should my blower always on?

[lrdchaos]

Re: should my blower always on?

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

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

Nice.....I thought I was about to have some real knowledge dropped on me...... Pretty funny.....it threw everyone on that thread.

 

[ziggy]

Re: should my blower always on?

while i like the idea of a timer, i'm a little leary........ last summer i had an incedent in which a large cruiser went by very close to my stern. he was sub plane pushing a wall of water..... i was just floating...... man, i saw that huge wave coming at my stern and new i was hosed..... i had time to start my engine.... yep, no blower..... turn into the wave and took it.... it washed over my bow and dropped many gallons of water into my boat, absolutly soaked everything and everyone onboard. and that was taking if from the front.... if i'd have taken it from the stern, i think i'd have been in a world of hurt with much water onboard.... like blurb blurb. i'd probably have rode up the first one and then scooped up the second one.. i've had a couple other times that i started purpusefully w/o a blower too. all were a chance on starting w/o use of the blower and dangerous. but there were consiquenses if i didn't get going right away..... i want control. not electronics to take control. i know, i shouldn't put myself in these positions, but sometimes, like the cruiser, things happen that are out of yer control........

 

[cbavier]

Re: should my blower always on?

while i like the idea of a timer, I'm a little Leary........ last summer i had an incident in which a large cruiser went by very close to my stern. he was sub plane pushing a wall of water..... i was just floating.. I've had a couple other times that i started purposefully w/o a blower too. all were a chance on starting w/o use of the blower and dangerous. but there were consequentness if i didn't get going right away..... i want control. not electronics to take control. i know, i shouldn't put myself in these positions, but sometimes, like the cruiser, things happen that are out of yer control........

I don't think everybody is saying every single time they start their engines they are starting their blowers. Only if you have been floating a couple hours or at initial start up at the docks. I fish and move maybe every 1/2 to one hour. Boats with swimmers or pulling tubers and skiers may start their engines three or four times while out on the water. They don't at least I don't use the blower every time. It's only to get rid of any fumes that would accumulate in an enclosed engine compartment from sitting any prolonged period of time.

 

[Hashi]

Re: should my blower always on?

I run mines as I back the trailer down the ramp to unload the boat. Once I start her up, I turn it off. I heard that fuel injected motors really don't need a blower versus carburetor motors but, is required to have it.

 

[oops!]

Re: should my blower always on?

last summer i had an incedent in which a large cruiser went by very close to my stern. he was sub plane pushing a wall of water..... i was just floating...... man, i saw that huge wave coming at my stern and new i was hosed..... i had time to start my engine.... yep, no blower..... turn into the wave and took it.... it washed over my bow and dropped many gallons of water into my boat, absolutly soaked everything and everyone onboard. and that was taking if from the front.... if i'd have taken it from the stern, i think i'd have been in a world of hurt with much water onboard.... like blurb blurb.

did ya chase him down and throttle him?

i like the idea too....but having read that....it brings back memorys...

it was canada day.....just like the 4th of july......lots of boats waiting for the fire works....a 60 foot house boat with 20 people came barreling through the area with the floating boats...!!! at least half throttle...!!!

we all scrambled to move...thank god my ol merc 50 started or he would have split me in half....was ready to kill him......but i saw the cops chasing him so i didnt board his vessel.

guess just make sure the blower is silent and leave it on....doesnt draw that much power

 

[oops!]

Re: should my blower always on?

I run mines as I back the trailer down the ramp to unload the boat. Once I start her up, I turn it off. I heard that fuel injected motors really don't need a blower versus carburetor motors but, is required to have it.

the blower is there for fuel fumes......could be a fuel leak somewhere....any where...carbed or not

 

[cbavier]

Re: should my blower always on?

I run mines as I back the trailer down the ramp to unload the boat. Once I start her up, I turn it off. I heard that fuel injected motors really don't need a blower versus carburetor motors but, is required to have it.

What does your owners Manual say ? If It was an I/O I would run it regardless. they didn't put it on your Boat for decoration.

 

[Hashi]

Re: should my blower always on?

Good points. Maybe I should consider getting a vapor detector and hook it up to the blower. I just don't see running the blower on all the time draining my battery.

 

[Coors]

Re: should my blower always on?

Nice.....I thought I was about to have some real knowledge dropped on me...... Pretty funny.....it threw everyone on that thread.

Lol on Bomar- now you have a race on your hands..

 

[scoutabout]

Re: should my blower always on?

On my I/O blower was ALWAYS on 5 min before engine start through to tie up after the run -- same thing with the vapour detector.
(I didn't run it if just hanging on the boat swimming or something.)

The blower is a $20 part, doesn't noticeably drain a good battery before ignition and is covered by the alternator while running. Cheap, cheap insurance.

I worked at a lakeside restaurant one summer in my teens. My buddy worked at the marina ten minutes up the lake. One night after work after we met up he looked real shaken. He told me about an old woodie pulling away from the gas dock that stalled that day. This was a pre-blower era boat and the guy didn't have the patience to open the hatch again.

Click, BOOOM! The explosion blew the two kids sitting on the engine hatches twenty feet straight up and over into the water. Amazingly, beyond melted deck shoes they weren't badly hurt. Boat burned to the waterline.

I like the self discipline imposed by the ignition lockout but totally agree you might fubar yourself not being able to get the motor running RIGHT NOW. Could always rig a timer to just turn the light off at five minutes but you have to have the patience to keep your mitts off the ignition.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: should my blower always on?

My boat is fairly big and I can't hear the blowers running either in the cabin or on the bridge. You can hear them if your on the back deck but they aren't very noisey. A bit of fiberglass duct insulation around the hoses and motor makes a big difference.

I too like the Magster has thought about the ON-OFF-AUTO switch for the blower. That would work where you had to move right away. The only problem I see in having that kinda switch is that more than likely it would be used in the ON position majority of the time(we just can't seem to be patient). I boat on a small lake and there is never a need to get out of someones way in a hurry.

As for the fume detector, it really wouldn't be hard to wire it so that if the detector is picking up any fumes that it would disable the ignition and turn the blowers on. That itself would be good for those that leave their boat unattended at the dock for periods of time. Sorta like an automatic bilge pump.