HOW DOES IT WORK? Because of our outstanding efficiency, a Glacier Bay refrigeration system generally needs to run only about 1/2 to 2 hours per day to handle your boat's refrigeration needs. This means that the compressor and other major components of the system are "off" up to 96% of the day. It is during this "off" time that the ARCTIC AIR option automatically puts the refrigeration system back to work to provide air conditioning for the cabin.