Zero Breeze portable air conditioner- battery powered - Anyone tried it?

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RCG571

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rcg571
Anyone given this a test drive?

Reviews on "their" website look decent. The few reviews on Amazon are mixed. It's battery powered or can run on 24VDC, has 2300 btu's output, and weighs around 27 pounds with 1 battery. Based on reviews a single battery can run around 4 hours on low - their website states 4-6 hours. Would need to cut a hole in rear hat rack to vent hot exhaust into rear of my 182. Website states it also has a fresh air hose inlet which might be a problem. Would also need to have either a jug or cut a small hole in plane for condensation tube. Don't like the idea of drilling a hole, but a real AC option in TX makes it worthwhile IMO. I'd welcome any feedback from the POA family. https://www.zerobreeze.com/products/zero-breeze-mark-2?variant=29542713720934

They are about to launch the Mark 3 with 5280 btu's.
www.zerobreeze.com

ZERO BREEZE Mark 3

ZERO BREEZE Air Conditioner can work with power supplied through a standard adapter. It can be used as a home air conditioner, also it can work as a car air conditioner, a Tent air conditioner through connecting with a power source or portable power source with 24V, 10A power supplied.
www.zerobreeze.com www.zerobreeze.com
 
I had a 5000BTU window unit in my tent on a couple trips this summer. It was enough, but barely. Google tells me that car air conditioners are 10,0000 to 20,000BTU.

I wouldn't expect a 2300 btu unit to be able to keep up with a leaky 182 pretty much at all. And I don't know what "low" means for the unit, but I do have an off grid house with air conditioning and can pretty much promise that anything that can run for four hours on a battery is not producing very much cool air.
 
We’ve considered a similar product. The challenge is where to plumb the exhaust vent too since that’s pumping out hot air.
 
RCG571 said:
Anyone given this a test drive?

Reviews on "their" website look decent. The few reviews on Amazon are mixed. It's battery powered or can run on 24VDC, has 2300 btu's output, and weighs around 27 pounds with 1 battery. Based on reviews a single battery can run around 4 hours on low - their website states 4-6 hours. Would need to cut a hole in rear hat rack to vent hot exhaust into rear of my 182. Website states it also has a fresh air hose inlet which might be a problem. Would also need to have either a jug or cut a small hole in plane for condensation tube. Don't like the idea of drilling a hole, but a real AC option in TX makes it worthwhile IMO. I'd welcome any feedback from the POA family. https://www.zerobreeze.com/products/zero-breeze-mark-2?variant=29542713720934

They are about to launch the Mark 3 with 5280 btu's.
www.zerobreeze.com

ZERO BREEZE Mark 3

ZERO BREEZE Air Conditioner can work with power supplied through a standard adapter. It can be used as a home air conditioner, also it can work as a car air conditioner, a Tent air conditioner through connecting with a power source or portable power source with 24V, 10A power supplied.
www.zerobreeze.com www.zerobreeze.com
Click to expand...

I don't understand how you would use it in an airplane. Where would the hot air go? You would need a hose to dump the hot air overboard.
 
sarangan said:
I don't understand how you would use it in an airplane. Where would the hot air go? You would need a hose to dump the hot air overboard.
Click to expand...


Well, he did say, "Would need to cut a hole in rear hat rack to vent hot exhaust into rear of my 182."
 
Like said above, 2300 btu's is nothing. Especially in a tin can airplane in direct sun in a 140mph breeze.
Also like said a battery is not gonna work either.

I have tried the Arctic air with all kinds of ice configurations, even bought a 5cf chest freezer for the hangar to make my own ice. It is ok but only last an hour, not really worth the trouble IMHO.

I flew almost everyday this past summer and sadly the Arctic air stayed in the box and I didn't use it. It pulls a lot of power also and why I say a battery is not gonna cut it.

I use the ice chest for drinks and some frozen foods I keep at the hangar.
 
 
IMO, the point would not to keep the cabin cool, but to cool it before you climb in. Combined with window screens (which help A LOT), it can keep it bareable.
 
Half Fast said:
Well, he did say, "Would need to cut a hole in rear hat rack to vent hot exhaust into rear of my 182."
Click to expand...

