We sometimes get this question because some of the known marine air conditioner brands are highlighting their use of titanium condensers.  In our past as marine air conditioner technicians, we regularly serviced the condensers from well-known marine air conditioner companies and inspected them with borescopes.

Let us be clear – no metal is impervious to seawater. Without care and maintenance, the acidic environment and organic matter will eventually corrode all metals.  The question is how long will it take… Assuming that it is well maintained, the average Copper-Nickel (CuNi) condenser will last 10-15 years without a problem.

For centuries, wooden ships were plated with Cu to protect the wooden hull from organic growth. As naval forces experimented with different alloys, a CuNi combination became the norm for surfaces that have extensive exposure to seawater. For decades, CuNi has been the primary go-to for condensers in ships and is widely used in commercial and naval applications.

In terms of strength titanium surely has the advantage. However, because it is stronger (and more expensive), titanium condensers are built with much thinner walls. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the issue with titanium is that it needs a constant water flow. If the water is stagnant, titanium’s natural oxidation layer becomes a weakness for organic growth to attach itself.  Over time, this organic growth can build up and eventually crack the very thin wall of titanium. To prevent this, these condensers need regular attention and cleaning.

For the time being, we will stick to the CuNi condensers. Our condensers are made in the US, built to UL-207 standards, are constructed from a 70/30 Cu to Ni ratio, and are thick-walled for the best balance of strength, reliability, and thermal conductivity.  They are rated to 600 PSI on the refrigerant side and 450 PSI on the seawater side which is over 3X more than our units need.

In terms of maintenance, for all marine air conditioners, we highly recommend draining the condenser in the winter or if the unit is not going to be in use for an extended period of time.

Cut out of a CuNi condenser:

We were thrilled to host MD State legislators last week to view our production facility and a demo of our PATENTED technology. Thank you Delegates Fraser-Hidalgo, Harrison, Qi, Spiegel, Vogel, and Ziegler for your commitments to small businesses and the advancement of clean energy technology.

Proud to Make it in Maryland

We are thrilled to be featured in the latest issue of Professional Boatbuilder magazine and that customers are seeing the ease of installation and enjoying the benefits of boating in comfort for themselves. Read more here....