refer in the tropics, which type system do you have

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by newhaul

your still using the ah but just off of the solar panels not out of the battery.

Yes, but once the batteries are full that solar output would otherwise be wasted.

So this seems to be a good solution if you have excess solar power.

[Q Xopa]

Originally Posted by newhaul

your still using the ah but just off of the solar panels not out of the battery.

Yes still using AHs.
But they are 'cheap' AHs. No diesel is needed to be bought or burned. No generator or main engine rattling away clocking up maintenance time.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by newhaul

your still using the ah but just off of the solar panels not out of the battery.

The ah are effectively being stored in the form of frozen eutectic solution, saving the batteries for more important things, like entertainment.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

The ah are effectively being stored in the form of frozen eutectic solution, saving the batteries for more important things, like entertainment.

or the AIS yes:-)

[Richard Kollmann]

a64pilot's, refer in the tropics, which type system do you have
If properly designed you don’t need water cooling, The key is properly designed.
If I were to go to water cooling, I would not consider seawater cooled, I’d use the fresh water tank for obvious reasons.

I agree pumped saltwater cooling a small compressor shortens systems service life and requires continuous daily mentoring. What about the dangers of using fresh drinking water pumped through condenser and returned to fresh water tank? What about the low voltage electrical current that is discharged from compressors and some boat grounding systems and then discharged into fresh water tank? It is true fresh water takes longer than salt water to cause metal loss damage but is this risk worth it? E Z Kold added these band-aid pumps to keep cooling water away from cupronickel failing condensers just before going out of business. Most sailboat water tanks are below the water line and over time water temperature in tanks is much the same temperature as the outside hull sea water. Is using that preheated water tank a good idea after adding 300 Btu to 800 Btu of heat produced each hour compressor runs on your present system’s daily. This would surely affect energy used by increasing refrigerant pressures. My third concern would be the drink ability of over stimulated bacteria cased by adding refrigeration process heat to my fresh water. Blue water live aboard sailors already know how quickly fresh water tanks become contaminated.

Why try to compensate for insufficient capacity condensing units, would it not be smarter to use a correctly designed air cooled condensing unit that did not just circulate heat but disposed of heat somewhere else which is the normal marine standard for 1/6 HP and smaller compressors.

Yes I “Poll” for Air-cooling small 12 volt systems except when Keel Coolers system installation applications are designed to operate compressor temperatures below 130 degrees F. Also boats intended to have AC electrical power on board or connected to boat's with Keel Cooler condenser refrigeration should consider isolation transformers.