Heat pump - Reverse cycle A/C experiment update

[s/v Jedi]

I have the feeling this is some kind of portable, cheaper unit?

EDIT: ah yes, see the picture in the first post. This is one of those cheap ones that don't work well. Not on a boat either so no water heat exchange.

[ranger58sb]

Ah. Hadn't noticed that link...

-Chris

[robert644]

So it's been a couple days since I moved on the boat and I just want to relate my experiences with the unit. I should mention that in my salon I have 2 windows 6'x3' and forward are two about half the size. Front windows and sliding door in the back. So not alot of insulation here.

The pump works OK at about 40 and above. Several others have mentioned this to be the sweet spot. However if I had better insulation things might be different.

Running all night I could definitely tell the loss of heating capability of the machine. Right now it's about 50 outside and I'm in a T-shirt inside and it's OK. Not real hot, but good enough. I think the machine will work fine for about 6 months of the year, and then I'll use an oil fired - forced air system.

So 6 months of the year use, cooling and dehumidifying capabilities, I'm pretty satisfied. Also the ease of just mounting it in the sliding door assembly is pretty nice.

[Moonos]

Those portable air cons are notoriously bad performers. The one you have looks like having totally seperate heating and cooling parts which is a big advantage.

The really bad performers, for cooling cycle, draw inside air into the condenser then spit it outside. The reality of this is it will then need to draw outside hot air into the building to replace this lost air. Pathetic design really.

I used to see split system portable units which had flexible pipes to join the two units. Apart from the corrosion issue, this would be an improvement for budget air conditioning on a boat.

I think the best solution by far would be diesel or gas for really cold climates.