Quietest air conditioner?

[Dave40]

I am looking to replace my air conditioner, and would like recommendations as to a quiet 11,000 or 13,500 BTU air conditioner. Being in Florida, an air conditioner is a necessity for six months out the year. Ours works, but generates a fair amount of noise. Any recommendations as to brand, or ways to silence compressor or fan noise?

[gordon2]

For compressor noise..
https://www.microair.net/products/ea...nt=30176048267

Fan noise is another matter.

[Wayne Collins]

It's called a block of ice and a fan!
It's not just the A/C unit itself, but being mounted to the shell of the trailer which acts as a sounding board.

[Defenestrator]

The quietest option by far is going to be switching to a mini-split system. That's a pretty substantial undertaking compared to a drop-in roof unit, though.

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by Defenestrator

The quietest option by far is going to be switching to a mini-split system. That's a pretty substantial undertaking compared to a drop-in roof unit, though.

Household units, like the mini-split, are nor made to withstand the vibrations of a camper bumping along the road. And they take up a lot more space.

[Dave40]

Thank you for your link. The Easy-Start looks like a good solution to suppress the start up compressor noise. It may also make it possible for me to use my air conditioner with a 15 amp circuit (at present, it will not start up unless I am tapped into a 20 amp circuit). Most of my problem, however, appears to be fan noise... Too bad, as I may eventually just have to replace the A/C with something newer - and presumably quieter.

[Tony O]

During the past few years I have also looked for a quieter, more efficient alternative to my standard-issue AC unit. Although I have yet to replace one because I so seldom use mine there are options available if you intend to replace your AC anyway. One option I discovered is readily available for RV-specific use, it's a unit called a TurboKool. It's based on a design using evaporative cooling, a system fundamentally different from how standard AC units operate.

An Internet search for TurboKool should result in plenty of reviews from folks that have swapped out their jet engine-powered OEM ACs. A stand-alone, portable evaporative cooler might also be an option, depending on your need.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Tony O

During the past few years I have also looked for a quieter, more efficient alternative to my standard-issue AC unit. Although I have yet to replace one because I so seldom use mine there are options available if you intend to replace your AC anyway. One option I discovered is readily available for RV-specific use, it's a unit called a TurboKool. It's based on a design using evaporative cooling, a system fundamentally different from how standard AC units operate.

An Internet search for TurboKool should result in plenty of reviews from folks that have swapped out their jet engine-owered OEM ACs. A stand-alone, portable evaporative cooler might also be an option, depending on your need.

Good thought, but swamp coolers may work OK in dry climates, which Florida (typically 95% humidity during the summer months) “ain’t.” By their very nature they add humidity to the air. Use one in a humid environment and you will not just have condensation on the walls, you will have rivers running down them. An evaporative cooler is not the solution for the OP.

[Dave40]

Tony, Thank you for pointing me at Turbo-Cool. I recall using evaporative cooling units when stationed in Northern California. A "swamp-cooler" the techs called them. They appear to be more effective in the West, however, where the humidity is much lower, than in the Southeast, where I now reside. I will look into it however... Dave40

[Tony O]

Good to know. Since 99% of our camping is in the arid west, we would likely not have that high humidity problem.

[Dave40]

No matter where you live in the US or Canada, there are three-perhaps four - months out of the year where you wish you were someplace else. Those three - four months for us in Florida are June - September. In those months the humidity can range up to 90 percent - enough to drive most folks inside to their air conditioners. In the case of campers, into their RVs. Hence the importance of a decent A/C. Thank goodness the rest of the year makes the Florida experience worth it. And as RVers, we can always escape the heat, humidity and hurricanes by repairing to the mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee.

[workhorsed]

Originally Posted by Dave40

I am looking to replace my air conditioner, and would like recommendations as to a quiet 11,000 or 13,500 BTU air conditioner. Being in Florida, an air conditioner is a necessity for six months out the year. Ours works, but generates a fair amount of noise. Any recommendations as to brand, or ways to silence compressor or fan noise?

Take a look at Mini Splits. All the noisy bits mount outside on the tongue or back bumper! All you have inside is a coil and a very quiet fan. Bonus? Cheaper and more reliable than your average RV units. Google 'em on line. Use the hole in the roof as an astro-dome or ????

[Dave40]

Workhorsed, thank you for pointing me toward mini-splits. I was not aware, and am thinking through how I would mount on my HiLo. I will continue to research to see if there is a version that would be adaptable to my camper. Dave

[redbarron55]

9000 BTU Mini split, inverter 120 vac.

[Dave40]

redbarron, Thank you for giving me an idea of how this could be mounted as well as the relative size. Some questions: how quiet is the A/C (both inside and outside units) when operating? How about the noise when starting and stopping? How do you keep the blades from rotating in the slip stream while you are underway? I note that the smallest unit now sold is 12,000 BTUs. How long ago did you obtain your A/C? Any problems over the years?

