"Time for a cool change"

[Ski in NC]

I put two Mermaids in my ride when built nine years ago. Both have worked flawlessly. One thermostat failed from getting wet (my fault) but it is a regular domestic thermostat available anywhere for forty bucks.

Friends with the various marine-airrre dometic units seem to have a lot of control system problems.

 

[boatpoker]

Flagship Marine .... 1981 -2014 flawless performance. When I bought the new boat in 2014 my first purchase was a Flagship unit.

 

[Donna]

I am going with the Marin Air. Just more cost effective and installation looks like it will be easy to swap out from the Marine air that is there. I am also going to replace the insulated duct work while I'm at it. There will be a lot of cursing going on. I can feel it coming. Of course this couldn't happen in January! Sigh......I'll let everyone know how it goes. Just ordered.

 

[Spottsville]

It will be interesting to see how the units in the last 5 years hold up. It's my understanding that all the compressors (heart of the unit) are made in China. From what I have heard, you just won't get the life expectancy out or these units.

Have a Mermaid in my charter boat that I have been very happy with. They unfortunately were about twice the price of Webasto when I was buying 3 units for the trawler. Have been overall happy with the Webasto, especially in producing heat in <40 degree water. Their thermostat has too large a differential for my taste, but I've gotten use to it.

Side note: Adding a hard start kit (additional starting capacitor) makes starting any AC compressor much easier on generator power. They're less than $20. It allows me to run 2 units on the same generator leg where before it would trip the main breaker when the second compressor tried to start. Webasto endorsed the use of them.

Ted

Where did you get hard start kits for $20?
Thx
Norm

 

[O C Diver]

Where did you get hard start kits for $20?
Thx
Norm

Goggle "Supco spp6". Number of places have them for under $15, including some industrial supply companies like Grainger.

Ted

 

[fryedaze]

I am going with the Marin Air. Just more cost effective and installation looks like it will be easy to swap out from the Marine air that is there. I am also going to replace the insulated duct work while I'm at it. There will be a lot of cursing going on. I can feel it coming. Of course this couldn't happen in January! Sigh......I'll let everyone know how it goes. Just ordered.

I am waiting for my two 28 year old 16K Marine Air units to fail so I can replace with the self contained units you chose. I cant wait to gain the extra space in the ER when I get to deep six those big compressors.

 

[psneeld]

I am waiting for my two 28 year old 16K Marine Air units to fail so I can replace with the self contained units you chose. I cant wait to gain the extra space in the ER when I get to deep six those big compressors.

Sounds exactly like me....freed up a lot of room in the engine room, then the fuel tank reductionn made the engine room spacious.

 

[seasalt007]

I am waiting for my two 28 year old 16K Marine Air units to fail so I can replace with the self contained units you chose. I cant wait to gain the extra space in the ER when I get to deep six those big compressors.

You won't like the noise.

 

[fryedaze]

You won't like the noise.

I have a friend with a sailboat who installed one under his bed. Its quiet, the air flow noise is louder than the mechanical sound of the compressor and fan. Its much more quiet than that old 16K compressor I have.

 

[psneeld]

Not sure what you mean, my self contained units are only a little noisy because of the air handlers, which put out about the same noise no matter what unit because of fan noise and airflow.

Single units or splits sound the same in my case and either can be muffled somewhat but hard to eliminate completely unless you can have fairly long ducting runs like my fore and aft units.

 

[Comodave]

As far as noise goes, I have one split system and one self contained. Really I don't notice a big difference in noise between the two. I would trade the split system in a minute if it went bad since I would gain a lot of room in the E/R.

 

[Bill R.]

