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Topic: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit? (Read 603 times) previous topic - next topic
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Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Has anyone investigated or installed an Mini-Split A/C unit like this:

https://www.hotspotenergy.com/solar-air-conditioner/HotSpot-ACDC18C.pdf


Looks pretty darn cool (pun intended) and energy efficient.   Also can connect directly to solar panels.

**EDIT** I obviously need to learn quite a bit about basic electricity and power management.  Can anyone recommend a good resource?
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #1 –
I know there are SOBs (some other brand) RVers that have installed a split unit - I have read about a couple people who have installed them and like them (over the last 5 years).  They were DC units and didn't have their own solar panels (that would be my choice, so you can use the solar panels for whatever you wanted and not having solar panels idle if you are not running the A/C).
I have had some interest and I am considering it for our "forever" RV (that we will keep for 10-20 years), maybe when that A/C gives out, but also since we will be traveling we might not be using A/C that  much.

One issue that stops people is you have to give up some cabinet space (or back wall space on a 30/31') to use it.

Another consideration is how the air is distributed.  The roof models we use have a front and back vent to get cold air to both directions in the LD.
Someone can correct me,  but in the larger LDs I don't remember any venting for the Air Conditioner (there is for the heater).

While the square footage is ok (I know of houses with split units that easily cool a bedroom), in a LD however it is not one big open room.  It might make it to the front if you put it at the back wall (or front wall) and it blew straight towards the other end of RV, but if you put it on the side of the LD it might have trouble getting to all areas without one area being freezing and another area too warm.

If you are interested, check who all has put them in.  The ones I saw were much larger RVs - Technomadia bloged about these but decided not to give up the wall space.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #2 –
The link shows it powered by four 300W+ solar panels. There is no real estate like that on any LD roof.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #3 –
The other consideration is where you mount the outdoor condensing unit. We worked with split systems some when I was still working. For all practical purposes they were pretty good units but I have bad vibes about this set up.

Jon
1994 MB
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #4 –
I've seen them on mostly stationary tiny house / trailer setups where the outside unit sits on the front of the trailer and the inside unit is just on the other side of the wall. 

I doubt the units would do well with miles of bouncing and shaking from road travel.   I can't imagine a practical way to add one to most non-trailer RV's. 

Rich
'03 MB in NC

2003 MB
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #5 –
Reading the literature, it's design for a home, that's still connected to the grid, to use a large rooftop solar array to partially power the home's A/C.
There is no mention of it being intended for totally for off the grid living or use in RVs. As Steve pointed out, none of our LDs have the rooftop space for 1200-1500 of solar panels. 400-600-watt of solar is a full load for most LDs.
I'm not too sure what market it's aimed at, if your roof already has solar and is connected to the grid, your roof's solar output is usable after it has gone through the inverter to condition it for the grid.
Maybe this is a more efficient way of using a home's solar array, it does introduce another level of complexity to the system, another thing to fail.

Larry


Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #8 –
Quote from: rich  - 
I've seen them on mostly stationary tiny house / trailer setups where the outside unit sits on the front of the trailer and the inside unit is just on the other side of the wall. 

I doubt the units would do well with miles of bouncing and shaking from road travel.  I can't imagine a practical way to add one to most non-trailer RV's. 

Rich
'03 MB in NC

This guy has an interesting setup.  What do you guys think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE099gEf4f4
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #9 –
Downgrader, that is what I would do. Have my solar panels on the roof, that charge batteries, and have the mini split A/C as well as everything else run off the batteries.
I would find people who have used these for years and ask if it was worth putting them in.

Rich, I have seen them in houses and office buildings even.  Stationary ones.
The ones I read about in RVs were all larger rigs, I think they were all converted buses.  So lots of roof real estate for solar.

Jane
Jane & Scott
Currently have a 1989 TK  LD we did a lot of upgrades on.
Bigfoot 25RQ Twin on order with early summer 2024 ETA

Our smartphone autocorrects into very poor English.
 We disclaim the illusion of ignorance this creates as we have enough ignorance we rightly claim.
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #10 –
Quote from: downgrader  - 
What about if the solar array charges 5 LiFePo Batteries and the unit runs off those?

It would just fine with about 3000-watts of solar panels, probably more if the A/C is going to run day and night.
You could tow a trailer with a NASA-designed folding solar array.

Air conditioning takes a lot of energy, no matter what type of A/C unit is used. The only practical way to have it is to run the generator or have hookups. Solar A/C is a fantasy many of us have.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #11 –
"What about if the solar array charges 5 LiFePo Batteries and the unit runs off those?"

You didn't say how large the batteries would be, but let's assume 100 Ah ones, since those are fairly popular. OK, that's 500 amp-hours x 13 volts x 0.8 (because you can't drain the batteries below 20%) = roughly 5,200 watt-hours. The specs for the unit mentioned at the top of this thread say it averages 819 watts, peaking at 1,360 watts. So your LiFePO4 battery bank, once it's fully charged, is going to give you about five hours of air conditioner use.

The big question is: where does the power come from to recharge those batteries? The air conditioner's reseller recommends a minimum of 1,160 to 1,500 watts of solar panels. If you sacrifice your TV antenna(s), you can just fit 600 watts on a midbath--I've done it, but it was a tight squeeze. That's less than half what this air conditioner needs.

But yes, you could put 600 W of panels on your roof, charge your batteries for a couple of days, and then run the air conditioner for five hours. Then spend another couple of days recharging... you get the picture.

Bottom line: It doesn't matter how many batteries you have--you still need enough solar power to recharge them. With an air conditioner draining the batteries, that's going to take more panels than you can fit on the roof of a Lazy Daze.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Anyone installed a Mini Split A/C Unit?
Reply #14 –
Quote from: Andy Baird  - 
"What about if the solar array charges 5 LiFePo Batteries and the unit runs off those?"

You didn't say how large the batteries would be, but let's assume 100 Ah ones, since those are fairly popular. OK, that's 500 amp-hours x 13 volts x 0.8 (because you can't drain the batteries below 20%) = roughly 5,200 watt-hours. The specs for the unit mentioned at the top of this thread say it averages 819 watts, peaking at 1,360 watts. So your LiFePO4 battery bank, once it's fully charged, is going to give you about five hours of air conditioner use.

The big question is: where does the power come from to recharge those batteries? The air conditioner's reseller recommends a minimum of 1,160 to 1,500 watts of solar panels. If you sacrifice your TV antenna(s), you can just fit 600 watts on a midbath--I've done it, but it was a tight squeeze. That's less than half what this air conditioner needs.

But yes, you could put 600 W of panels on your roof, charge your batteries for a couple of days, and then run the air conditioner for five hours. Then spend another couple of days recharging... you get the picture.

Bottom line: It doesn't matter how many batteries you have--you still need enough solar power to recharge them. With an air conditioner draining the batteries, that's going to take more panels than you can fit on the roof of a Lazy Daze.

Got it.  As always, LDOF has talked sense into this, at times, wide-eyed idealist.  Say, I'm just learning about electricity, do you know of a good book or video series that explains all of the basics?