I saw that, but I don't follow what a hat rack had to do with this. It sounded like he was going to exhaust the hot air into the back seats, which won't work.
 
sarangan said:
I saw that, but I don't follow what a hat rack had to do with this. It sounded like he was going to exhaust the hot air into the back seats, which won't work.
Click to expand...


No, he plans to exhaust into the tail.
 
rwellner98 said:
I had a 5000BTU window unit in my tent on a couple trips this summer. It was enough, but barely. Google tells me that car air conditioners are 10,0000 to 20,000BTU.

I wouldn't expect a 2300 btu unit to be able to keep up with a leaky 182 pretty much at all. And I don't know what "low" means for the unit, but I do have an off grid house with air conditioning and can pretty much promise that anything that can run for four hours on a battery is not producing very much cool air.
Click to expand...
That's great feedback especially the car AC BTU's. I sure want to try one of these, but not for a $1500 test. My thought was to just leave it in the plane in the summer running all the time off 120VAC to keep it pre-cooled. Or, turn it on when I get to the airport. I live in TX and after my vehicle has been running for 20 minutes or so, the interior is pleasant and my AC is set on low-medium. My plane has tinted windows all around and is a high wing so only the front windshield would have direct/harsh sun load. I don't believe it has enough BTU's to cool something that's been in direct sun all day and sitting at 140F inside. If it was pre-cooled - then maybe. I'm trying to talk myself into getting one of these, but I believe logic will win out. Thanks for your feedback.
 
sarangan said:
I saw that, but I don't follow what a hat rack had to do with this. It sounded like he was going to exhaust the hot air into the back seats, which won't work.
Click to expand...
The hat rack is a rear partition behind the cargo area. It's the divider that separates the cabin from the rear of the plane. It'd be like putting this on your back seat in your car and exhausting to the trunk.
 

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Gary Ward said:
Like said above, 2300 btu's is nothing. Especially in a tin can airplane in direct sun in a 140mph breeze.
Also like said a battery is not gonna work either.

I have tried the Arctic air with all kinds of ice configurations, even bought a 5cf chest freezer for the hangar to make my own ice. It is ok but only last an hour, not really worth the trouble IMHO.

I flew almost everyday this past summer and sadly the Arctic air stayed in the box and I didn't use it. It pulls a lot of power also and why I say a battery is not gonna cut it.

I use the ice chest for drinks and some frozen foods I keep at the hangar.
Click to expand...
I had an Arctic Air and completely agree. Actually just sold it after giving it 2 summers to change my mind. It really wasn't worth the trouble especially on the return leg when the planes been sitting on the concrete baking. It worked fine departing from my home airport since it's in a hangar.
 
RCG571 said:
I'm also considered just placing a window AC unit on a cart and fabricating ducting to replicate what you're showing in this Attic Master photo. This would at least keep the interior cool for some reprieve.
Click to expand...
If you are seriously considering pre-cooling (which, I'll go on record now as saying I don't think is worth the time and expense), get a portable AC and duct tape scat tube to the unit to get the cool air into the plane. Way less expensive and way more powerful than that specialty thing.

 
www.pilotsofamerica.com

Portable AC

This looks promising, lightweight, self contained, but how would you exhaust the hot air in an airplane? https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chillfeed/chillfeed-4-in-1-portable-air-conditioner?ref=av8pu1
www.pilotsofamerica.com www.pilotsofamerica.com
 
172andyou said:
View attachment 121376
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Years back, I checked into a hotel in Europe--which, as was typical for that region--had no air conditioning. But they were in the midst of a heat wave, and the hotel had apparently purchased a number of really big, portable units like the one above. They had moved one into our room and cranked it up, apparently hours before our arrival.

We opened the room to find the temp well above 100F. The vent hose was neatly coiled next to the AC, just as in the picture.
 
172andyou said:
If you are seriously considering pre-cooling (which, I'll go on record now as saying I don't think is worth the time and expense), get a portable AC and duct tape scat tube to the unit to get the cool air into the plane. Way less expensive and way more powerful than that specialty thing.

Click to expand...
Yes, that's a better, cheaper, faster solution for pre-cooling. Like you, I suspect the benefit will be gone within minutes of being out of the hangar and in the sun though.
 
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