, How has this been working out? I'm commissioning a little 30' all electric catamaran and looking into HVAC. Was tempted to do what you've done, but it looks like a full marine system is only about $2,200 in parts from Marine Air? Would you do this again, or go with a standard marine heat pump HVAC?

Im an HVAC contractor and a Sailor as well. Great job Rick! I've been installing repairing mini-split since 2001. Don't use any chemicals on those condenser coils. Just fresh water. The salt in the air will get them real quick as well. The big issues I've had on the air handlers inside is that the pain is too shallow and water splashes out as long as that doesn't bug you you'll be fine. Emily and Clark developed a water cooled minisplit that is great for boats. Did you hire someone to sweat the lines and pull a vacuum?