We are adding interior 12v DC fans (not the solar/mushroom thru-coach-deck type) to our '81 Hunter Cherubini 33. Can anyone comment or suggest on the best alternatives in terms of power consumption? We would like to avoid the computer type fans attached to the portlights, but instead have some directionals inside, mounted to bulkheads or such. I have found some 5" to 6"-ers, consuming .8amps, but wondering if that is good, bad, or ugly? Any ideas? Many thanks in advance. Bob
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That rating is often the minimum power draw on
low speed. I have four Hella fans that use 1/10th of an amp on low. But high speed is over 1 amp. Rare is the day that we ever ran them on high, even in the tropics. To save you a lot of comparison shopping, I've never seen a fan on the market that uses less power than Hellas.
low speed. I have four Hella fans that use 1/10th of an amp on low. But high speed is over 1 amp. Rare is the day that we ever ran them on high, even in the tropics. To save you a lot of comparison shopping, I've never seen a fan on the market that uses less power than Hellas.
RV outlets have some good products too
I have used the 12 RV fans to good effect. As long as you have the AH in the batteries it should not be an issue. I've also seen some AA battery powered fans that work well. They do keep you stockpiling AA batteries however. The ones I've used can run for ablut 24 hours on a single set of batteries.
I have used the 12 RV fans to good effect. As long as you have the AH in the batteries it should not be an issue. I've also seen some AA battery powered fans that work well. They do keep you stockpiling AA batteries however. The ones I've used can run for ablut 24 hours on a single set of batteries.
Hella turbo fans are the best I have found
I have 10 of these on my hunter 460. They work great, use almost not power and look good doing it. They are expensive but that is to be expected. Mount them to a bulkhead, not a headliner or they will be very noisy.
I have 10 of these on my hunter 460. They work great, use almost not power and look good doing it. They are expensive but that is to be expected. Mount them to a bulkhead, not a headliner or they will be very noisy.
Carefully watch the noise.
Many fans are louder than you think. It's amazing how loud they can be. I have found the Hella fans to be the quietest (but most expensuve). I tried the other fans (oscillating, big-bladded, etc) and found them to vibrate or run noisy.
Many fans are louder than you think. It's amazing how loud they can be. I have found the Hella fans to be the quietest (but most expensuve). I tried the other fans (oscillating, big-bladded, etc) and found them to vibrate or run noisy.
For Personal Fans...
...while sleeping, we use the 4-battery (Large flashlight batteries, C or D ??)in Coranado fans (they fold like a book) to be better at night and run all season on 4 batteries.
...while sleeping, we use the 4-battery (Large flashlight batteries, C or D ??)in Coranado fans (they fold like a book) to be better at night and run all season on 4 batteries.
Electric motors all have nearly the same
efficiency so the power draw will be proportional to the volume of air moved. We have a small 115 volt ac fan that we run on a 50 watt inverter. It moves a lot of air at good velosity. I haven't bothered to check the current draw.
efficiency so the power draw will be proportional to the volume of air moved. We have a small 115 volt ac fan that we run on a 50 watt inverter. It moves a lot of air at good velosity. I haven't bothered to check the current draw.
Fred I don't think the hi-speed on the Hella fans
use that much current. I think its closer to .5 Amps on the high speed. I have a link The Hella's aren't cheap, but if you look hard you can find them on sale. The other thing people have not noted is how long the fans last. Yeah the Hellas aren't the least expensive fans, but they will probably outlast your boat and still work fine. (I forgot but i think they are rated for something like 10,000 hours)
use that much current. I think its closer to .5 Amps on the high speed. I have a link The Hella's aren't cheap, but if you look hard you can find them on sale. The other thing people have not noted is how long the fans last. Yeah the Hellas aren't the least expensive fans, but they will probably outlast your boat and still work fine. (I forgot but i think they are rated for something like 10,000 hours)
Thanks for the fans advice!
Thanks all for your great experience based advice and suggestions! I appreciate all your input on the subject. Many thanks. Bob
Thanks all for your great experience based advice and suggestions! I appreciate all your input on the subject. Many thanks. Bob
Try Wal Mart
We have used 2 12V fans from Wal Mart for years. They have a large clip that works nicely to hold them to a bulkhead, a gimbal mount to point them just about anywhere, a lenghty cord and 12V plug and a switch to set them in one place or have them sweep back and forth through a partial arc. The best part is that they were less than $10 each! I don't know what the power consumption is, but we run two much of the time in the summer and I have not perceived any significant effect on my battery time. I found them in the automotive dept. Even if they don't last all that long, at this price, you can afford to replace them every few years. This is just about the best value in sailboat equipment I have found!
We have used 2 12V fans from Wal Mart for years. They have a large clip that works nicely to hold them to a bulkhead, a gimbal mount to point them just about anywhere, a lenghty cord and 12V plug and a switch to set them in one place or have them sweep back and forth through a partial arc. The best part is that they were less than $10 each! I don't know what the power consumption is, but we run two much of the time in the summer and I have not perceived any significant effect on my battery time. I found them in the automotive dept. Even if they don't last all that long, at this price, you can afford to replace them every few years. This is just about the best value in sailboat equipment I have found!
R. Schendel
I bought 3 of the Wal Mart fans this past Summer. They are at the boat now, but if my memory serves it was .75 amps and they are single speed or maybe 2 speed? I must be getting old. ;-) I paid $8.62 per fan and have used one clipped to the bulkhead between the stove and cabin. It puts out a good amount of air, but can be considered a little noisy. However, we have a box fan that really moves the air for when we are at the slip. If you want to talk about noise, it certainly is noisy. I have yet to install the 3 fans, and will do so next spring. Like it has been said, you can buy a lot of these fans to make up the costs for the real expensive ones. It will be interesting to see how they hold up.
I bought 3 of the Wal Mart fans this past Summer. They are at the boat now, but if my memory serves it was .75 amps and they are single speed or maybe 2 speed? I must be getting old. ;-) I paid $8.62 per fan and have used one clipped to the bulkhead between the stove and cabin. It puts out a good amount of air, but can be considered a little noisy. However, we have a box fan that really moves the air for when we are at the slip. If you want to talk about noise, it certainly is noisy. I have yet to install the 3 fans, and will do so next spring. Like it has been said, you can buy a lot of these fans to make up the costs for the real expensive ones. It will be interesting to see how they hold up.
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