Boat owners are always on the lookout for ways to make their boat more enjoyable, and that includes the air conditioning. But if you have an older boat without air conditioning, or you’re thinking about buying a new one, and you’re still on the fence, you may need some persuading. Confronted with a new air conditioner, you may not know if it’s worth installing. On the other hand, if you’re thinking about getting rid of that antique air conditioner you already have on your boat, you might be wondering if you’re better off without air conditioning at all.
With boat temperature in mind, we’re here to help.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 14000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110~120V/60hz | Best Overall |  |
| 11000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110-120v/60hz | Budget Pick | |
| Webasto AC Retrofit Unit | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. 14000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110~120V/60hz
Pros:
- This is efficient with the installation space
- Easy to install even for beginners
2 CFM/74.9 m²/h)
When it comes to size 14000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110~120V/60hz is certainly not the biggest, but it’s certainly not the smallest. It offers great value for money with the features that it provides. It’s a great option for budget-conscious people, especially if they don’t plan to live in the vessel.
The actual unit is lightweight and compact at only 9 pounds. That means that it’s easy to transport and move around.
2. 16000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110-120V/60hz
Pros:
- Great for those who don’t want to physically see and experience the noise of the a/c
- Great for displacement cooling with this unit being a working size
- Lightweight and portable
Cons:
- You have to order the product online making you get it either shipped or picked up from a store
- If you need something bulky then this probably isn’t the product for you
- Not ideal for the warmer months when you will be sweating out of your gut pores
3. Webasto AC Retrofit Unit
Pros:
- You can retrofit your own
- Provides cooling for your entire boat simultaneously
- Single hose installation
This air conditioner is unique because it’s installed under a hatch. It’s a bit more expensive than the reefer units and provides heating and cooling for the entire boat. A major plus is that it only requires a single hose to install it.
But make no mistake, this unit is no ordinary air conditioner. Its compressor, expansion valve, and condenser are all contained in a single box. To accommodate this, it has a small oval-shaped aluminum sleeve that covers the refrigerant lines from an adjacent compartment.
This unit is also super quiet, has an efficient condenser, evaporator that comes with a built-in thermostat. The refrigerant box is also well-insulated with a dense rubber gasket to prevent leaks. And the fan that sends airflow to and from the compressor is designed to be much quieter as well.
4. 11000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110-120v/60hz
Pros:
- Low amp draw
- ETL listed for safety
- Turbo and dehumidifier modes
- Used to quickly cool or heat a small spaces
- Installation takes under an hour
- Automatic operation
- Great for boats, motor homes, RVs, and small spaces
- Will run 24/7 if needed
Cons:
- Not as fast as a full size unit
- Noisy
- Ventilation is required
The Haier 1.1 Ton, 6400 BTU 110-120v Air Conditioner is a portable, great on space and cost-efficient Air Conditioner, perfect for small spaces and enhancing your comfort. It has a simplistic design to reduce bulk, which is especially welcome for cars without a lot of exterior storage space.
When it comes to lighting of this unit, it includes a modern soft-glow LED display that makes for easy reading. The display unit itself can be moved easily to wherever you want it on the unit.
It includes a sleep mode, a 24 hour on/off timer and a compact design to make it easy for you to take it almost anywhere. When it comes to cooling or heating your room, it’s a very versatile unit and can quickly cool or heat your room.
5. DOMETIC EnviroComfort ECD16K-HV AC Retrofit Kit 410A
Pros:
- Comes with a couple of 5 watt LED strips
- Works with 35 ft and longer RVs
Substantial cost. It’s almost like installing a proper unit
If you’re looking for a long-term investment for the 4th of July in 2020, the Dometic EnviroComfort ECD16K-HV marine air conditioning kit is a great product to have.
It’s designed with 420 watts of cooling output which is about 3 times the cooling power of the standard residential unit. This powerful air conditioner can handle any boat with up to a 35-ft length.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the best marine air conditioner?
There is no one best marine air conditioner, merely a best marine air conditioner for you.
A good air conditioner for marine use needs to last a long time, be easy to use, and can be made to fit just about any budget.
Back in the day, you could only get air-cooled air conditioners. They were large, took a lot of cooling power, and were loud, to give some examples.
Nowadays, you can get a high-quality inverter air conditioner that can easily be set up in your boat and won’t require so much power. The new inverter air conditioner is smooth and whisper quiet.
An air conditioner for marine use can be seen as a luxury, or it can be seen as a safety device to allow you to enjoy your boat at all times of the year.
What is the most reliable air conditioning unit?
When you have a boat, you want it to be cool whenever you want it to be cool. Being able to add air conditioning to a boat is one of the great boating luxuries of our time. Consider this to be a boat jacuzzi!
With countless models to choose from and a nearly equal number of manufacturers, it can be difficult to determine which is the best marine air conditioner for your specific needs, especially in a world of new tech and new design.
If you are looking for an air conditioner to add to your boat, it is important to think about whether the climate and environment in which you use your boat is moderate or extreme.
Typically, you will have to choose between a smaller, portable model that uses a hose to extract the air from your boat and a larger, more powerful unit that sits inside the boat.
How do you size a Marine air conditioner?
First and foremost, size is important because it determines the amount of air that can be moved. The more air that can be moved, the more comfortable the room will be. A unit that cools 115 square feet will not cool a larger room as effectively as a unit that can cool a room up to 180 square feet.
While there are exceptions for unique applications, an A/C should generally be sized to fit the square footage of the room that it is going to be cooling.
Generally, the larger the space the fewer the number of units will be needed. This is because one A/C that cools a large room will move a lot of air, so it will provide cooler conditions than two A/C units that only move half as much air.
What is the best month to buy an air conditioner?
Typically, the best months to buy an air conditioner are in the spring or summer before the big rush of fall sales. You often will get a better deal and you might get the best brands. You can even read some of our air conditioner reviews through the air conditioners 2022 page.
Conclusion
These days we are using air conditioners almost everywhere and one of the place that we use them is our cars.
Recently not a lot of car air conditioning system doesn’t come with a built in air compressor and some of them are just controlled by the outside lever on the dashboard.
In this article, we are going to help you to find the best marine air conditioner so that you can spend less money on repairs and get a more convenient system on your next boating trip.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 14000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110~120V/60hz | Best Overall | |
| 11000 Btu/h Self Contained Marine Air Conditioner and Heat Pump 110-120v/60hz | Budget Pick | |
| Webasto AC Retrofit Unit | Upgrade Pick | |