Why Reverse Cycle Air Conditioners are Perfect for Your Caravan

When it comes to caravan air conditioning the most efficient units are reverse cycle air conditioners. These units come with both heating and cooling options, thus making them ideal for caravanning applications. The great thing about reverse cycle air conditioners is that they move far more heat energy than they consume power and while that may seem contrary to the laws of physics, there’s a solid explanation behind it.

In this guide to caravan air conditioning, we’ll discuss how reverse cycle A/Cs work and how you can buy the right unit to serve your caravanning needs.

How a reverse cycle air conditioner works

Like with refrigerators, air conditioners don’t actually cool air directly. Instead, they draw warm air away from your caravan’s interior. Reverse cycle air conditioners work well on caravans because they function as double heaters. They don’t heat the air as a gas heater does, but they harvest heat energy from outside and transfer it into where you want it. Even in extremely cold conditions, you’ll find reverse cycle units provide a constant supply of warm air efficiently.

This is achieved by supplying over twice the heat energy than the unit actually draws. Some units are even capable of supplying four times as much heat, making them far more efficient when compared to a traditional gas heater.

Choosing the right unit for your caravan

Many caravan air conditioners fall short of the high efficiency that we all look for. Air conditioner efficiency is about the ratio of an A/C unit’s heating or cooling energy relative to its power draw. In Australia, these products come with an Energy Star label that displays the air conditioner’s cooling/heating output and power input in kilowatts (kW). The more stars a unit has, the more efficient it is when fully operating.

Most of the A/C units for caravans barely reach 3 stars, but the best domestic reverse cycle air conditioners can reach this level of efficiency. One example is the Daiken 2.5 kW US7 air conditioner. It boasts 2.5 kW of cooling and 3.6 kW of heating with energy draws of 0.42 kW and 0.62 kW respectively. It’s a very expensive unit, one that will give you the most performance out of any reverse cycle A/Cs available on the market.

When buying reverse cycle air conditioners, make sure you’re buying the best unit you can afford. Oftentimes the Energy Rating is price-related, meaning that the upper-end of A/Cs are usually the most efficient.

Powering a caravan air conditioner through solar energy

One of the main concerns with caravan A/Cs is that it’s the most power-hungry appliance in a caravan setup. But the good news is that you can harness the power of solar energy and use it to run your reverse cycle unit. Given 750 watts of dedicated solar modules, you can certainly power up your caravan’s A/C in broad daylight. Night-time use can be quite challenging as it requires twice that capacity and requires batteries with a capacity of 800-100 amp.

An inverter/generator is a great alternative energy source for caravan air conditioning is an inverter/generator. Japanese brands like Honda or Yamaha make excellent generators and can wholly run the system with little to no issues. They can power your A/C unit directly or charge your batteries via a 230-volt charger.

Petrol powered generators are the preferred option for caravanners because not only are they quiet, but they also last a lifetime. The only downside is that the cost will set you back thousands of dollars. Still, the investment is well worth it especially if you plan on caravanning during the hot summer months.

Petrol generators can charge a typical caravan battery bank in an hour or so morning and evening. Some diesel generators are water-cooled, thus providing you with semi-free hot water.

In the future, fuel cell technology will eventually be a more economic and silent backup for solar energy. But as of now, solar makes more sense because it can easily be harnessed and is readily available at all times.