A/C Install Question

[Ken Krawford]

I'm going to be helping a friend install air conditioning on his C34.  We're installing a Mermaid 16,000 BTU reverse cycle unit.  I'm looking for advice is two areas - recommendations on brand and model for the water pump.  Also, is the basic install kit that Mermaid offers worth it or is it cheaper to buy the parts separately.
Thanks.

[Gene Regan]

Mine is mermaid 16500 ac and heat , two seasons now with the supplied parts in the kit and no problems. I would use the pump that comes with the kit . Some say they do not last long but I figured if it goes bad someday I'll replace it then . Mine works now so why fix it?
Good luck and enjoy the unit , it works great. I followed the install shown in the projects section here . Took me two full days and was easy to do. Having done one now I could probably do it in a day. I thank Terry Clark for his tips on the install and the great pictures on the site and directions he supplied that made it so simple for me.

[Paul Bosquet]

I had a Mermaid 5000 for 4 years  on another boat while living aboard. Had to replace the pump only once. You just need to make sure it is primed by removing the outlet hose leaving water come out and reinstalling the hose. Good luck
Paul

[Ken Krawford]

Neither the A/C units nor the kits now come with a pump.  I think the Teel IP 808 may have been the one supplied previously (red housing on the pump).

[Jim Price]

Ken, you and Tom need to come down to my temp slip on C-31 and check out my installation for grins.  I have the pump that came with the Mermaid 16,500 unit originally. (Has red housing).  It has been pumping since 1993.  The original invoice included the pump but it was listed at $125 for a replacement part.  Don't know how that compares with today's prices.

When is the new baby (C350) arriving?  And do you have a home for it when it does arrive?

[captran]

I have the mermaid 16000 in Voyager.  When we bought the boat we had to send it to mermaid and they remade the coils, as corrosion had set in and the coolant was leaking out.  that was 2001.  last summer the water pump that originally came with the mermaid gave up the ghost.  I called mermaid and they said many of the original pumps were going out and they offered a different one.  the new pump is a March model LC-3CP-MD.  Price last summer was 233.99 plus shipping (which in the Bahamas is ridiculous- 98.50!)  New pump had a slightly different in/out configuration so I had to move it as there was no place to buy new hoses to reach the old mount because of a change in the angle.  Wiring was very straight forward and had the new pump cooling the boat within an hour.  Ahhh, you can't beat air in that climate!  If I would have done the original install I would have run a smaller vent line to the aft cabin.  As it was installed, there are 2 vents.  One for the main cabin and on in the V berth.