# Plug in air conditioning unit for low amps, HELP!



## philbre (Nov 13, 2008)

Hi there

My camper does not have air-con

I plan to be in Spain mid-June to mid-Aug

I will need some portable plug in unit

I hear lots of talk about low amps etc being available on the continent.

How do you cope with the heat?

Have you a unit that can work on low amps without effecting your fridge etc?

Did you buy it in UK or in Spain?

My neighbour, who has a house in Spain, says that air-con units for houses are quite cheap in Spain but doesn't know about the type of plug in unit I would need for my 5m camper

Any help/advice gratefully received

Phil


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Phil,

Any of the first two rows of units here should do you:
http://www.rgk.co.uk/acatalog/Air_Conditioners.html
(The Micromark MM53645 might be a bit marginal)

Be clear on how low you want to go in terms of site hookup maximum current (4A or 6A?), then select the machine you prefer before Googling for best price. Don't forget that with a big hose, you really need a good window seal otherwise you will be drawing in more hot, moist air than you are getting rid off.

If 4A supply, ensure you don't also simultaneously put on water heating, kettle, charger, fridge, etc. Aircon and fridge together OK.

Dave


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Toaster!


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Nice, Clive, but I can't find one that also cools and dries the air 

Yes, I could have added coffee-maker, hairdrier, George Foreman grill, but wrapped them up in "etc." 

However, sometimes the electrical devices vanners take with them do stagger me.

Dave


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## philbre (Nov 13, 2008)

*more q's!*

Hi Dave, thanx for your v helpful reply

I looked up the site you recommended & saw that many of the cheaper models (my price range) work on less than 4 amps

I will phone them 2moro

In the meantime, you might be able to assist me further????

"Be clear on how low you want to go in terms of site hookup maximum current (4A or 6A?), then select the machine you prefer before Googling for best price. Don't forget that with a big hose, you really need a good window seal otherwise you will be drawing in more hot, moist air than you are getting rid off. "

My cooker, kettle etc run on gas

My fridge & lights & water pump, when on hook up, runs on electricity provided by campsite. Nothing else runs on electricity.

So the only other thing that will be run on the hook up is the portable air con that I buy

I have 2 questions

1) does it matter whether I buy 4A or 6A , I'm likely to be on a number of different sites

2)I propose to leave it in the shower with the bathroom door open while its turned on, my camper is only a 5m camper. 
Does the outlet pipe of the aircon unit need to be attached to a window or can the pipe simply drain into the base of the shower

Thanx 4all your help

Phil


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Phil, 

You will have a mains battery charger as well. That will output at least 20Amps maximum @12V, consuming over an amp from the mains. 

Yes, 4A or 6A matters as some French sites (don't know about Spain) have a maximum of 4 amps (intended to supply battery charger, fridge, water pump, lights but no more). Now with a 4A supply you can get away with a 1kW consumption (don't get waylaid by cooling power in kW which is a different and bigger number). But if you had a 6A aircon it would trip the supply. That's why I said you need to be clear on the site supply to inform your buying decision. 

No, draining into the base of the shower certainly will NOT do. You need the pipe as supplied vented to outside and a reasonable seal around it. Imagine a tumble drier vent draining into a sink. That would be one hell of a steamy room! 

Dave


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Amps*

Hello,

All Compressor a/c units will draw high amps on initial startup. However, almost all Portables should be fine on a 4amp EHU. Running almost will be around 1-2.

Any help?

TM


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

You could always drain it into a bowl of water, as long as the water level covers the end of the outlet hose.

tony


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Aircon*

Hi

This is a bit off topic from the opening post, but none the less...

I have roof aircon and yes it is lovely. However, in the summer, you know those three weeks where it was 30 degrees day in and day out, when we were plagued with thunderbugs etc, I used the aircon daily. However, I did also find that by making good use of the van's standard facilities, I could manage the temperature.

So, in the morning, windows on the drivers side of the van open only to the night vent, interior blinds closed. Roof vents open, roof blinds 3/4 closed. Windows on passenger side of van full open. As the sun moved, I opened the windows on the drivers side, and closed the windows and blinds on the passenger side. There was always a slight breeze from somewhere.

I found that if I could prevent the heat building up, this DIY method of van cooling worked well. I also kept the external screen covers on the van.

The aircon however was excellent on days of high humidity.

If I bought another van tomorrow, I probably would not pay the £1500 for roof aircon, but would instead buy a B&Q portable unit for £200. The draw back is space etc and also needing a window open for the exhaust pipe, but the price is a huge advantage. I would probably place this unit near the front of the van with the hot air pipe going out of the cab window.

Russell


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

And here's tony having a smoke:









I hope you like bubbling sounds, Phil, with the sheer volume of pumped air coming out of that aircon vent tube. 

Dave


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Dave, if you're in the van ,you turn the telly or radio up. :wink: 

By the way, I nearly bought one of those gizmos when I was in Belgium last year, but I couldn't find out how to smoke my cigars through it. :lol: 

tony


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## philbre (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: Aircon*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> 
> This is a bit off topic from the opening post, but none the less...
> 
> ...


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## philbre (Nov 13, 2008)

*Re: Aircon*



Rapide561 said:


> Hi
> 
> This is a bit off topic from the opening post, but none the less...
> 
> ...


would having the exhaust pipe hanging 'out the window' not just draw in more hot air than exhaust pipe would expel?
Surely it needs to be vented?


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

We purchased a portable unit in France when caravaning.
Only used it for that holiday.
Noisy and had to have a window open to vent the hot air.
I think the unit is in our loft.
Unless Lady p has given it away.
Anyway what do you want to sit in the van for when its nice outside.

dave p


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Aircon*

We have a portable aircon unit at work and when switched on, the outlet pipe goes through the open window. The cooling effect from the machine was far greater last summer than any inward air flow.

Russell


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## JackieP (Oct 15, 2006)

We met a guy in Portugal. He travelled alone having been recently divorced. He used his settlement figure to buy himself a spanking new van and set off in search of adventure (and a new wife, but that's another story).

Anyways - he'd been in the DIY business and decided to 'modify' his van - cutting holes in the door to make a window and (truly) cutting out some of the roof to put in a velux window. Some of the stuff he did was horrific but one job seemed to turn out rather well.

He bought a cheap slimline AC unit in Spain for 100 euros. He cut a panel out of the front facing wall in his loo and fitted the unit in the gap. The front part with the controls facing outward and the back of the unit in his loo. He cut a hole in the roof (he was rather good at that as you will have gathered) and fixed the hose to the outside using proper seals and a vent. He then boxed in the hose from the loo side so it just looked like an existing wall.

It ran at 800 watts and he seemed to use it most of the time he was on EHU.

If you've got space in your loo and your payload can stand it then it was a good, cheap way round the AC issue.


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## philbre (Nov 13, 2008)

*oppressive heat whilst sleeping....*



DTPCHEMICALS said:


> We purchased a portable unit in France when caravaning.
> Only used it for that holiday.
> Noisy and had to have a window open to vent the hot air.
> I think the unit is in our loft.
> ...


agreed Dave, only likely to he required whilst sleeping

my plan is to vent it thru the skylight in the shower similar to the way a tumble drier is vented in our homes

if it were slimline, I would have placed it in the loo wall as suggested earlier

Phil


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