"Time for a cool change"

[Donna]

Among other changes, it is time to replace my forward AC. I never liked the Marine Air and its passport 2 control panel. It finally gave up. 22 years old.

It is my understanding after much research, Marine Air and Cruise Air was swallowed up by Dometic.

My question is, if you replaced your AC, what did you replace it with? I have a 16,000 btu aft Cruise Air and the one I am replacing is the forward 16,000 btu Marine Air.

What are my options for the easiest replacement and is this something I can do myself? (I do most boat work myself)

 

[sbu22]

I'm a gig fan of Mermaid. https://www.mmair.com/

 

[sbu22]

that would be "big"

 

[hmason]

I replaced two of my 3 with units built by Ocean Breeze located in Stuart FL. I've been very pleased. You'll be surprised at how efficient they are compared to your old units. Don't think this is a DIY job---at least not for me.

 

[psneeld]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

 

[Spike]

I've replaced 3 Marine Air 16000 units with Dometic and have been very happy. The footprint of the 30 year old Marine Air and new Dometic are almost exactly the same and the brain box is pretty much the same also. The biggest difference is the cut out for the control head. The new ones are much smaller. I used a piece of starboard larger than the original hole and made a cut out for the new panel.

Other than access issues getting the old ones out and the new ones in this is a very easy project. Just pay attention to how it's wired as you take out the old brain box and follow directions wiring the new one in. I found it helped to take cell phone pictures before I started removing wires.

 

[Lunasea]

just replaced a cruiseair 16000 unit with one from flagship marine. excellent build quality, all american with no proprietary parts. replacement parts are all available off the shelf. uses a regular household style thermostat.
the unit dropped into place like it was meant to be there


Marine Air Conditioning Systems - water, air and keel cooled.

 

[Scottbwheeler]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

A lot of great reviews for N
Marin, don't need one yet, but will keep them in mind!

 

[Scottbwheeler]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

A lot of great reviews for Marin, don't need one yet, but will keep them in mind!

 

[Roamer Blue]

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

 

[Lou_tribal]

Remove your AC, open your windows and feel the breeze

L.

 

[AusCan]

Remove your AC, open your windows and feel the breeze

L.

That's easy for us to say with limited hot & humid conditions.

 

[ddalme]

I replaced two of my 3 with units built by Ocean Breeze located in Stuart FL. I've been very pleased. You'll be surprised at how efficient they are compared to your old units. Don't think this is a DIY job---at least not for me.

Great folks and will build to suit.

 

[Donna]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

This is the one I have been leaning toward. I like the other options presented here also and will look into them. I think the Marin Air is the most economical.

 

[stevensibs]

I completely agree with Lunasea...go with Flagship Marine. Just looking at the pictures on their site one can see the difference.

 

[johnrupp]

Ocean Breeze in Stuart FL.

 

[Spottsville]

We have replaced all three units on our boat. Two 24000btu and one 16000btu. We went with Marine-aire (Dometic) for the smaller and Webasto Platinum for the large ones. One thing about the Webasto that's different is that the fan is variable speed and runs all the time when on. All new units are very quiet and don't have condensate pans that can rust so no more rust stains on the side of the boat. Even on the hottest days we can cool down the boat in 30 to 45 minutes when we arrive and flip the switch!

 

[ranger58sb]

Among other changes, it is time to replace my forward AC. I never liked the Marine Air and its passport 2 control panel. It finally gave up. 22 years old.

It is my understanding after much research, Marine Air and Cruise Air was swallowed up by Dometic.

My question is, if you replaced your AC, what did you replace it with? I have a 16,000 btu aft Cruise Air and the one I am replacing is the forward 16,000 btu Marine Air.

What are my options for the easiest replacement and is this something I can do myself? (I do most boat work myself)

22 years, sounds like you got your money's worth.

