AC/HEAT system

[kevmar]

I am replacing my heat ac system and am looking at the Dometic marine air units and have noticed that some units have a heat pump listed in the description and others don't and there is a $500 difference between them . I am looking at 16000 btu self contained.. what is the difference ? thank you

[four winds]

If both units are cooling and heating units, then I suspect one uses a resistive heating element (space heater type) and the other uses a reverse cycle heating method using the compressor.

[CaptTom]

Do you have a link to the descriptions, or can you quote from them?

The thing is, EVERY air conditioner is a heat pump. Some have a "reversing" capability which allows the heat to be pumped into the boat, instead of out. I'd be surprised if that cost $500 more, but it is a "marine" item, so maybe.

Four Winds is correct, there are also some which use a resistive heating element in addition to, or in lieu of, the reverse cycle. These would be needed in colder climates where (1) you need more heat, and (2) the water gets too cold to efficiently extract heat without it freezing. It comes at a huge cost in electricity usage, but shouldn't cost a ton more to buy. For reference, you can buy a 1,500 Watt electric heater at WalMart for around $15.