Carver Owners Forum

It’s finally time to replace the 20 year old Marine Air System in my aft cabin. Current system is 12000 BTU... I found a good Dometic replacement that is 16000 BTU (the same size that is in my salon). This aft AC unit also vents into the salon, which on hot days, could use the help. My question is, can my one 30amp panel run this new Ac (per Dometic pulls max 6.6amps) along with my other AC and the AC water pump? The math says it would be fine, but I am wondering if anyone has done this? 12k to 16k... is this overkill? Based on the specs, it should fit nicely under my bed.

Thoughts / Opinions welcome... family doesn’t want to be hot over the 4th.

Thank you!

Make sure the wire and breaker meet the minimum circuit amps listed on the new unit.
It may say 6.6 amps but that's running.
At start up it's closer to 15.
You shouldn't have a problem running 2 16k units on 30 amp with good power from the dock.

A new 16k probably pulls no more amps than an old 12k. Every year they get more and more efficient, pulling fewer amps. You should be good.
On my 356, I have the same 12 and 16. I would be afraid to put in a bigger unit. What is more important to you...daytime comfort or nighttime sleep? With a bigger unit after the sun goes down, your compressor won't be running as much, meaning your humidity levels are going to creep up.
I have to keep my aft unit at 67-68 at night, otherwise it gets stuffy and humid.
My previous boat had an AC unit that was a little too big. I had to turn that unit down to 64-65 at night to keep the compressor running and humidity down.
Too big is just as bad as too small

I just got to my boat on a warm Friday afternoon, and my salon was 87 and my aft cabin was 78. Aft cabin always stays cooler than the rest of the boat because it sits lower in the water.
When I turn on my AC units, aft cabin always cools more and a lot quicker than the rest of the boat. Another reason I would hesitate to bump up my BTU's.
In 2 hours, my boat temp dropped 10 degrees.

You should be OK going from 12K to 16K. But here's another suggestion - add a Smart Start. It drops the initial compressor start load by more than half! It's better for your wiring and much better for your generator! They are not cheap at $400-$500, but I've seen 12,000 BTU units running on a Honda 2000 generator with a Smart Start. Check it out on the Dometic web site or at one of the marine A/C suppliers: https://marineairconditionerparts.com/D ... tStart-III