Many (!!) of the members in our owners club have replaced older Marine Airrrrr and CruiseAir "Vector Compact" units with the newer Vector Turbo units. I gather there's an option for either Passport II or Elite controls (order whichever you want), if you don't want to switch out the control panels... or you can get new controls (don't know the name of their newer system, if there is one; presumably you could re-use the wiring runs from units to bulkheads).

The Vector Turbo units are said to be more powerful (than a speeding locomotive?), much quieter (and a sound shield is available too), and the condensate drain pan is a composite (so no rust in the condensation drippage).

Apparently the VT footprint is slightly (probably only very slightly) smaller than the previous VC.

I'm not aware of how the raw water and output duct hook-ups are located, but if they're generally in the same places as previous, then it would seem easy enough to disconnect, replace, connect, done.

Of the owners who've commented, seems there's universal satisfaction with the VTs... I don't remember seeing a single derogatory comment...

-Chris

 

[friz]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

A little help please. I am not coming up with anything in Miami when I google Marin Air. "inexpensive" piqued my interest.

 

[ranger58sb]

We have replaced all three units on our boat. Two 24000btu and one 16000btu. We went with Marine-aire (Dometic) for the smaller and Webasto Platinum for the large ones. One thing about the Webasto that's different is that the fan is variable speed and runs all the time when on.

FWIW, our 15-year-old Marine Airrr systems have settings for variable fan speeds ("automatic" or individual speed selection) and "on all the time" or "cycle with compressor." It's just a programming option via our Passport II control panel.

-Chris

 

[Donsan]

Look at Marin Air from Miami, inexpensive, 16K has built in pressure gauges for troubleshooting.

Mine have neen great for 2 years, great customer response and service.

A little help please. I am not coming up with anything in Miami when I google Marin Air. "inexpensive" piqued my interest.

Try Marinaire.

 

[Gabe n Em]

I'll put in a vote AGAINST the FCF line of Webasto units. Ours has been finicky since install. (about a year ago) Works when it works, but its kind of buggy if you try to fiddle with it(heat to cool to fan, high med lo, timer etc)

 

[Donna]

This really is very helpful. I hate to make mistakes that run into the thousands. I'm feeling a bit more confident now.

Thank you all!

 

[clynn]

Thanks for starting this thread and please post back with your final results. I keep waiting for my 30 year old Cruisaire chiller system to die, but it's still hanging on. I would also be installing the system myself and would want to update the control panel in the process (now it's either manually turned on or off).

 

[Sealife]

I replaced all mine with FCF. We have lived aboard for over 2 years, and they have been great from freezing Baltimore winter to Hot and Humid Panama summer. Maybe an install issue with yours? I have never contacted the manufacturer, no need to.

 

[johnrupp]

I replaced all mine with FCF. We have lived aboard for over 2 years, and they have been great from freezing Baltimore winter to Hot and Humid Panama summer. Maybe an install issue with yours? I have never contacted the manufacturer, no need to.

Aren't you suppose to do Baltimore summers and Panama winters?

 

[Comodave]

I have done Ocean Breeze and Mermaid. Prefer Mermaid, put one in 3 different boats. Great support. Installation is fairly easy especially if you have the duct work in already. It is definitely a DIY project if you are somewhat handy.

 

[sbu22]

Yeah - my experience with Mermaid support is a large part of my recommendation. It's good equipment - and, they unequivocally stand behind it. Couldn't be more pleased.

I had a problem with one of their small units a couple of years after purchase. Well out of warranty. Couldn't figure it out from my amateur investigation. Called them for advice - after running through the tests I'd done and results, the guy I was talking to (turned out to be the Owner) asked for an address to ship a new replacement - "The unit should not be doing that..." Received it in 2 days. Had me place the old unit in the new shipping crate and send it back to them - freight prepaid. Charges = 0.

 

[ragin cajun]

MarinAir 16,500 BTU on sale for $1,565.00 on their web site. About as good as it gets for such a unit.

 

[O C Diver]

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