Placement & installation of Solar vents on Hunter 340

[Geoff]

I want to place 1-2 Nicor solar vents on the boat to keep it fresh and vented. Any suggestions on where to place these and your installation experiences?

Thanks

 

[seadaddler]

Very Easy

I installed solar vent in the vee berth hatch with top
of the line 24-7 solar vent that has on-off switch for
when running AC.
Put masking tape over the hatch so no scratching before drilling with
proper size hole drill and don't go too high a speed
not to melt the hatch.
So easy to do with hole drill from ace,may need drill grinder depending
on size of vent and hole drill.
I only put one in so far but may add second one in other hatch soon,it
will work real good for one to draw in and other draw out keeping air flowing
through out boat.
Nick

 

[Dick Carey]

Nicro Day/Night Solar Vent

Geoff,

I too installed a Nicro 4" Day-Night Solar Vent in the Veeberth Hatch and set it for exhaust. I used a hole saw (about 4" I think) and cut slow speed.

For air input I cut a slot in the topmost teak pin board at the companionway and installed what W.M had and called a "Venturi Vent". It was about 2" high and about 15" long (cant remember the exact dims.) This was screwed inplace and a bead of silicone rubber around it on the inside. I also cut a piece of fiberglass screening and cemented it on th inside of the installed vent to keep critter out.

As the solar vent runs to exhaust, it draws air in thru the pinboard. This works well. In the winter I have a one piece "winterboard", to replace the pinboards, and have installed a "venturi vent" in that as well. In the winter I remove the battery so it doesn't "die" if it doesn't get enough sunlight in winter to recharge it. This lets it run only during day sunlight during the winter, but that's fine.

 

[Vinny]

Two Nicro's

I have two on my 1990 Legend 40. They run 24 / 7 winter and summer on exhaust. There is no need for extra holes because I really think you would play hell trying to seal a boat airtight to begin with. Also I run the A/C fan 24 / 7 as well, winter or summer even when the A/C or heat is off. The boat stays dry with no mold anywhere. The boat is in NC and we have plenty of damp wet weather in the winter and plenty of hot humid weather in summer. During the summer when I leave the boat I set the A/C at 85 with the fan on constant and during the winter I set the heat at 60 with the fan on constant. Spring and Fall just the A/C fan on low.

I just had to replace one Nicro last summer and the new replacement unit is a little different than the old unit. It has an on/off switch and a closeable bug screen vent incorporated in the unit. Both are good improvements.

As to the location they are on the coach roof in the main salon forward of the mast step half way to either side of the boat. Out of the way yet effective.

 

[John T]

Cowl Vent Holes

I have (had) two cowl vents on the main cabin roof on my 2000 H340. I sealed one and placed a solar pwered Nicro vent fan (in exhaust mode) in the other. It runs 24/7 and seems to keep the boat fresh. Be sure to open the correct vent louvers in the main cabin ceiling.