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Old 12-10-2017, 11:14   #1
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Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

So our original cruisair 12000btu unit in our master stateroom rusted out bad. Not sure why they would make the drain pan out of steel for use on a boat but whatever. The drain clogged and the pan would fill up and sit. Never noticed it because it was located under the berth and always worked fine. Anyways it still works but the pan is totally rusted out as well as the bottom of the compressor and the mounting bolts. So think we will just remove and replace.

Question is what is your favorite marine ac manufacturer. They all seem to be about the same cost. We just want it to be easy to install and last.

Any input good or bad on Mermaid, Webasto, Cruisair/Dometic, MarineAire or others would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Will
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Old 13-10-2017, 06:10   #2
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

Flagship Marine.

Bullet proof no PC boards used. All off the shelf electrical components. Dry drip pan out of 5005 aluminum. Thick slick walled copper nickel condensers. Truly a cruisers piece of gear. Some complaints on here that mostly revolve around installs. I am not saying that they don't make a bad one every now and again but so do the other manufacturers. And they are made in the USA.
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Old 13-10-2017, 06:19   #3
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

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Flagship Marine.

Bullet proof no PC boards used. All off the shelf electrical components. Dry drip pan out of 5005 aluminum. Thick slick walled copper nickel condensers. Truly a cruisers piece of gear. Some complaints on here that mostly revolve around installs. I am not saying that they don't make a bad one every now and again but so do the other manufacturers. And they are made in the USA.
Agreed ! Had one on a previous boat for 20years. So impressed that it was my first purchase for my new boat. Definitley a cut above the rest. Customer service is among the very best and install was very easy.
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Old 13-10-2017, 07:17   #4
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I'm installing one now.
MarinAire Online Products, Boat, Yatch, Marine Air Conditioners & heat pumps
I'm happy with the quality.
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Old 13-10-2017, 07:53   #5
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I went with Webasto’s based purely on price, but happy with them, they work well and seem well made, in a mass produced sort of way.
If I wasn’t so cheap I would have gone with a King as I really like the way they can shut down everything fan included like a house when set temp is reached and how they will slow the blower fan down when cooling demand diminishes.
The noise of the blower fan being on constantly is my biggest dislike of regular Marine air conditioners.
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Old 13-10-2017, 08:05   #6
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

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If I wasn’t so cheap I would have gone with a .....
Now wait a second, I've never met a cheap cruiser, but I've met plenty of budget conscious penny pincher dollar stretcher cruisers...in fact I'm one myself!

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Old 13-10-2017, 08:49   #7
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I keep hearing from my boat neighbors, that their newer Cruise Air units are only lasting 4-5 years, since Dometic bought them.

I have used King Air and been totally satisfied, I echo the comments regarding King controls. My original King unit lasted 15 years running almost constantly, either in heat or AC modes.

Also they are pleasant people to deal with, willing to make customized units to fit.
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Old 13-10-2017, 09:17   #8
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I have a Flagship Marine unit, 18,000 BTU 's. I chose this unit because it has electric heat. I use the heat on the hard in the winters when I work inside the boat. It's a great feature as you don't have to worry about a reverse cycle pump as other manufactures require the boat to be in the water. I've had the unit for eleven years without any problems . Ron
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Old 13-10-2017, 09:23   #9
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

Depending on where you are/plan to cruise, pay attention to the rated cps (50cps, 60cps, or 50/60 cps) of the unit you buy. If the unit does not tolerate both 50cps and 60cps it may not run/run well (or last) when you encounter a different power at a marina. And there are very few made today that will tolerate both. Don't ask me how I know!!!
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Old 13-10-2017, 09:33   #10
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I installed a Webasto unit on my Hunter 34 a year and a half ago. Easy install and unit runs great. And you can set it to shut the fan completely off if you like. The only problem I have had is the strainer clogging up all the time, but then again its doing its job. We just plan on cleaning it every day when we are using the a/c. Last time it clogged was in Baltimore Harbor. Sucked a jellyfish right into the intake!
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Old 13-10-2017, 09:53   #11
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

I have installed mermaid and marinair units on other boats as well as mine, both have worked well. and had very good support from both company's.
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Old 13-10-2017, 10:08   #12
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailcrazy View Post
Depending on where you are/plan to cruise, pay attention to the rated cps (50cps, 60cps, or 50/60 cps) of the unit you buy. If the unit does not tolerate both 50cps and 60cps it may not run/run well (or last) when you encounter a different power at a marina. And there are very few made today that will tolerate both. Don't ask me how I know!!!


Translation....CPS is Hz.
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Old 13-10-2017, 11:12   #13
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

Thanks folks for the great info, lots to think about. Leaning towards MarineAire or the King. We will let you know how it turns out!

Thanks again
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Old 13-10-2017, 13:04   #14
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

FYI Defender has MarineAire & Webasto units on sale right now.
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Old 13-10-2017, 16:42   #15
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Re: Need a new ac unit.....thoughts

For what it is worth, I'm very happy with my Cruiseair 16k unit. It gets heavy use and has required minimal maintenance over the last 9 years. Not noisy tome.
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