I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

[45Auto]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

I'm curious why they don't put vent holes to eliminate the problem?

Gas fumes are heavier than air. They sink to the bottom of the hull. All the vent holes in the world won't do you any good (unless they were in the bottom of the boat - but then you have to worry about that wet stuff coming in .....)

I'm thinking intake vents high above the water line at the bow that piped into the bilge and discharge vents at the stern?

No need to pipe it from the bow. At anything above idle speed you get plenty of air flow from vents anywhere around the engine.

The purpose of the blower is to provide engine compartment ventilation when the boat is standing still or moving so slowly that there is no air movement through the vents.

 

[security6]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

Every owner's manual and instruction sheet I've ever seen recommends running the blower anytime you're operating at idle speeds. It definitely won't hurt anything. I usually leave mine running through the no-wake zone leaving the dock, but have never turned it on when I turn around to pick up a skier, etc.

I've never seen any manuals saying you shuold run the blower when operating at idle speeds, but I agree it won't hurt anything. It seems kind of pointless to me though because your engine takes over the job of the blower when it is running. The engine "blows" air from the bilge out through the exhaust.

 

[Thad]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

I've never seen any manuals saying you shuold run the blower when operating at idle speeds, but I agree it won't hurt anything. It seems kind of pointless to me though because your engine takes over the job of the blower when it is running. The engine "blows" air from the bilge out through the exhaust.

My owners manual states it very clearly in capital bold letters.

My previous boat had a warning sticker right next to the blower switch stating that also.

I am not sure what you mean by the engine "blowing" the air out of the exhaust. The air intake will suck air in, using it in the combustion chamber, then dischargind the exhaust. But other than a good amount of air being forced into the engine compartment, the heavier fumes will just stay at the bottom. These fumes may move around a little, but in my opinion, that would just increase the risk of those fumes finding a spark.

Bottom line, there is an inherant risk of ignition that the blower addresses. Otherwise, it would not even be in the boat. If one chooses to believe they are smarter than the design engineers and safety regulators, that's fine with me...just don't try and prove it any where near my boat.

 

[cribber]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

I run my blower before starting the engine and never turn it off while out on the water as long as the engine is running. I figure the cooler fresh air helps with keeping heat buildup in check and pulling in fresh cool air is like running a cold air intake kit.

 

[1961_lonestar_holiday]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

worry much?

"honey the water is smooth as glass, lets go for a cruise"

"ok dear, right after i complete my 100 point safety pre start-up checklist!"

 

[cribber]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

It's all part of the joys of boating. Because of the checklist I keep in my head, I haven't forgotten the plug yet!!! And hopefully my wife won't let me forget either since she has her own checklist for a day of fun out an the water.

 

[seaboo]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

worry much?

"honey the water is smooth as glass, lets go for a cruise"

"ok dear, right after i complete my 100 point safety pre start-up checklist!"

100 point check list...(NOT) You are suppose to run a blower for 4 minutes before cranking up. It's easy to flip the blower switch, load/stow gear, check oil and gauges and go (also it takes ME about 4 min. to load gear, people and settle down the dog)...Perfect timing....

 

[Expidia]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

At first I thought it would be a simple design on inboards to have a button next to the key that you depress and a timer it runs the blowers for 3 or 4 minutes which while running renders the start switch off.

But then I got to thinking about the times you are drifting on say a river fishing for hours and nod off in the warm sun for a bit . . . Suddenly you are awakened to the sound of a 500 foot barge's horn as you see him bearing down on you.

I guess I'd want some type of override and to turn the key on for an instant start.

I doubt that a boat manufacturer would build a start switch with a delay feature until the blowers ran for a few minutes for the liability of it.

 

[scca vette]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

At first I thought it would be a simple design on inboards to have a button next to the key that you depress and a timer it runs the blowers for 3 or 4 minutes which while running renders the start switch off.

But then I got to thinking about the times you are drifting on say a river fishing for hours and nod off in the warm sun for a bit . . . Suddenly you are awakened to the sound of a 500 foot barge's horn as you see him bearing down on you.

I guess I'd want some type of override and to turn the key on for an instant start.

