When do you use your blower?

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gkosel

Seaman
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Aug 20, 2006
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Obviously I am aware of the recommendation to let the blower run for 4+ minutes before starting a sterndrive motor.

When else do you use the blower?

1. Do you use it when you are trolling? ie slow as possible.

2. Strolling? I know this may not be an accurate term, but I am thinking of 5-10MPH.

3. 10+ MPH?

I am fairly new to sterndrives, as I have previously operated outboards and didn't worry about blowers.

Thanks for your feedback. I am guessing that there may be some varying answers to this and may depend on weather conditions, but am looking for the basics.​
 

freelunch

Petty Officer 2nd Class
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Mar 25, 2007
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112
Re: When do you use your blower?

Well your on the money with operating the blower before startup.
Also yes if you're traveling at slow speeds where the ventilation system is not getting enough air forced through to adequately circulate the engine compartment have it on then as well.
 

180shabah

Rear Admiral
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Re: When do you use your blower?

Ditto-

Before starting, and any time you opperate below planing speed.
 

bjcsc

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: When do you use your blower?

Yep, same here. And on the rare ocassion I get fuel on the water, I let it run the whole time I am fueling...
 

Boatin Bob

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Re: When do you use your blower?

I let mine run all the time the engines are running no matter what speed.

bjcsc....any marina will post signs indicating all electrical to be shut off during refuelling including the blower. While the blower is blowing out one side of the boat it can be drawing fumes in through the other side....not good
 

180shabah

Rear Admiral
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Re: When do you use your blower?

Like Bob said:

OFF while fueling

ON after fueling, wait, sniff, start...
 

bjcsc

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: When do you use your blower?

I let mine run all the time the engines are running no matter what speed.

bjcsc....any marina will post signs indicating all electrical to be shut off during refuelling including the blower. While the blower is blowing out one side of the boat it can be drawing fumes in through the other side....not good

Whoa...good thing I have only done that a couple of times. Thanks for the heads up! At the least, you've saved me from embarrassing myself in the future. At the worst...well I don't want to even think about that. Thanks again!
 

Coors

Captain
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Dec 8, 2006
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Re: When do you use your blower?

Any time not at cruise, or refuel; it should be on.
 

Bt Doctur

Supreme Mariner
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Aug 29, 2004
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19,093
Re: When do you use your blower?

After fueling:
open hatches and visably look in the bilge
a good "SNIFF TEST" and visual inspection
turn on blower for specified time,
start engine
Go have some fun
 

Boatist

Rear Admiral
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4,552
Re: When do you use your blower?

If you take a boating saftey class form the Coast Guard Aux or the US Power squadrons they will cover this in depth.
When fueling close all doors and hatches, turn the blower off. When complete turn the blower on and open all doors and hatches. Smell the blower output.

One thing I have seen is about 50 percent of boats do not have the blower setup correctly. The input air to the blower should come from as low in the bildge as you can, below the engine, but not so low it can be covered by bilge water. I seen many boats with the blower on the transom that do not even have a hose from the blower to below the engine.

The basic idea is to get the heavier than air fumes out of the boat. The input air hose should go high in the engine compartment if possible above the flame arestor. Of course the input cowl should point foward. Output cowl should point to the stern and suck air out from below the engine. Most of the time will have two hoses one on the blower and one straight to the output cowl. Blower ofcourse is for when sitting still with no wind. Other hose is for when moving without the blower on. The hose without the blower restriction will output more air.

Anyway check how your hose are set up as about 50 have not been setup correctly.
 

ziggy

Admiral
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Jun 30, 2004
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7,473
Re: When do you use your blower?

let the blower run for 4+ minutes

i think the uscg suggests 5 min. now. 4+ is real close though.....a year or so ago it was 4 mins. run time. per the power squadron class that i took.

interesting note. my 75 has a sticker on the dash reminding ya to run the blower before starting the engine. it states 2 min of blower time......seems that wasn't engough so the leangth of time keeps increaseing.......
 

delsol

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
May 27, 2002
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749
Re: When do you use your blower?

good post as i am ready to get my boat out of the shop fist thing i check is blower and blidge pump

SNIFF TEST" is great always if the boat is older . you never know after filling up that you later find out you got a leak in the gas tank. i found this out before by sniffing
bob
 

andy1canada

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Feb 2, 2007
Messages
107
Re: When do you use your blower?

Howdy from Canada!

I worked briefly with a veteran Marine-mechanic back in the early 80's
who lived by a hard fast rule: never run the blower without first manually
ventilating the engine compartment by opening the cover.

He told me he knew of 12-volt blower motors themselves sparking off fumes
in an engine compartment.

'Boom-boom... out go the lights!'

Cheers,
Terry
 

Matt S

Seaman
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Dec 26, 2006
Messages
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Re: When do you use your blower?

I grew up around boats. Seen them go boom, but luckily not too much injuries. Now I'm into all of 4 hours on the new boat. I know better, I should REALLY know better than an average joe since I wrench on cars and understand exactly the need for it. Especially with a carb, I've experience eyebrow blowout in my youth. In fact as the boat was coming home I lectured my wife on it extensively since she's never been on boats.

And guess how many times I have still forgotten to run the blower after sitting in the boat floating around for 20 min or more soaking up the sun letting my mind wander? As soon as I turn the key and start the boat "crap I forgot the blower..well I made it THIS time". Even just turning the key on could be a serious issue.

So what's with all this on off junk to remember? Now I gotta lift the lid before turning the blower on? I assume the blower can't be much more than a couple amp/h..I'm just going to leave it ON all the time.... I can't trust myself to remember I guess, and even less if we decide to slow down at that moment to check out the pricey lake houses people have. Maybe someone makes a nice low noise, low amp ball bearing continuous duty blower? I wonder if I can wire a switch lockout that prevents power making it to the motor unless the blower is on?
 

180shabah

Rear Admiral
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
4,995
Re: When do you use your blower?

It would not be very hard at all to install a relay behind the dash. Cut the "start" wire coming from the key switch. Run from the switch to the Common on the relay, then run the Normally Open contact back to the wire that goes to the starter. For the coil, run the Negative to the ground bus, and the Positive to the the output on the blower switch. Total investment, under $10, and your starter will not activate, unless the blower is on.

One note, when you are hooking it all up, on the original start wire, the one that you will cut, use either spade or bullet connectors, making sure one is male and the other is female, then use the opposite for the leads running to the relay. This way, if the relay ever goes bad (which is rare, but still possible) you can just plug them back into each other to bypas the relay, and you won't need any tools.

Be safe and have fun,
John
 

Scott4569

Cadet
Joined
Jun 25, 2007
Messages
7
Re: When do you use your blower?

I want to add another Blower question. I just picked up a Cheetah v166 this weekend and i think the blower is wnot working and i need to replace it. Looking at the Marine store there are several different types of blowers. Which one would be the best one for that boat? It has a mercruser 140 4cylinder motor
Thanks
Scott
 
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