How to Buy an Airspool If You Live Outside the U.S. and Canada

We get this question from Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Philippines, Europe, the Middle East, and a lot of islands where diesel power is expensive and sunshine is free. Which, if you think about it, is exactly where a solar hybrid mini-split makes the most sense. So we wrote this to be the page we send you when you ask.

Why we can't just ship it to you ourselves

Every Airspool comes pre-charged with R32 refrigerant. That's a good thing for the install, because it's the reason you don't need a vacuum pump or a gauge set. It's also the reason we can't drop your unit at the post office.

R32 is classed as a mildly flammable refrigerant (the industry calls it an A2L). Under international dangerous goods rules, an air conditioner charged with a flammable refrigerant is hazardous cargo. Airlines and the big parcel carriers won't fly it, and the ones that technically could charge more than the unit is worth. That leaves ocean freight, and ocean freight is a different world from a UPS label. It involves export paperwork, a container booking, customs at your end, and usually a truck on both sides.

We're a small company in Las Vegas. We're good at building mini-splits and getting them to a doorstep in Ohio in three days. We are not good at clearing customs in Nassau, and we'd rather tell you that than pretend. A freight forwarder does that part for a living.

How the two-transaction setup works

Buying an Airspool from overseas is two separate purchases:

1. You buy the unit from us. You order on airspool.com like any U.S. customer, and the shipping address you enter is your freight forwarder's U.S. warehouse. We ship it there. Once it's signed for at the forwarder, our shipping job is done.
2. You hire a freight forwarder. They receive the unit, check it in, and ship it to your country by sea. You pay them directly for the ocean freight, insurance, and whatever customs and delivery services you choose. We aren't part of that transaction and we don't mark it up.

That separation is what gives you control. You pick the forwarder, you pick how fast, and you pick how much hand-holding you want at the destination end. Want it on the next consolidated container and you're fine waiting? That's the cheap option. Want a dedicated booking and door delivery with duties prepaid? That's available too, and it costs what it costs.

What a freight forwarder actually does

A freight forwarder is a logistics company that arranges shipping on your behalf. Most don't own ships. They book space with the carriers, handle the export documents, and hand off to a customs broker and a trucker at your end. Good ones will give you a single quote that covers all of it.

There's a distinction that matters a lot here. The popular "get a U.S. address" package-forwarding services built around online shopping are set up for air parcels: shoes, electronics, small boxes. Most will not touch a 95-pound box of refrigerant-charged machinery, and the ones that say yes on the website often bounce it at the warehouse. You want a real freight forwarder, one that does ocean LCL (less than container load) shipping and handles dangerous goods. That's a different kind of company, and it's the whole point of this guide.

What to look for in a freight forwarder

If a forwarder can't clearly say yes to the first three of these, move on. The rest separate a fine forwarder from a good one.

• They handle dangerous goods by ocean. This is the make-or-break question. Ask them directly: "Can you ship a split-system air conditioner pre-charged with R32 refrigerant, UN 3358, Class 2.1, by ocean freight?" A forwarder who does this regularly will know exactly what you mean. One who hesitates or says "we'll check" is probably going to come back with a no after you've already ordered.
• They do LCL ocean freight to your country. LCL means your pallet shares a container with other people's cargo. It's the right fit for one or two mini-splits. A forwarder who only does full containers or only does air isn't your forwarder.
• They give you a U.S. receiving address. They need a warehouse in the U.S. where we can deliver, with a name, street address, and usually an account or reference number so the warehouse knows the box is yours. Ask for the exact address format they want on the label.
• They're properly licensed. In the U.S., ocean forwarders are licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission as an OTI (ocean transportation intermediary) or NVOCC. Ask for their FMC number. It's public and you can look it up.
• They quote the whole trip, not just the ocean leg. The cheapest-looking quote is often port to port, which leaves you with destination terminal fees, customs brokerage, duties, and a truck from the port to your house as separate surprises. Ask for a door-to-door quote, or at minimum a written list of every charge you'll see at the destination.
• They offer cargo insurance. A mini-split on a container ship should be insured for its full value. This is usually one to two percent of the declared value and is worth every penny.
• They'll consolidate if you want to wait. Some forwarders run regular consolidated shipments to specific countries and islands. If you're not in a hurry, riding one of those is usually the lowest price you'll find.
• They answer email. You're going to have questions. A forwarder who takes four days to reply to a quote request will take four days to reply when your unit is sitting at a port, and that's the moment you'll care.

Questions to ask before you commit

Copy and paste these into your first email or call. A good forwarder will answer all of them without flinching.

1. Do you accept pre-charged split-system air conditioners containing R32 refrigerant (UN 3358, Class 2.1) for ocean shipment to [your country]?
2. Do you offer LCL service to [your port or city]? How often do your consolidations sail?
3. What is your U.S. receiving address, and how should the package be labeled so it's matched to my account?
4. What's your FMC license or NVOCC number?
5. Please quote door to door for one pallet, approximately [dimensions and weight from the table below]. If you quote port to port, please list every destination charge separately.
6. What's the transit time, warehouse to my door, on your standard service? Is there a faster option and what does it cost?
7. Do you handle customs clearance at the destination, or do I need my own broker?
8. Can you quote DDP (duties and taxes paid by you and billed to me) or is it DAP (I pay duties on arrival)?
9. What cargo insurance do you offer and what does it cost on a declared value of [your order total]?
10. What happens if the unit arrives at your warehouse damaged? Do you inspect and photograph on receipt?

What your forwarder will need from you

Forwarders quote from weights and dimensions. Here's what our units ship as. Exact numbers vary slightly by batch and by what you add to the order, so treat these as planning figures and we'll confirm actuals when you order.