I doubt that a boat manufacturer would build a start switch with a delay feature until the blowers ran for a few minutes for the liability of it.

Funny you mention that! I have considered building a timer that will run the blower for (X) min then shut off. It will have nothing to do with starting the boat but more just to make sure it runs long enough and I do not forget to shut it off. I was going to go with a momentary switch that will trigger a timer relay so after so many minutes it will shut itself down.

As far as it not allowing it to start the boat and having a over ride, it is possible with a seperate relay that is triggered by something else (horn, trim switch, etc). could be done but not sure I want to put that much effort into it on mine. lol

 

[Ki Ki]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

I worked at a Marina on the Great Lakes for 5 summers. The stuff you see is incredible. Beyond meeting celebrities like Tim Allen, Bob Seger, athletes; there is a great deal of boaters that don't have a clue about their machine.

Examples-

This guy pulls in with a beautiful cruiser. I believe roughly 40', perhaps Sea Ray. He doesn't have the blowers on at any point. There was a spark, and the cover of his boat's back deck literally blew 50 yards into the air. People jumped overboard, etc. Thank goodness no one badly hurt.

Another guy hits his bow thrusters on accident while docking and then panics and over steers. It spun countless times in circles around the Marina.

I think so often people start with a boat that's too much for them, we'd see it all the time.

 

[security6]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

My owners manual states it very clearly in capital bold letters.

My previous boat had a warning sticker right next to the blower switch stating that also.

I am not sure what you mean by the engine "blowing" the air out of the exhaust. The air intake will suck air in, using it in the combustion chamber, then dischargind the exhaust. But other than a good amount of air being forced into the engine compartment, the heavier fumes will just stay at the bottom. These fumes may move around a little, but in my opinion, that would just increase the risk of those fumes finding a spark.

Bottom line, there is an inherant risk of ignition that the blower addresses. Otherwise, it would not even be in the boat. If one chooses to believe they are smarter than the design engineers and safety regulators, that's fine with me...just don't try and prove it any where near my boat.

Interesting that you've seen it any two places. Do you remember if it gives any details (e.g. run blower at less than X mph or run blower if engine is running at less than X RPMS)? I'm just curious.

My boat manual doesn't say that you need to run the blower after the engine is running. Just for kicks, I checked a Four Winns manual (available online) and it didn't say anything about running the blower after the engine is running. Perhaps it depends on the boat design. On my boat, no air is forced into the engine compartment while the engine is running. Instead, the engine sucks air into the intake from the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance is a series of air hoses/tubes that are connected to vents. Coincidentally, these are the same air hoses/tubes that allow air to enter the engine compartment when the blower is on. Of course, you are right that the engine intake is higher than the intake for the blower tube. Based on the design of the engine compartment and the placement of the hoses, I suspect the air flow in my engine compartment is quite turbulent which would mix any fumes with the intake air. In fact, I suspect the design engineers planned it that way (i.e. turbulent air allowing fumes to mix with fresh air) because the intake tube for my blower is not at the bottom of the bilge. The intake tube for the blower is on the deck next to the bilge (but still in the engine compartment), at least 1 foot up from the bottom of the bilge.

I certainly am not suggesting that anyone should second guess the design engineers/operator manual writers. For my boat, they haven't suggested that there is a need to run the blower when the engine is operating. Thus I don't worry about turning on the blower if I slow down to idle speed for a bit (entering a no-wake zone for example). Of course, there is nothing wrong with running the blower at idle speeds if it floats your boat!

 

[Thad]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

Interesting that you've seen it any two places. Do you remember if it gives any details (e.g. run blower at less than X mph or run blower if engine is running at less than X RPMS)? I'm just curious.

I remember exactly what the sticker on the helm said. It was my first I/O boat and that was one of the first things I was shown. I had an O/B before that, so I knew I needed to learn some new things. And this one stuck in my head like a spike nail.

It read "WARNING-Run blower for at least 5 minutes before starting engine".

It did not state anything about running it at low speeds. I was told that by the guy I bought it from.
My maunaual now does not state any length of time to run it before starting, but it does, in big bold print say;
RISK OF EXPLOSION: Run blower prior to starting and at any speed below cruising.

Good enough for me.

