The Brand Story
Velair: Cooling Small Cabins Without Draining the Boat
It is late afternoon at a marina in July. The sun has been cooking the deck since morning, the cabin below is an oven, and the owner wants to sleep aboard tonight. Shore power is limited, the generator is loud, and the batteries are only so big. On a boat, air conditioning is not just about cold air. It is about how much power it takes to make it, how much space the unit eats and how gently it starts. Velair's compact marine air conditioners are built around those trade-offs.
Chapter 1
The self-contained marine unit
Most Velair units in the HVAC365 range are self-contained systems: the compressor, the evaporator coil, the blower and the seawater-cooled condenser are packaged together in one compact chassis that tucks under a berth, inside a settee or in a locker. Instead of an outdoor condenser fan, a marine unit rejects its heat into a loop of seawater pumped through the condenser and back overboard. That makes the boat's own surroundings the heat sink, and it is why marine air conditioners can be far smaller than a residential system of the same capacity.
Reverse-cycle models also run as heat pumps, warming the cabin on cool spring and fall nights by drawing heat from the water.
A self-contained unit still needs a few companions to work: a raw-water pump and strainer to feed the condenser, ducting to carry conditioned air to the cabin grilles, and a supply and return path that lets air circulate freely. Compact chassis make installation easier in tight spaces, and Velair's newer models add an adjustable nozzle to simplify routing the ductwork.
Chapter 2
Variable speed comes aboard
Velair's VSD models are inverter-driven. Instead of switching a fixed-speed compressor on and off, the inverter runs it at full power to pull down a hot cabin quickly, then slows it to match the load once the set temperature is reached. On a boat, that matters twice over. A lower running draw stretches limited shore power and generator capacity, and a soft, ramped start avoids the sharp inrush that can trip a dockside breaker. Velair's second-generation VSD units use twin-type compressors that the company says cut energy use by about 10 percent compared with the previous generation.
Chapter 3
The Smart generation
The Smart models add connectivity. A wall panel with built-in WiFi lets an owner set and monitor the cabin temperature from a smartphone app, so the boat can be cooled down on the drive to the marina, and the units are designed to connect with onboard automation systems. Newer Smart units in the Velair range have moved to R-32 refrigerant, while several of the models HVAC365 carries use R-410A.
The Lineup
What Velair builds today
Velair builds compact self-contained marine air conditioners and reverse-cycle heat pumps for cabins on cruisers, sailboats and yachts. The Velair marine air conditioners HVAC365 carries include:
- Compact units: 21,000 BTU 230V models on R-410A for larger cabins and salons.
- Compact variable speed units: 16,000 BTU 115V VSD models for boats on North American shore power.
- Smart Gen 2: 10,000 BTU and 16,000 BTU Smart units with WiFi wall panels, plus a 21,000 BTU Smart Gen 2 VSD reverse-cycle heat pump at 115V.
At a Glance
Velair in brief
- Product focus
- Self-contained marine air conditioners
- Capacity range carried
- 10,000 to 21,000 BTU
- Compressor drive
- Fixed speed and inverter VSD
- Control
- WiFi wall panel and app on Smart models
- Refrigerants
- R-410A and R-32
Questions
Frequently asked questions about Velair
What is a self-contained marine air conditioner?
A self-contained marine air conditioner packages the compressor, coil, blower and seawater-cooled condenser in one compact unit installed inside the boat. It rejects heat into seawater that is pumped through the condenser and back overboard.
What does VSD mean on a Velair unit?
VSD stands for variable speed drive. The inverter-driven compressor runs at full power to cool a cabin quickly, then slows down to hold temperature using less electricity.
What does the Smart in Velair Smart Gen 2 mean?
Smart models include a WiFi wall panel that lets owners control and monitor the system from a smartphone app, and they can connect to onboard automation systems.
Can a Velair unit heat the cabin?
Reverse-cycle Velair models work as heat pumps, drawing heat from the seawater to warm the cabin on cool nights.
