Generator and btu air conditioning requirement

[Mamachicken32]

I bought a Honda eu2000i yesterday for my yurt. I was planning on running a high efficacy 5000 btu ac on it with nothing else.

I heard low cool can be on eco and high not on eco

Anyone have experience to confirm this won't trip out and or recommend a specific Brand of ac.

Also, what do you place your genny on. I was thinking a crate with an air filter under it.

Thanks for the help

[Token]

For 5Kbtu, a single EU2000 should be fine.

Notice the "Should".

At 4000 feet and high temperature, the de-rating of the genny will be significant. You may need to fiddle with start-up, but once going, will be good.

I run a 13Kbtu with two EU2000, and sometime they will not tolerate the start-up load, so I have to add a EU1000 into the circuit.

You can put the genny on a piece of plywood. That is all it takes. You can go more elaborate but after 10 years of running them flat from the ground, I have not had issues with dust or environment interfering with operation of the gear, with regular care, cleaning and oil changes.

[Sunbeam56]

Be sure to break in the genny carefully. Makes a big diff...

[GreyCoyote]

The EU2000i comes off of idle speed right around 225 watts. A 5K btu AC unit pulls nearly the same current (5 amps) regardless of the fan setting. Based on my own experience, you will be off idle (about 3000 rpm) and into the speed zone to the tune of about 3300-3400 RPM. At this load level you should get about 7 hours per tank of fuel on "eco-mode".

One thing that isn't obvious about these little AC units is the real power difference between the "Low" and "High" setting. There is actually very little power difference. The only thing that is being modulated is the fan speed. The compressor continues to run at full speed and generally does not cycle any differently between "Low" and "High".

The basic physics are this: At a high fan speed, you are looking at better airflow across BOTH the condenser and evaporator (resulting in lower condenser pressures and hence better efficiency) at the cost of more fan power. In contrast at low fan speed, you are looking at less airflow across the condenser and evaporator, but the condenser pressures are markedly higher... which nullifies the power saved by the lower fan speed. In the 5K BTU unit I have, the difference between "Hi" and "Low" is 30 watts. Peanuts.

Grab a watt meter and verify this for yourself based on your particular AC unit. Make sure to look at power factor, too. You may appear to be making a savings at low speed until you run the numbers and see the power factor dissolve into the weeds.

[Train Wreck]

Have you considered a swamp cooler?

I use the yurt sized FIGJAM model with an endless breeze 12v fan for my 6' yurt. Keeps things cool and uses way less power than an AC unit-- I run mine off of a 115AH deep cycle battery, which lasts several days of use, several hours a day, before needing a recharge.

Admittedly, swamp coolers can go through significant amounts of water over the course of the week. YMMV based on outside temperature and humidity.

[Captain Goddammit]

Air conditioning has big advantages. First, it works better - a swamp cooler can't begin to match the air temp coming from an A/C unit.
A/C works without having to keep the space open for constant ventilation - which translates to constant dust.
You can carry fuel for A/C or you can carry water for swamp cooling… you're gonna have to carry something either way.

[BBadger]

Yeah, those exhaust vents are critical for swamp coolers. They can only cool if the heat is carried away via evaporation, and that moisture needs to go somewhere. Otherwise, it just gets muggy and awful.

Even in places that can run swamp coolers I never liked it because it made things so sticky and humid. AC is the best if you can manage it.