Engine compartment blower

Grahamu

Just completed a 5 day trip and at the end noticed my port side blower not working. Didn't have time to check it so wondering if it's a 3" or 4" blower and brand. Would like to take one to the boat next weekend,

YYZRC

Mine are 4" Attwood.

Grahamu

@yyrc, thanks, I might have one onboard but I will pick one up to be safe.

raybo3

Wait a minute, port side not working? Blower only "works" on one side. Air intake on one side and exhaust on the other. 

Grahamu

@raybo3, schematics shows port and stbd blower motors. There are 2 air intakes in the transom locker and maybe on each side where the exhaust is, not sure but will find out on the weekend. Hoping the blower is easy to get to .

bella-vita

My 342 has 2 blowers on port side only.2 intake on starboard side and also 2 in transom locker!

raybo3

I have 2 blowers on the SB side and 2 intakes on the port side. But definitely blowers on one side only. 

YYZRC

I have 3 blowers. 2 on starboard (one for genny, one for starboard motor) and one for the port motor. All exhaust to starboard side. 

aero3113

YYZRC said:

I have 3 blowers. 2 on starboard (one for genny, one for starboard motor) and one for the port motor. All exhaust to starboard side. 

Same

oscar1

Is it a good idea to add a supplier blower to the eng bay?

YYZRC

@oscar1 a supercharger would be a great idea - love the way you think!

Grahamu

I have a genset on the port side so I would assume that area would be exhausted. I am only going by the schematic which labels them port and stbd. There are 2ports on each side of the boat and only one on the stbd side has air being exhausted.

Grahamu

Are the blowers mounted close to the exhaust ports or lower down. I have speakers close to that area.

aero3113

Grahamu said:

Are the blowers mounted close to the exhaust ports or lower down. I have speakers close to that area.

Down low, you can see all 3 of mine in this pic. I would think the same for your boat.

oscar1

aero3113.  In my opinion your bilge pump alarm is located to high, But the time it go on your  motor will be half under water. 

aero3113

oscar1 said:

aero3113.  In my opinion your bilge pump alarm is located to high, But the time it go on your  motor will be half under water. 

I 1000% agree! It’s on my list to lower it.

Grahamu

@aero3113, thanks for the pic, I went back to my pics and the very first one before I started repairs shows a blower on each side of the compartment. The one I need to get to is behind the genset, should be fun trying to get to it with my aging body 

mattie

@Grahamu
We've got white PVC pipe for some sections the blower - really slick if you can work it in. One less thing to fail.

PickleRick

I love the pvc idea.  I've also seen it used to run lines for ac vents. 



I think this board has the cleanest engine bilge areas on the internet.  

LaRea

@Grahamu I'd look first at the connector, not the blower motor.  I had to cut mine off and hard-wire on both sides because they kept failing.

@oscar1 I would not add an intake blower.  The exhaust blowers pull air from the lowest point of the bilge, because that's where gas vapor will fall.  An intake blower would stir up any gas vapor that might be there, and distribute it all through the engine room.  

Grahamu

@LaRea thanks for the tip, I will check the connection 

PickleRick

@Oscar if you're going diesel there's no need for the blowers as you will no longer be running on the explosive fuel vapors.  

Grahamu

PickleRick said:

@Oscar if you're going diesel there's no need for the blowers as you will no longer be running on the explosive fuel vapors.  

Not true, blowers help keep the engine compartment temperature down and fresh air into it

PickleRick

Grahamu said:

PickleRick said:

@Oscar if you're going diesel there's no need for the blowers as you will no longer be running on the explosive fuel vapors.  

Not true, blowers help keep the engine compartment temperature down and fresh air into it

Really depends on the boat.  A boat with good ventilation won't need a blower of any kind.  My boat came factory blower less but since there was a diesel and gas option for my hull my control panel still has a blower button, just no wiring to it.   A turbo is a giant blower, if you're ventilation is good enough she'll pull enough air into the hatch herself to keep it at a reasonable temp.  At idle or low rpm speeds the engine will rarely hit normal running temps.  A blower would work against you in colder climates when your trying to warm the motor. Diesels run more efficiently on warm air (not hot) than they do in the cold. 

But in a diesel set up where there isn't enough clean air intake you won't run the blower before starting, you'll install a thermostat to turn on the largest blower you can find so she can bring in fresh air when it gets too hot.  Diesels run best on clean air and clean fuel.  The issue being the engine hatch gets so hot the IAT the engine sufferers performance wise, if it's bad enough she'll not have enough air that it will choke the motor. The later of the two will be unlikely when putting small diesels in place of a couple v8s. On newer electronic controlled diesels the intake air temps are something you can see on your data log.  

The only way to find out if you need it or not  is to run it.  A cheap harbor freight temp gauge will work if you don't have a way to log the IAT.

Liberty44140

I have full blowers in my diesel boat, but my buddies with new 50’+ boats have no blowers that they know of. I think I have them because my boat had a gas version so they all got them. Even though I don’t “need” them diesels love air so I do turn them on before starting and leave them on while running. Doesn’t hurt, gets air in there, etc…. Oscar agree with you you’d want to keep your blowers in tact. 

PickleRick

Many of the old fishing/shrimping boats with the smoke stacks ran blowers to the engine room.  They ran dry stack exhaust!  

YYZRC

Does anyone know of an ultra quiet bilge blower? Looking for one for pairing with the generator. 

Grahamu

I have run a lot of diesel boats over the last 50 years and everyone had blowers. Whether gas or diesel I run with blowers on all the time.

PickleRick

Jacobson squirrel cage type blowers are much more quiet than your run of the mill inline blower.  


They move a ton of air. 

Grahamu

@LaRea, it was the connector plug, difficult for me to cut and splice, gave it spray we dielectric foam.and reconnected it. All seems good I'll keep an eye on it.