Re: Ranger 21 EC AC install
Postby Capt'nKarl on Sun Jun 28, 2015 5:39 pm
Details of A/C install on 2009 Ranger 21 EC. When we purchased our tug it came with a “factory installed” 12 Volt A/C unit. It never worked. Living in Florida I knew it would be difficult to have comfortable sleeping conditions during the summer months. We have a 12 volt fan which works great until the temperature goes above 85 degrees and the humidity is high. So after the first sleepless night sweltering in a marina I knew it was time to look into installing a new A/C unit. Fortunately, as I said, the boat already had a raw water thru-hull , strainer and thru-hull for water discharge from the A/C unit. This ultimately made the decision to install a new unit much easier as I would have been rather apprehensive to drill holes through the boat. I started gathering information about different units, spoke with several boat A/C installers about prices to have the unit professionally installed and finally made a decision. I purchased my unit from Wright Marine Air Conditioning, Inc in Riverview Fl. The owners name is Wayne and he was very helpful before and after the purchase. Here are the details of the unit.
ECD6K-HV 410A Dometic (Marine Air) 6000 Btu, 115 Volt unit. Price: $1635.00
The unit includes a Passport I/O Display Keypad with 15 feet of cable. Additionally I purchased a MARCH LC2-115 V (Sea Water Pump) 310 GPH at a cost of $259.00. Additional expenses: Marine wiring 25 ft, 12 SS hose clamps, 2 waterproof MALE wire connectors, one “Y” electrical connector, one 4 inch flexible metal duct, one 4 inch round white air grille, Vinyl/fabric ducting 10 feet ( I only used 5ft) all cost approx. $100.00. From PANELTRONICS I purchased a 9982316B AC 30 AMP DP MAIN with reverse polarity for $ 76.48. All in all the total cost was about $2300.00.
My experience: I’m comfortable performing all the routine oil , filter, belt changes and impeller changes on the boat. Changing electrical switches, hooking up a garbage deposal and other small projects around the house, no problem. The work installing this unit is fairly simple however I am NOT an electrician so if you have any questions with the wiring please consult a professional.
Here’s how I proceeded. I wanted to keep the installation process simple but as flexible as possible. We have a HONDA generator that will power the A/C unit so I wanted the flexibility to connect the unit to either shore power or the generator. Additionally the unit can be powered by an inverter if you have the battery capacity (which at this time I do not).
The first thing I had to do was get shore power into the cabin. I used the battery cable from the old unit in the back compartment and taped the electrical cable to it and pulled everything through to the cabin. I made sure I had enough cable to run the entire length under the cabinet on the port side and then around to the wall under the sink. Once the cable was pulled I used the “Y” connector. I cut off the MALE end of the “Y” and connected that segment to the existing power input on the boat. The two FEMALE ends of the “Y” connector were left intact. The wire from the battery charger was connected to a waterproof MALE connector. The end of the electrical cable running into the cabin was also connected to a waterproof MALE connector. This gives me the flexibility to use either FEMALE “Y” connections for any device or generator. After running the wire I had to decide on how to position the A/C unit. This new unit is about the same size as the previous unit but I did not like the way the air was discharged from the 12 V unit. I wanted to make sure the sleeping area was cooled. I positioned the unit with the filter facing the cabinet opening so the air discharge, the water intake and output are all facing the port side. Once I was happy with the position I attached the base plate to the floor using the clamps provided. Next, running the duct work. I wanted the sleeping area to be the main area to be cooled. There is a cup holder on the port side of the cabin. I removed the cup holder and enlarged the hole to 4 inches to accommodate the round discharge grille. I used a flexible duct joint I purchases at Lowes and connected the ducting from the A/C unit to the grille. The thru-hull and strainer were already in place. The raw water pump was placed inside the port cabinet. The mounting plate of the pump has no cushion and I was concerned about vibration so I placed some foam material under the pump and secured it to the floor. Running the hoses was simple. Attach to the thru-hull to the pump then out of the pump to the A/C intake. Another hose from the A/C discharge to the existing thru-hull and done. I had to make one other modification for the main breaker. I wanted to use the old site of the thermostat to mount the breaker but didn’t have enough room for the duct work and the breaker. I moved the audio input device from the old site and put it where the thermostat used to be. I cut the starboard at the site of the audio input to fit the main breaker (see picture). Wiring was pretty simple. Connect black to black, white to white, green to ground. The A/C unit has a main electronic box I mounted on the wall under the sink. The thermostat plugs in like a telephone. I removed the vanes from the old A/C air discharge and put the new thermostat there. Looks fantastic I think!. All connected and ready to try. First time out? FANTASTIC!! Worked like a charm. Going out again next weekend when the water temperature is higher to see how the unit works. Please let me know if anyone has any questions.
Cheers,
Karl
