What is this AC unit?

[grandbanksbayfield]

My AC just quit working on a long voyage from Detroit to Green Bay and back in our Grand Banks 32. It flips the circuit breaker when i turn it on and then select either heat or cool. We have a 30 amp shore power cord and this has never happened before and it has been working well, but we have noticed that the compressor is getting louder over the summer. We are thinking about installing a new unit because of the age of the existing one and can do this ourselves with our team of friends. If we do, I would like to put in a unit that is at least a good for cooling the boat as the one we have. The AC, installed in 1999 is a Lumaire Marine Model LPSC-16HLA Serial 20937-01 c.amps 12.5 H.amps 14.5. 115 volts R22:15.0 It has a six-inch duct and the water hoses appear to be 3/4 inch wthout disconnecting them to get a good measurement. It is cooling/heating reversible and has done a good job, although is at the top end of its capacity when it is blazing hot outside. We have fabric window covers all the way around outside and they help a lot. Inside curtains alone are almost useless Anybody know what the BTU Rating was on this unit? I do not want to get into 50-amp power on a boat this old. So. anybody know this old unit? What would you recommend because it obviously is no longer on the market? It has the MARINEARRRRR. logo on the control panel.

 

[Comodave]

Without looking it up, the model number says 16 in it so I guess it is a 16K BTU. Probably not worth fixing it if it is a compressor.

 

[Jeff F]

Agreed. It's almost certain to be 16k btu based on the power specs.

 

[fgarriso]

If the unit was installed in 1999 it is at the end of its life.
I would install a 16-20k unit to replace the old one. The 20k would give you some reserve on cooling and heating.

 

[OldDan1943]

There must be a serial number on the unit somewhere. Do a broad internet search with the serial number only. It might give you the information you are seeking.
I recommend replacing the unit with the same BTU rating because the system is designed around a specific BTU rating

 

[grandbanksbayfield]

Thanks for all the assistance. It seems like there are some pretty good options on the market. This year we went from Detroit area to Green Bay, WI (Sister Bay to be exact) for the Great Lakes Grand Banks Assn. yearly rendezvous. We were amazed by the number of storm fronts that went through, like almost one every other day. With all this heat being generated, we eally need good AC in boats - even in the Upper Great Lakes!

 

[mvweebles]

I installled a Webasto FCF-16000 unit 2-years ago. Have not used it much, but seems to be fine. I also installed a small 6000 MarineAire unit for my v-berth. Frankly, all the 120VAC reverse cycle AC units appear roughly the same. I would lean towards MarineAire as their tech support is a bit more direct than going through a big front-end like Webasto or Dometic.

I subsequently purchased duct and grills via Sure Marine in the Seattle area. Experience with them was excellent so I purchased a freezer unit from them. Frankly, their sales/tech support has been great and well worth the 5%-10% cost premium. These days with so many manufacturers pushing post-sales support to the retailer, who you buy from is more important than what you buy thus my shout-out to Sure Marine.

Peter

 

[Turtle Blues]

Its in the model # 16k btu.

This is about as high as you can go and stay at 120vac.
Dometic makes 1 unit rated at 18k.
The leading sellers all have about the same performance and footprint in the 16k units. It will more compact than your existing, the blower fan is moved to the inside of the blower and pulls air over the cooling coil. Whichever unit you decide on it is money well spent to make sure it includes a soft start module.

 

[O C Diver]

One of the differences you will see from your old unit to the newer ones is a reduction in power consumption for the same BTUs. Your old unit has a piston compressor where all the ones produced in the last 10 years or more are rotary compressors. When I replaced my 2002 AC units in 2015, the power reduction was 20 to 25%.

Ted

 

[OldDan1943]

Don’t forget to install some 12vt compartment fans