should my blower always on?

[tigerhack]

at what time should i be running my blower , should i always keep it on ?

 

[Bondo]

Re: should my blower always on?

In Your boat,..??......

Yes,.....

Start the blower Atleast 5 minutes before you try to start it,+ Never turn it Off.....

 

[tigerhack]

Re: should my blower always on?

In Your boat,..??......

Yes,.....

Start the blower Atleast 5 minutes before you try to start it,+ Never turn it Off.....

holy holy i have never ever turn mine on, now i am feeling like a total idiot..

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: should my blower always on?

Yes, it should always be on while the engine is running......
& Five minutes before is recomended.....​

 

[bomar76]

Re: should my blower always on?

any time the Gimble Housing is cavitating

 

[ziggy]

Re: should my blower always on?

holy holy i have never ever turn mine on, now i am feeling like a total idiot..

don't feel like that. feel lucky she didn't blow. for myself. i can say i know i've at least forgot to turn on my blower once or twice. though i 'm sure no one else here has done that......... now yer informed and you can make the wise decision to run it for 5 min. prior to start.... also run it at when going slow. when you go faster, it's acceptable to turn it off under normal circemstances..... i have a buddy that likes to run his all the time like bondo suggests.... it won't hurt to do that..... what yer wanting to do it be sure that any fuel vapors that congregate in the bilge are evacuated, via the blower prior to starting. ya may also want to do a sniff test too. thats pretty easy to do. ya just open yer engine hatch and stick yer nose into the engine compartment and have a sniff. if ya smell fuel.... do not turn the key...... it could be the trigger the fumes need to ignite..... boom........ remember, fuel vapors and air mix are a real explosive mix and they congregate in the bilge area.... all they need is the spark from any sorce to ignite it....

 

[Don S]

Re: should my blower always on?

Moving to Boat Topics and Questions (Not engine)

 

[QC]

Re: should my blower always on?

I, for one, am not an always on kinda guy . . .

1) I have blown a fuse by sucking a teeny tiny adhesive price tag into my blower while running it "excessively". Froze the fan blade against the housing and pop . . . no biggee, but I thought it was dead and replaced it until I got it home . . . that one's going in my latest boat though.

2) There is a ton (almost literally) of air exchanged in the bilge when the engine is running, especially off idle. A lot of guys run the blower when they are off plane, and that may be the most prudent plan.

3) I don't like the noise.

Absolutely 100% before starting, and when anything is cavitating (LOL at Bomar)

My .02

 

[cbavier]

Re: should my blower always on?

My owners manual says always five min prior to starting and any time the boat is at slow cruising or at idle speeds. I run it usually even maybe four or five min after I leave the dock. I too like "QC" don't like the noise so it's quick to go off as soon as I feel it's safe.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: should my blower always on?

technically any speed below planing and for 5 minutes before starting the blower should be running. USCG and ABYC regulations dictate that the hull/engine box ventilation be sufficient to draw fuel vapors out at planing speeds.
however it doesnt always happen.
inspect your engine box/bilge ventilation and fix it as required.

 

[Bondo]

Re: should my blower always on?

Ayuh,......

This is the Reason for my response above,.......

This is a Bomb,.... Just waiting to Explode.......
Ayuh,... That's a Chevy HEI distibuter back there....

Btw,.... I can't resize the pic,.... It's TH's.....

 

[amynbill]

Re: should my blower always on?

My wife just completed her classes for her boating license, and when I was reading through her material, they suggested just leaving it on at all times, lest you forget. Especially important when water skiing, tubing or wakeboarding is going to be done, and especially with someone learning, because the boat will constantly be stopping or going slowly.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: should my blower always on?

I installed a delay on make timer to my blower switch. After the blower has been on for 5 min, then it makes contact on a relay and only then allows the ignition to be activated. It is a PIA at times not knowing when the timer has timed out. So I installed an idiot light so when it comes on, I know the blower has been on the whole 5 min and it is ready to start. As long as I don't turn the blower off while on the water at any time, I can start/stop the engine without the wait. If the blower is turned off, it must then wait another 5 min. It is only during the first initial start that the 5 min is timed for the ignition relay to allow the engine to be started. This isn't hard to add on and I expect the USCG to maybe impliment something like this in the future.

One year at our dock, we had a group of young teens that would joy ride in other peoples boats by hotwiring them. They tried mine, but were unsuccessful since they didn't bother turning on the blower. So my little add on feature helped prevent my boat from being stolen. I just wished they would have removed the beer cans and trash they left on the bridge. They had the ignition switch pulled out and you could see where they were trying to jump it out, but with the delay on make timer mounted back in a compartment in the bilge, they couldn't figure out why their hotwiring technique didn't work

 

[tigerhack]

Re: should my blower always on?

any time the Gimble Housing is cavitating

yeah do you care for a race bring it on ...then someone Gimbal bearing will be really cavitating...

 

[JMRuth72]

Re: should my blower always on?

I really like that timer idea. I may have to do then when I get to start rebuilding my boat. Right now it is basically a hull with a deck that needs to come out. I hope to get to work on it in the next month or two. I am getting out of the Navy and moving so it is going to have to wait.

 

[magster65]

Re: should my blower always on?

Well... after reading some of those threads
Assuming we're talking about a marine engine and not one out of a car... I guess 'always on' is ok... it might be the safest method but that's not what I do. I run the blower for a few minutes and always lift the hatch to have a quick sniff, a look and check the oil. I start the motor with the hatch open and have another look and a listen... just for a few seconds to make sure everything looks ok. We're on the ocean and I don't need any hassles. I don't run with the blower on though... most engine bays are designed for 'X' number of air exchanges per minute or hour but you have to be moving. If I think about it I'll turn it on if I'm idling around but I don't think about it that often
Cheers

 

[magster65]

Re: should my blower always on?

That timer idea is a good one I think. I like the idea of an on-off-auto switch too... controlled by a gps or?... under a certain speed it comes on automatically if the ignition is in the run position.
Geez we're a smart bunch

 

[lrdchaos]

Re: should my blower always on?

What is gimble bearing cavation?

 

[bomar76]

Re: should my blower always on?

What is gimble bearing cavation?

Only one person on earth knows...
see this thread:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=236559

 

[Five O'Clock]

Re: should my blower always on?

I run my blower 5 minutes before I start, and about 5 minutes after. while cruising I turn the blower off so I don't burn it out or blow a fuse.

The natural air flow through the engine room should be enough ventilation to keep things clean.