Two years ago I purchased a 36 trawler that never had a/c
I purchased a 18,000 BTU from Flagship Marine in Stuart and am I sorry !
Two weeks after I installed it it iced up and they said check the duct work, it can't be a defective unit.
I WAS IN STUART WHERE THEY ARE LOCATED AND THEY HAD NO ONE THAT COULD LOOK AT IT.
I paid $90 to have a tech come and he said a valve was bad, I removed the unit and they put it in the shop and said not sure if anything was wrong but it is o/k.
I put it back in and it has never iced again, there was a problem and they did not admit it.
Remember the warranty is AT THE FACTORY
I had anouther problem with condensation--we never heard of that was their reply.
IT IS VERY NOISY !!!!

I recently purchased a second unit as the 18,000 was not enough,( not Flagships fault )
I purchased a Dometic 10,000 Turbo Vector and I can't believe the difference. Rotatable blower outlet, sound deadening, multiple options for condensate drain, composit pan, control panel for connections seperatly mountable etc. IT'S QUIET !!!!!!
Yes, it was more but you get what you pay for

 

[psneeld]

All the same features of a Marinaire unit.

Longevity.....hope it has it.

 

[Bill R.]

Amen to that.

 

[Heron]

Oceanbreeze: Self-contained Marine AC Units - Ocean Breeze Mfd. by Quorum Marine & Electronics, Inc.

When the time comes, this is where my research leads me.

RB

Same here....Though my 25 year old Mermaid 16K is still plugging along!

 

[Donna]

It's here and so it begins. Should be finished by the end of the week. I'll let you know how it works out.

 

[kev_rm]

I have two 16K units on my boat, recently replaced the aft unit. Personally I think these are a commodity. There's only a couple of moving parts, all use a small family of compressor manufacturers and they are super easy to replace. In other words, buy anything from someone who will handle a refund, but spend the least amount of dollars per btu.

this one has been referenced before..

https://www.amazon.com/16000-Contai...8-1-fkmr2&keywords=marine+air+conditioner+16k

 

[Donna]

I have two 16K units on my boat, recently replaced the aft unit. Personally I think these are a commodity. There's only a couple of moving parts, all use a small family of compressor manufacturers and they are super easy to replace. In other words, buy anything from someone who will handle a refund, but spend the least amount of dollars per btu.

this one has been referenced before..

https://www.amazon.com/16000-Contai...8-1-fkmr2&keywords=marine+air+conditioner+16k

That's the one I purchased, however, I went directly to the manufacturer. Same price and if there is a problem I'm only dealing with 1 place instead of 2.

 

[psneeld]

That's the one I purchased, however, I went directly to the manufacturer. Same price and if there is a problem I'm only dealing with 1 place instead of 2.[/QUOTE

I even beat them down a touch more because I ordered 3 units.

They sent me the relay box that handles multiple units but one pump for free, plus they swapped out the thermostat cover plates to the ones I liked.

After install, they sent me a new control cable (telephone wire with regular connectors) overnight when the one out of the box was bad.

They also had a tech on the line every time I called for install or troubleshooting advice within a minute..... so far so good 2 years down the road. This year because of the rainy, humid conditions in Jersey, they are getting a workout like they would down south.

 

[Donna]

That's the one I purchased, however, I went directly to the manufacturer. Same price and if there is a problem I'm only dealing with 1 place instead of 2.[/QUOTE

I even beat them down a touch more because I ordered 3 units.

They sent me the relay box that handles multiple units but one pump for free, plus they swapped out the thermostat cover plates to the ones I liked.

After install, they sent me a new control cable (telephone wire with regular connectors) overnight when the one out of the box was bad.

They also had a tech on the line every time I called for install or troubleshooting advice within a minute..... so far so good 2 years down the road. This year because of the rainy, humid conditions in Jersey, they are getting a workout like they would down south.

Good to hear because they are going to work hard here!

 

[Donna]

Almost complete. I needed some muscle to get the old one off board and the new one on board. Damn tired. Hot as *^#% and not a pleasant job. Replaced all ductwork and purchased the wrong gauge connectors. Powering up tomorrow. I need a break today.

 

[Donna]

I'm over it. A week of frustration, sweating, cursing and now a 5th wire that has no place to go! REALLY? &^#$%(&@$%^#