Favorite brand of self-contained AC units?

[davidwigler]

What's your experience? My master sr split unit has a bad solenoid (leaking internally according to the mechanic). It still cools but not very well.

 

[Boatsb]

What's your experience? My master sr split unit has a bad solenoid (leaking internally according to the mechanic). It still cools but not very well.

We service a lot of the self contained units. Fouled cooling lines and tripped safety most times. The. Wee bastards (webasto) and other lower cost units do not have service valves.

I would look at a properly installed split. I spend less time maintaining them. Especially with new copper, drier and set up correctly.

Just my experience and I do install all at least a dozen units a year.

 

[Angela]

David, after having gone down the path of individual self-contained units in all four of my staterooms, I have absolutely no regrets and it's been 2 years now, I think. I would never go back to putting all my eggs in one basket with that system where one pump and one condensing unit ran the whole staterooms system. I got screwed by that numerous times, but never again with the individual units. They are cheap enough compared to the split system components that if I need service, it's likely more prudent to just toss it and drop a new one in. It only takes a few minutes to swap one out.

I acid flush them about twice a year and they stay happy. I changed out my scoops to be the "strainer scoops", so I don't have sea strainers anymore either. While I do have more units to maintain, the work I actually have to do on the system is a lot less. Basically, I just acid flush the water lines, and I can do that with a bilge pump and a bucket while I go do other things. I can get them all done in one day. Just finished that chore last weekend. And when I have one unit down being flushed, I still have AC in the rest of the boat. Muy importante in Miami. I bought Aqua Air products. The factory is right here in Miami and they will sell to the public. They make exact replacements for our old systems, too; that is, if you want to keep things they way Hatteras made them back in the day. Aqua Air was born out of CruisAir when some of the partners split up and went out on their own. Also, they are not full of proprietary components, and they don't have a problem with people who want to install the equipment themselves, as it relates to validity of the warranty. For me, it's been a win-win-win.

A lot of people will poo-poo the notion of self contained units in boats of our size, but I've had it both ways and I'm the one who has to deal with the equipment....self-contained suits me and my boat just fine. It has been one of the best things I've ever done for this boat - right up there with the galley renovation. I have a great deal of redundancy that will never leave me stranded without air conditioning somewhere.

I still have the split system in the salon/galley. When it goes, I have a new plan for that too. For now the 34 year old condensing unit is still going strong. It has a little amnesia from time to time, but wakes up with a little nudge just like grandpa. Until it just outright dies, it gets to stay.

 

[Angela]

On another note, David, if you still have the original set up for your staterooms, I have a complete set of 8 solenoid valves (supply and return), one of which is fairly new. Aqua Air soldered up the new valves for me, and I installed new solenoid controls on it. If you want them, I'll unscrew them from the wall and send it to you. It's two sets consisting of 4 valves/solenoids on each set - one is supply and one is return. I have a drier attached to it too. If you can use these, they're yours. Need any of the Dayton relays for the control box? Triacs? I have a box full of parts to this system that are obsolete for me now.

 

[Pascal]

I bought a 16k marvair a few months ago to replace my fwd saloon split. It was on sale at defender for $990 so I had little to loose... So far so good. Seems nicely out together with a SS pan pan and a touch screen control.

The Marvair marine line has been bought by dometic and are no longer made at the marvair factory in Georgia, not sure if they are still made in the US.

So far so good, it cools better than the old cruisair split (better blower) although you can definitely hear the compressor. Not bad in the saloon but not sure i d want one next to my bed

 

[tomrealest]

I have the "cheap" Webascos that I replaced in the split system Galley and V-berth with their own units and one in the Master SR 4 years ago. I keep them maintained. Not a bit of trouble with any of them. Like them better than oem and they were cheap enough to replace if they go down.

 

[bigbill]

pascal, do you have any photos of your self contained unit install? what did you have to tear apart to replace the old unit?

 

[SeaEric]

At some point an AC refit will be on my to do list. My concern with going to the self contained unit in the master SR is noise. The unit will be located just behind the head of my berth in the aft stateroom. The constant fan noise is no worry - it's the compressor kicking on and off that concerns me. Do any of you with these units have thoughts on this issue? My mechanic recently mentioned "new" replacement split system equipment that is available and appropriate to retrofit the system as it is now. I don't recall the name but it could be the Marvair that Pacsal mentioned in his post. I'd sorta prefer to get the old blue Cruiseair units OUT of the engine room if possible. Space in the ER of a 41 TC is at a premium and where the AC equipment is now located would be the perfect spot for an inverter battery bank.

 

[Angela]

I've been sleeping with one for a a couple of years now. I'm a light sleeper, but this unit does not keep me awake. It is not right behind my headboard, though. It's in the closet on a shelf. The LED light on the control, however is a different story. It lights up the whole room, so I had to tape a business card over the face of it. If you have a friend near you who has done this, perhaps spend a night on a friend's boat and see if the self-contained unit bothers you.

 

[Pascal]

The marvair is probably bigger than other self contained but it just fit where the old air handler was after I removed the shelf cabinet which on the early 53 is to the left of the helm. I ll try to take a picture and post it

If I was to install one in the master, I woudlnt not put it near the bed, on the 53 I d put it in the closet, right at the corner of h companionway and duct the cold air up. I d also build an enclosure with insulation. My early 53 had been converted to a walk around queen with the head agaisnt the port hull side. The air handler is high in the closet against hull side and close to the head of th bed. I think it woudl be too loud with the compressor.

 

[mdshore]

a neighbor told me to put a chlorine pellet in my strainer and Ill never have to acid flush or maintain the lines.. opinions?

 

[captddis]

The chlorine eats up strainer baskets. Bromine tablets are less corrosive .

 

[34Hatt]

At some point an AC refit will be on my to do list. My concern with going to the self contained unit in the master SR is noise. The unit will be located just behind the head of my berth in the aft stateroom. The constant fan noise is no worry - it's the compressor kicking on and off that concerns me.

I installed a Marinaire 16K in my salon over 2 years ago they come with a sound shield on the compressor and you can't hear it! It is under my couch and you can't hear the compressor kick in, I have to watch the amp gauge it is amazing. You hear the air flow change when on auto fan that is another way to hear it. It comes with a s.s pan a bosch compressor and gauges built in with the chart for pressures and water temp with real humidity control also not some b.s timer system that cycles a few times a day.

http://www.marinaire.com

 

[nautibake]

What's your experience? My master sr split unit has a bad solenoid (leaking internally according to the mechanic). It still cools but not very well.

David - did you end up going with a self-contained unit? Would be curious about how things went and what you decided? Thanks...

Edited to add: Would also be interested in updated opinions since the original thread is over a year old.

Also, I have at least one of the electrical diagrams you were looking for if you want to PM me.
Thanks!
Jerry

 

[Pascal]

Year and a half and that cheap Marvair is still ticking flawlessly

Let me quickly knock on wood though....

 

[bobk]

I put two King Marine Air units on my trawler. One was 19 years old and the second 15 when I sold the boat. The only service these needed in that time was cleaning the air handler coils. Good return air filters help a lot. The Magnetic drive water pumps were more of an issue as it didn't take much to plug them up.

Re noise, I mounted the 16000 btu unit a couple of feet from the bed in the master. I baffled the return air path with plywood with acoustical tile attached and lined the compartment with the same tile and mounted the unit on heavy rubber. Noise was never an issue.

Bobk

 

[davidwigler]

I'm still limping along with the split systems. Actually they seem to be working better this year than last. I haven't had to call for a recharge in over a year and they are working pretty well in heating mode so far this season.

I'm sure my time will come for the self contained units.