Air Conditioners - a necessity or a nuisance?
Last year we were enjoying a quiet few days at the Norfolk Broads site when a motor home, about the size of a single decker bus, turned up. Shortly after they arrived they switched on an air conditioner which was so loud, even 5 pitches away, my neighbour and I found it difficult to have a quiet conversation. We have just returned from another quiet stay at Sandringham, quiet that is until the last day. A new neighbour arrived at about 3pm and shortly afterwards they switched their air conditioning on. It was, again, very noisy and was continuous for around 3 hours. They were sitting outside in the shade and it transpired they had 3 cats and a dog in their caravan and it was on for them. The noise could be heard on several pitches and I noticed several people disappeared indoors. Whether due to the noise I shall never know but it certainly gave me a bad headache. None of us want too many rules, but I feel there should be one governing the use of such noisy pieces if equipment.
Comments
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They and awning heaters contribute to the rise in site fees due to their demand on the electricity. What is wrong with opening doors and windows or sitting in the shade, or wearing thicker jumper and socks.
Maybe users of Air Cons should be asked to pay a higher charge.
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DeeTee, did you not politely ask them to turn it off? I would have.
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We don't have AC and we don't use an awning big enough to heat! I can just about see the justification for using an awning heater if you're actually using the awning when it's on, but I must admit the point of AC in a caravan escapes me!
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I think that maybe some people buy Air Con when they get a new van - not because they need it, but they Must Have every available extra.
And how often do you need it in this country? Enough to justify the cost?
Open the windows and be glad it's summer!
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Air conditioning units can be noisy and disturb neighbours.
Awning heaters are just for those who try and heat the world.
Everyone has the right to their own opinion, ---- that's mine. !!!!
I enjoy my caravanning no matter what the weather brings.
K
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Booked Camping Les Pinedes (French Riviera) through the Club last summer - on next pitch was a huge campervan with air con running during the day. It was noisy but thankfully or thoughtfully he turned it off in the early evening. Relief for him during the
day, relief for us that he turned it off!0 -
We don't have AC and we don't use an awning big enough to heat! I can just about see the justification for using an awning heater if you're actually using the awning when it's on, but I must admit the point of AC in a caravan escapes me!
nor us....
but in answer to your question....wheres Malcolm when you need him
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We have air con on our mh it was there when we bought it and to be honest we do use it and find it use full . The only time some one complained about the noise was when we were at abbey wood one time and the guy on the next pitch commented on it but when I told him it was to drown out the sound of his yappy dog that was the end of that conversation.
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We were at Exmoor House site a couple of years ago, a caravan parked opposite us, put their air conditioning on, noise not too bad, I couldn't understand why they opened all the windows too!
It rarely gets that warm in this country to really need air con,, much prefer to sit outside in the shade.
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I would have thought that, by opening the windows of the caravan, they've cancelled out the effectiveness of the aircon.
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so of course we all never use AC in our cars do we, we merely wind the windows down, which BTW has been proved to be more cost effective up to about 34 mph. All that extra mpg and carbon emissions?
I don't mind people using awning heaters or AC but it should not interfere with your neighbour's enjoyment
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I would have thought that, by opening the windows of the caravan, they've cancelled out the effectiveness of the aircon.
We did think that at the time Jill.
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We have air con, it uses 4amps when actually cooling, so not a large amount.
It's a Dometic B2200, 8 years old.
We are in Germany right now, we have had 28 degrees outside, but even in lower temperatures a metal box sitting in the sun can get unbearably hot.
Not all sites have shade, and when there is no breeze opening windows will not help.
If it is a hot day, we set the air con to 22 degrees when we leave the van, and set the fan on low. Standing outside beside the van, you cannot hear it at all, so no inconvenience to neighbours.
We would only need to use the fast fan setting if we needed a very quick cool down, there are 4 fan settings. Keeping the van cool all day means the heat does not build up inside and therefor fast fan is not normally needed.
Inside the van, you do hear it, so we would not use it during the night. Windows and door are always closed when the air con is in use.
We do actually use it quite a bit in the UK too in summer.
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Air conditioning systems are not by default noisy, the problem arises when trying to drop temperatures by to much therebyecausing the unit to work overtime. For efficient use the space being cooled needs to be enclosed!! as in no doors or windows open otherwise you are just trying to cool the planet! so given this the thermal insulation of the unit trying to be cooled needs to be taken into account? So less windows more walls equals better effeciency . Fact!! automotive aircon will only reduce the ambient temperature by 12% its the direct airflow that makes it feel cold!! So basically you are fighting a loosing battle if you think your aircon does anything more than make you feel more comfortable. and that is usually acheived by a reduction in water content in the air not by a reduction in temperature
Jeffrey C Cook CAE MiMi Bosch,Delphi.Hella Tech trainer
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We had an Dometic Freshjet 2200 fitted into our caravan last year and it is bliss on a hot humid day. I have no issue with heat but dislike high humidity.
