Points to Know Before Buying a Marine AC Unit
With summer being just around the corner, one of the most important considerations you should probably have is getting a marine air conditioner. If you’re from Long Island, NY or its surrounding areas, this may just be even more relevant for you as sailing is one of the most desired summer activities in this region of the country.
But before jumping to the idea of getting your own AC unit for your water vessel, you should first check out this list of points you should know before buying a marine AC unit:
Type of Marine Air Conditioner
Similar to how there’s such a wide diversity among watercraft functions and designs, not all marine ACs are created identically. They function differently to cater to the specifications of those highly varied boats. There are hatch-mounted portable ACs for small cabins, as well as self-contained AC units for medium-sized boats — named as such for having all of its components housed in a single casing. There are also split units (highly similar to split AC systems of a normal building) for bigger vessels, or centralized ones. The type may also depend on what refrigerant it uses, or if it uses the seawater as part of its function or not. In any case, it’s up to you what to get depending on what type of boat you have.
Size and Number of AC Units in the Vessel
Just like how you’d consider the type of AC to get, the size and numbers of units in your boat are also points you should be certain of before purchasing anything. You should ask yourself some questions such as, “Do I want my entire vessel cooled or certain rooms only?” or, “Does the size of my boat require me to get more than one?” And once you’ve got that answered, the next would be to plan on where to actually put them.
The size of an AC unit that you should go for would also be heavily dependent on which deck of your boat you’re planning to install them.
Vents and Ducts
In this case, the design of the boat is the main dictator of how the vents and ducts can be installed, and by extension, where the marine AC units can be placed. A single ducting in a vessel can only run for a maximum of 15ft. However, the overall length of those ducts must be reduced if there are multiple bends in the boat layout in order to make sure that the air quality doesn’t get compromised.
Basically, this means that you can’t install an AC too deep in the center of your boat if it’s farther than 15ft from the nearest external vents or plenum (the part of an AC system regulating the heat and coolness of air).
Power Usage
Of course, you also have to take less technical points into consideration, such as how much energy your AC unit should be spending only. As a vessel on the sea, your boat won’t have a permanent source of power, unlike those you’d have in your home or office which are connected to power lines and cables. Most likely, your boat would be running on generators or solar power. And if you end up buying a marine air conditioner from, say, Long Island, New York, that consumes more energy than your power supply can cater to, then you’re bound to have problems when you set sail.
Seawater Components
The last point to know is about the seawater components of both your boat and your ACs. Most marine air conditioning units make use of seawater in order to cool the air inside your vessel. This is possible thanks to the presence of water pumps at the bottom of the boat that’s directly connected to the air conditioners. However, more components are required to be installed if only a single pump is serving multiple units. So if you’re going to opt for this kind of cooling system, you have to consult further details with your AC supplier.
And when you’re done dealing with all these considerations and checking them off your list, then that’s when you’re all set to buy the perfect marine air conditioner from your local Long Island, NY supplier! But despite knowing all these points already, make sure that you still coordinate all plans and needs with them, so you can have a perfect summer vacation out in the sea!