The isolator is the disconnect that sits between your solar panels and the unit. It ships as its own small box, so tell your forwarder to expect it and to hold everything until the full set has arrived before booking. A forwarder who ships the first two boxes that show up and leaves the third on a shelf is a headache you don't need.

Your forwarder will also want the commodity description and HS code for customs. Use "split-system air conditioner, heat pump type, pre-charged with R32 refrigerant." The harmonized tariff heading for wall-type split air conditioners is 8415.10; your forwarder or broker will supply the country-specific digits after that. We can send you the safety data sheet for R32 and a commercial invoice on request. Just ask.

Two things worth knowing before you get quotes:

• Voltage is not a problem. Airspool units run on 208 to 230 volts and work on both 50 Hz and 60 Hz, so they're at home on most of the world's grids. If your country uses a different plug, you can specify direct wire when you order.
• Solar panels don't need to make the trip. The unit accepts any standard panels through MC4 connectors. Glass panels are heavy and fragile to ship. Most of our international customers buy panels locally and only ship the mini-split. You'll want roughly 1,500 watts of panel for a 12,000 BTU unit; here's why we recommend that number.

The process, start to finish

1. Pick your unit and get your questions answered. Call us at (725) 699-1200 or email and tell us where you are. We'll tell you which model fits your space, confirm the voltage question, and let you know anything specific to your situation.

2. Line up your forwarder before you order. Get a written quote and their receiving address first. That way there's no unit sitting at a warehouse while you shop for someone to move it.

3. Order on airspool.com. Use your forwarder's U.S. warehouse as the shipping address, exactly the way they told you to format it, including any account number. Put your own name and international phone number on the order so we can reach you. In the order notes, tell us it's going to a forwarder for export. That helps us pack and label accordingly.

4. We ship to the forwarder. Twelve-thousand-BTU units go by UPS, larger units go on a pallet by freight truck. You'll get tracking by email. Forward it to your forwarder so they're expecting the delivery.

5. The forwarder receives, inspects, and books. Ask them to photograph the boxes on receipt. From there they palletize or crate it, prepare the dangerous goods declaration and export documents, and book it onto a sailing.

6. It sails. Ocean transit varies a lot by lane. Caribbean and Mexico can be a couple of weeks. Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia are usually four to eight weeks port to port, longer if you're waiting on a consolidation. Your forwarder will give you a realistic number for your route.

7. Customs at your end. Duties and any VAT or GST are set by your country and are yours to pay, either through the forwarder (DDP) or directly on arrival (DAP). Have the commercial invoice we sent you handy.

8. Delivery and install. Once it's at your house, the install is the same Quick ’n’ Easy^TM process as everywhere else: mount the outdoor unit, run the line set, twist the fittings, plug in the panels. The only tool you supply is a drill. Here's the full install walkthrough.

Roughly what it costs

We're not going to quote your ocean freight, because it depends entirely on where you are and how you want it done. As a rough frame of reference, LCL door to door for a single 12K system tends to land somewhere between a few hundred dollars for a nearby island and well over a thousand for a far-flung Pacific destination with duties included. Faster service, insurance, and door delivery each push the number up. Waiting for a consolidation pulls it down. Get two or three quotes and the spread will tell you a lot about who's being straight with you.

One more line item to watch: sales tax. Whether you're charged U.S. sales tax on the order depends on the state your forwarder's warehouse is in. Some forwarders can provide an export exemption certificate. Ask yours.

Where the guarantee stands

Your Airspool is covered by the same 365-day Buy and Try guarantee and 5-year functionality guarantee as every unit we sell. Phone and email support, the Airspool app, and our YouTube install library work the same from anywhere on earth.

What's different is the freight. If a unit needs to come back to us or a replacement part needs to go to you, international shipping in either direction is the customer's responsibility, and the same R32 rules apply to a return that applied on the way out. We'll do everything we can to solve problems remotely first, and we can often send a part to your forwarder. But we want you to go in with clear eyes about that before you order.

Red flags

A few things that should make you keep looking:

• A forwarder who won't put "R32 refrigerant, dangerous goods, ocean freight" in writing.
• A quote that's dramatically cheaper than the others and doesn't list destination charges.
• Any suggestion that they'll "just ship it by air." They can't, and if they try, it'll get pulled and you'll pay to have it returned.
• Pressure to pay by wire to a personal account, or a company with no FMC number and no physical address.

Questions people ask about buying Airspool internationally

Does Airspool ship internationally?

We ship to the United States and Canada. For every other country, you order on airspool.com with a U.S. freight forwarder's address, and the forwarder ships the unit to you by ocean freight. This guide explains how to set that up.

Why can't the unit ship by air?

Every Airspool is pre-charged with R32 refrigerant, which is classed as a mildly flammable gas. Air carriers treat a charged air conditioner as dangerous goods and won't carry it, so it has to travel by sea.

Will an Airspool work on my country's electricity?

Yes. Airspool units run on 208 to 230 volts and work on both 50 Hz and 60 Hz. Choose direct wire at checkout if your plug standard is different from the U.S.

Do I need to ship solar panels too?

No. The unit takes any standard panels through MC4 connectors, so most international customers buy panels locally and ship only the mini-split.

How long does it take?

Domestic shipping to the forwarder is a few days. Ocean transit is anywhere from about two weeks for nearby destinations to eight weeks or more for distant ones or consolidated shipments. Your forwarder will give you the real number for your route.

Does the guarantee apply outside the U.S.?

Yes, the 365-day Buy and Try and the 5-year functionality guarantee both apply. International freight for a return or a replacement is the customer's responsibility.

Can Airspool recommend a freight forwarder?

We don't endorse specific forwarders because the good ones vary by country and change over time. Use the checklist and questions above, get two or three quotes, and call us if you want a second opinion on what they told you. We've seen a lot of these quotes by now.