Technical Installing Remote Condensor For Trunk Air Conditioner

Really takes that much power? Aren't home window A/Cs around 1,000 watts?

 

Remember that power in watts = voltage X current. Home window air conditioners run on 120 volts so the current requirements are a fraction of what a 12 volt air conditioner will require.

 

I put one from some foreign car that came with its own electric fan under the floor board on my '36 Willys. Not a great picture but you get the idea.

 

Electric AC in a race car video.

 

But still about 80 amps, not the 200 mentioned. My guess is autos need a larger capacity A/C, they get hotter than home interiors and want to be cooled faster. Being a DIY guy, if I wanted electric A/C in my hot rod (which, living on the Pacific coast, no need), I might cannibalize an old window unit to see what might be usable for a smaller scale setup.

 

Never too old to learn thank you for posting that very interesting .

 

Remote condensers work well, my company has installed around 10,000 of them over the last 30 years. Pretty standard on off road equipment. With that said, you gotta have air flow and the cooler air the better. Under the car is not a great place to pickup cool air. As well, that air flow comes with more amps.
I stuffed a vintage air under the hood of my 36 Chevy truck, radiator mount condenser, works great. Compressor location sucks. I have seen some tucked in much better than mine, one was on a street styled BBC gasser, it was down in the frame rails, didn't really see it.

 

Agree 100%. On a car like that Cadillac I don't think anyone would be offended by ac under the hood.

To answer the original question, my dad had ac in his model a coupe with the condenser mounted under the car, no extra fans or anything. It worked well enough until the compressor died. We assume the lack of airflow on the condenser caused the compressor to fail early.

 

I agree with you assessment, the condenser may have starved for air flow. I like the Vintage air condenser that has a protective shroud and fan. I may try it and put the compressor on the engine, or just go with a standard set up of the condenser in front of the radiator. My AC will be trunk mounted for sure. Thanks.