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Date: 4 July 2022. Ordered Dometic AC (Mistakes were Made, Part 2)

© janice142
 

This became a series detailing the nightmare upgrade to a plug-and-play air-conditioning system aboard Seaweed. I would love to be able to tell you how well it went, explaining how smart I was, and the debacles I avoided. Alas, that's not what happened. Details follow.

This is Part 2 of the Mistakes were Made series.
 

For folks that prefer to have all details on one page, this is the link you want:
AC Install from Hades (Mistakes were Made, complete series)


The decision process to determine which particular air conditioner would suit Seaweed best was time consuming. Like all things boat, choices were weighed by virtue of cash on hand, space, and practicality. Though initially I appreciated the 5000 BTU wall-unit and its installation detailed in the Moby-Cool a/c cover Tweak article, I came to realize a larger more powerful unit would be better for when docked.


After much research and many recommendations I chose a Dometic brand. Although I still do not understand the differences between heat strip and heat pump air-conditioning units, I selected the latter. Apparently heat pumps are better.


Knowing Cap'n Rich had a Dometic RV unit on his boat was reassuring. His boat has lots of windows too.

Cap'n Rich wrote Varied Recommendations which is a recommended read for those visiting a boatyard.


Of course when I decided on the Penguin II with heat pump, it was on back-order everywhere. Eventually a reader pointed me to Camping World. I must say each person on the phone at Camping World was professional and very helpful.
 

I purchased from Camping World the outer unit and the interior air distribution portion. This combination supposed to be Plug-and-Play, which sounds great in theory. Of course Dometic has a rule for their warranty to be valid an authorized company has to install it. Still, plug-and-play is simple, right? Right???? NO. No, it is not.
 

First the old AC unit came off. I am committed now!

Birds from left to right: (top) Ibis, Great Blue Heron, and Snowy Egret.
Two night herons are next to me having cleared out the hotdogs.
 

I stopped feeding the pooping machines aka my feathered friends. Goodness gracious, but birds can deposit a lot of stuff. It was not just on Seaweed either. I was spending copious amounts of time and water scrubbing both my boat and the one I am rafted up to. Now that Red Tide has disappeared there is no need for bird handouts.


So, the new upper unit and an inside portion arrived. That is when the trouble began. More on that shortly. I definitely need coffee. Thank you for reading.
 

Have any of you ordered from Camping World?
Do any of you have any Dometic products?
 

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© 2022, © 2023

Categories:  Characters, Gear, Locations, Wild Things,

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