Reverse cycle marine air conditioning, what an impressively wordy term. It implies cooling, and that cooling effect is being felt onboard a seagoing vessel, but that’s about all you can glean from the label, right? Well, taking the words one at a time, there’s a cycle or process going on, and it’s being reversed. Other than that, you’re at a loss. Reverse cycling, what’s it all about, anyway?

What is Reverse Cycle Air Conditioning? 

A lot of questions are hanging in the air, yet there’s not a single answer forthcoming. Here’s where all that changes. This principle consolidates two essential mechanisms into a single product box. In the summer, the appliance cools the boat cabin. In the winter, the device switches its operational ways, and it heats the same interior space. Just to get a tiny bit technical, the system refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside and conveys that energy inside, via a series of coils. That’s the heating mode. On switching to cooling mode, the interior heat is absorbed, then it’s transported to an exterior coil and discharged. That’s all well and good, but why is this equipment good for your boat?

Super-Efficient Marine Appliances 

Quite so, reverse cycle marine air conditioning doesn’t require exorbitant amounts of electrical energy to cool, or heat, your boat cabin. There’s D.C. (Direct Current) inverter technology embedded within the equipment, and this uninterruptible power source ensures constant comfort, no matter how hot or cold the open waters become when the seasons change. In a marine appliance, these self-contained appliances host an inverter-powered AC unit, plus an energy-sipping heating pump. Incidentally, there’s a third component in marine systems, one that doesn’t exist on their land-bound counterparts.

Seawater as a Temperature Regulator 

Just to add more process efficiency to an already power-thrifty appliance, reverse cycle marine AC has access to the waters around your boat. Along with the stored refrigerant, the unit hoses pull in cold seawater as a space-cooling supplement. Then, when the seasons flip, the warming waters around your craft can be used to boost the reverse cycling effect. The warm water/air mix heats the reversed-pumped refrigerant, and the boat cabin warms even faster. Take note, it’s a good idea to know the water temperature in your vicinity if you want to get the best out of this feature.

There’s usually a reversing valve built into the system, plus a compact control panel. If the temptation to brave out the hot weather wins out, please reconsider your options. This equipment is designed to operate in two modes, and the valve could stick if you don’t take advantage of its heater function. Of course, left on automatic, on thermostat control, this issue becomes less important.