[Dave40]

redbarron, a few more questions: did the instructions require that the A/C outside unit be mounted vertically (as shown)? Or is horizontal (fan up) on roof a possibility? And can the A/C be operated on a standard household 15 amp 120 volt circuit? Or does it require 20 or 30 amps? Dave

[rbryan]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

Household units, like the mini-split, are nor made to withstand the vibrations of a camper bumping along the road. And they take up a lot more space.

Tell that to Dave (Rubicon) on the Escape Forum. He installed a mini-split Fujitsu unit in his 19 over two years ago, and it still performs flawlessly. He did have one leaky fitting a few months ago, but it just needed tightening. Space was not an issue either, with plenty of room on the tongue for the exterior unit, and only giving up a shelf along the front for the inside unit.

Of course, the fact that no other Escape forum member that I know of has attempted this besides Dave is proof this is not an easy undertaking. But, it has been proven to work well, and it's easily over 90% quieter than the roof mount. I mean whisper quiet.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by rbryan

Tell that to Dave (Rubicon) on the Escape Forum. He installed a mini-split Fujitsu unit in his 19 over two years ago, and it still performs flawlessly. He did have one leaky fitting a few months ago, but it just needed tightening. Space was not an issue either, with plenty of room on the tongue for the exterior unit, and only giving up a shelf along the front for the inside unit.

Of course, the fact that no other Escape forum member that I know of has attempted this besides Dave is proof this is not an easy undertaking. But, it has been proven to work well, and it's easily over 90% quieter than the roof mount. I mean whisper quiet.

I actually have that same unit to cool/heat a workshop. The inside unit is practically noiseless and the outside is nearly so. Far quieter than having a conversation next to it.

[redbarron55]

This unit is a Comfort Aire DV-09 and the shipping weight of the outside unit is 64 lbs and the inside is 16.4.
These are as quiet as anything out there and is inverter powered so it starts and runs quietly and efficiently on 120 VAC and draws less than 10 amps with NO starting surge.
I have had this unit installed for probably 4 years and just got back from a 9200 mile two month tour of Yellowstone, Glacier National Devils tower and points between.
Is is an easy install? probably not, but doable.
I ran the cooling lines inside the upper cabinets which in my much modified Scamp go from end to end.
Here is a link to the product sheet.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyho...t-Overview.pdf
I bought the first one from Johnstone Supply on a spring sale deal for around $500, but I don't think that can be repeated as the second one (for the Florida room at home) was ~$800.
This is a heat pump and the only heat I have for the all electric (except for the tankless water heater also on the nose).
So for I have had no problems with the unit and I think that it will hold up as well as the roof mount RV airconditioners and be quieter, more efficient, and as to cheaper, I doubt it is cheaper.


I know that the instructions call of a good bit of clearance around the outside unit, but I think that is overkill and I have maybe 6" behind and it does not seem to have an ill effect at all. The airflow through the is not as high as you might think and flow is sufficient. The unit must be mounted upright to have the lubricant in the right place for the compressor.
I can run the whole trailer on a 15 amp circuit and a regular extension cord (30 amp service installed, however) All bets are off if brewing coffee and using microwave at the same time with the AC. however.
Will you save money with the mini-split? Probably not.
Can you do it yourself? How handy are you?
Is it heaver than a roof top unit? No
Is it quieter? Heck yes!
Is the weight lower for better handling? Yes
The tongue weight needs to be taken into account as well as the space. I had already added about 18" to add the front bath to my Scamp so I had the space.
These are becoming more popular in the 5th wheel world as they can mount the compressor on the rear and put multiple inside units where necessary. These could mean a big savings for those guys as the summer cooling costs down South here are impressive.
Personally I don't think that these are any more prone to failure than the roof top units and it they need attention they are ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
If you can fit a window unit in and get the air in and out and move the cooling air around in the trailer that would be cheaper and some are pretty quiet too.
I forgot about the fan twirling as we drive issue.
Originally I put our door carpet over the outside unit, but eventually I forgot and now I never think of it as the unit is, for all practical purposes, in dead air behind the van.
So far no problem. (That I know about)
Dave, I see you live in Florida. I am in Navarre, between Pensacola and Ft Walton and if you want you can drop by sometime and take a look and listen.

[mbbear]

Forgive my curiosity but what is that unit beside the mini split that has a bungee cord around it? Thanks