 

[45Auto]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

My boat manual doesn't say that you need to run the blower after the engine is running. Just for kicks, I checked a Four Winns manual (available online) and it didn't say anything about running the blower after the engine is running.

You have a link to the manual you downloaded? Or even just the name of it or what type of Four Winns it was? I just went to Four Winns and downloaded the first I/O manual I found:

http://assets2.fourwinnsmarketing.c...//2008/S Series/Manual (Complete) - 6.2MB.pdf

It had 2 warnings about running the blower at idle speeds, one that showed the sticker by the key in the Preface on page 4, and another one in the instructions on running the boat in Section A on page 2. My Bayliner, Sea Ray, and Crownline manuals all say the exact same thing. It would be interesting to see an I/O manual that doesn't have the same warnings.

Four Winns manual:

Sea Ray below:

Crownline below:

Based on the design of the engine compartment and the placement of the hoses, I suspect the air flow in my engine compartment is quite turbulent which would mix any fumes with the intake air.

I've designed a lot of ducts and high-performance inlets over the past 25 years, and unless your engine has a fan on it (which I doubt) there is NO WAY your engine compartment is turbulent enough at idle to mix any air and fumes in the bilge of your boat.

 

[security6]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

Ouch. I stand corrected. The manual I downloaded did have a warning in it. I went straight to the table of contents and found "Engine Operational Procedures." That section talks about running the blower pre-start, but doesn't say anything about running it after the engine is started. However, as has been pointed out, the "Warning Labels - Locations" section that is before the table of contents section does have a picture of the warning label which says you should run the blower at below cruising speed.

Thank-you for correcting me. I will run my blower anytime I am below cruising speed. I'll have to doublecheck my Larson manual (not available online and not handy here at work), but I bet it has the same setup. I do know that there is no warning label on the dash, but I suppose the previous owner could have removed it.

 

[wbh3569]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

Funny thing about fuel vapors and spark. They react violently with each other. Hence "combustible engines". People don't think about it the way they should. Turnung the blower on should be, and is on my boat, the first thing that is done. Regardless of who is the first one in the boat.

Aymen, my wife, 12 year old son and 4 year old daughter all know where the blower switch is and how to turn on/off if I instruct them to and my son will turn it on as soon as he gets in the boat while unloading at dock before I ever get in the boat.

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

good reply and images 45auto....


I run my blower for at-least a good minute or 2 before starting....and keep it on for the duration of any trip....like a couple others have said....doesn't take much power....wont hurt anything...so I leave it on...and you can hear it when you shut down etc...so easy to shut it off and not forget etc....

Last trip out, now that the wife is more confident around the boat...she drops the I/O into the water and starts the engine getting it warmed up, while Im off parking the truck and trailer....my fault for not schooling her on the need for the blower...so 1srt time I noted that I mentioned it to her..... ya never know when you have a small fuel leak or vapors...

we are the captains and main safety net for all onboard.... otherwise your guests would prob have their own boats right? so we have to help em out with all safety stuff not just blowers....just food for thought.

 

[seaboo]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

good reply and images 45auto....



we are the captains and main safety net for all onboard.... otherwise your guests would prob have their own boats right? so we have to help em out with all safety stuff not just blowers....just food for thought.

Interesting you said that, just this season I've gotten into whenever, I take a new guest out on the boat (while the blower is running before start up ) taking a minute and telling them where the life jackets and fire extinguishers are, and that my pet peeve is throwing cigarette butts in the lake and to please deposit their butts in the ashtray I provide...(Yes, I'm a smoker so they accept that with a smile).

They normally have a surprised look on their face, then say something along the lines of "I appreciate that, no one's ever told me where they keep stuff like that and I have to wonder"...

We are the main safety net and should preform our jobs with pride. I never untill this season realized how much it is appreciated and often neglected.

Again...just food for thought.

 

[mudslinging79]

Re: I try and get away from ramps ASAP but . . .

i do the same, as the captains word is law. if someone is doing something unsafe, or doesnt want to follow along, they can wait on shore as far as im concerned. if you want to have fun and enjoy a day on the water, your more than happy to come aboard if your willing to comply. oh, gas isnt required, but i accept gratuities also, lol