We run it to keep the temperature at about 18C and this is comfortable for us and the dogs. At night it becomes a fan circulating the air. You cannot hear the unit on the next pitch however if we had to run it on auto for the lowest temperature, then it
would be an annoyance to the neighbours.We have never found the necessity to run it on the lowest temperature and the dogs are happy.
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Air conditioning systems are not by default noisy, the problem arises when trying to drop temperatures by to much therebyecausing the unit to work overtime. For efficient use the space being cooled needs to be enclosed!! as in no doors or windows open otherwise
you are just trying to cool the planet! so given this the thermal insulation of the unit trying to be cooled needs to be taken into account? So less windows more walls equals better effeciency . Fact!! automotive aircon will only reduce the ambient temperature
by 12% its the direct airflow that makes it feel cold!! So basically you are fighting a loosing battle if you think your aircon does anything more than make you feel more comfortable. and that is usually acheived by a reduction in water content in the air
not by a reduction in temperatureJeffrey C Cook CAE MiMi Bosch,Delphi.Hella Tech trainer
I find that a bit difficult to grasp. The automatic air conditioning in my BMW measures ambient air temp close to the driving position and I set it at about 19 - 20 deg. Travelling through the St Gottard tunnel the temperature increases to about 34 deg but
the car stays the same 19 - 20 deg. C. If it only reduced the temp by 10 - 12% that would be 30 deg. C. I think I would notice the difference.I nearly specified air con on the new motorhome but in the end couldn't justify the cost. A great thing to have in hot climates but we manage OK with a fan and all windows and doors open.
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If you get too hot in a motorhome or caravan, may I suggest a mystical place, they call them 'hotels' in some parts and they have this thing called 'air-con' and I've even heard from some sources that they have 'heating devices' too.
I've only heard this from a friend of a friends uncles mums cleaner from the deapest darkest depths of Peru so they may not exist.
Park next to me with a noisy air con and you'll be turning it off whther you like it or not.
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If you get too hot in a motorhome or caravan, may I suggest a mystical place, they call them 'hotels' in some parts and they have this thing called 'air-con' and I've even heard from some sources that they have 'heating devices' too.
I've only heard this from a friend of a friends uncles mums cleaner from the deapest darkest depths of Peru so they may not exist.
Park next to me with a noisy air con and you'll be turning it off whther you like it or not.
ah, 'the Friendly Club'......oh no, thats the other one....
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Air conditioning systems are not by default noisy, the problem arises when trying to drop temperatures by to much therebyecausing the unit to work overtime. For efficient use the space being cooled needs to be enclosed!! as in no doors or windows open otherwise
you are just trying to cool the planet! so given this the thermal insulation of the unit trying to be cooled needs to be taken into account? So less windows more walls equals better effeciency . Fact!! automotive aircon will only reduce the ambient temperature
by 12% its the direct airflow that makes it feel cold!! So basically you are fighting a loosing battle if you think your aircon does anything more than make you feel more comfortable. and that is usually acheived by a reduction in water content in the air
not by a reduction in temperatureJeffrey C Cook CAE MiMi Bosch,Delphi.Hella Tech trainer
I find that a bit difficult to grasp. The automatic air conditioning in my BMW measures ambient air temp close to the driving position and I set it at about 19 - 20 deg. Travelling through the St Gottard tunnel the temperature increases to about 34 deg but
the car stays the same 19 - 20 deg. C. If it only reduced the temp by 10 - 12% that would be 30 deg. C. I think I would notice the difference.I nearly specified air con on the new motorhome but in the end couldn't justify the cost. A great thing to have in hot climates but we manage OK with a fan and all windows and doors open.
Agreed HG - I think Jeff has got it wrong - compressor based air conditioning is essentially an inside out fridge. the total amount of cooling is stated on the capacity of the system, a BTU rating or kW rating and the temperature is primarily dependent on
the amount of air passing across the heat exchanger and the temperature settings in the unit to stop condensed water freezing on the exchanger (and blocking the exchanger)0 -
There are some great looking Eco a/c units which use just a few amps and I am sure are quiet and very efficient and will keep most motorhomes at a very comfortable temperature. £2000 approx. A bit like a water softener, once you have one there's no going
back; now there's a thought.0
