Recommend an engine compartment blower

FastOlson · Apr 25, 2012

I have only had to replace one Attwood blower in our '88 boat.
http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/category/ventilation/blowers

Good product. Runs all the time the engine is running to pull heat out of the compartment and also help keep the temp from building up around the alternator.
2000+ hours on our three cylinder diesel.

You did not ask, but every ten or fifteen years at the most, DO replace the old cracked and leaking white plastic spiral-wire ducting, too.

LB

Chuckbear · Apr 25, 2012

Bill, You really need to find a blower that will move the necessary air from the compartment and that is rated for continuous duty. Otherwise all you have is a fan running until it fails and not doing what it's suppose to. Chuck

Bill Roosa · Apr 25, 2012

is this a gas or diesel engine. diesels' don't require a blower though some have them for an unknown reason.
A thought, do you care if it draws much current? The engine will be on soon after you run the blower.

Ross · Apr 25, 2012

You left out one important consideration : It MUST be explosion proof.

higgs · Apr 25, 2012

I was just going to post what Ross posted. Unless you have a diesel, in which case the need is debatable.

Sail123 · Apr 26, 2012

Blowers provide several functions. A blower reduces the chance of an explosion in a engine compartment with a gas engine, they reduce smells in all engine compartments., and critically they greatly reduce heat in the engine compartment, thus lowering the temps on the hole boat.

Who here likes the smell of engines or the heat they cause?

I have a blower on my Yanmar diesel 32' sailboat. There from day one from the factory. Fresh air just seems like a good idea in all cases for several reasons.

Bill Roosa · Apr 26, 2012

I've never noticed a diesel smell except at the tail pipe. If your have smells then check your engine "PVC" system. It keeps the crankcase at negative pressure and vents to the intake manifold so there should only be airflow into the engine not smells coming out.

gpdno · Apr 26, 2012

Bill Roosa said:
I've never noticed a diesel smell except at the tail pipe. If your have smells then check your engine "PVC" system. It keeps the crankcase at negative pressure and vents to the intake manifold so there should only be airflow into the engine not smells coming out.

I agree. If you have a diesel. There is no need for a blower. Smelling diesel means you either spilt fuel or you have a leak somewhere. Either way you would be better off to fix the underlying problem rather than simply mask it's existence with a blower.
With gas. Different story. Get a blower. Avoid the boom

RAD · Apr 26, 2012

I have a blower in my diesel engine compartment cause its between two cabins and its designed to run when the engine is running so if the switch is off at the panel it don't matter it runs and I set this up this way cause ODay put my ice box adjacent to the engine room and the blower makes a real difference in bringing all that heat out of there and saving ice....not sure who's blower I have but its been doing it's job for years now

windward54 · Apr 26, 2012

I have a blower on my diesel as well. When I asked Jeanneau about it, I was told it was mainly to help exhaust the heat out of the engine compartment. By exhausting the heat out, the boat interior stays cooler. Works well, and it's also wired to run only when the engine is running.

Chuckbear · Apr 26, 2012

An engine room blower for a diesel engine may not be required but it has much to offer. More than just removing smells, as others have noted it goes a long way in removing heat from the compartment which at the same time heats up the nearest cabins, not fun in the summer months. Plus a diesel engine needs lots of air to run properly. An enclosed, insulated small compartment may not be optimal for engine air intake and a blower will draw in a constant fresh supply of cooler air as well as expel hot air. Chuck

Calif. Ted · Apr 26, 2012

I've used both the Attwood and the Yellowtail inline blowers, one maybe a little quieter but I can't remember which.

Bill Roosa · Apr 26, 2012

I would note that the intake for a blower is in the engine compartment and it creates the need or additional air flow into the compartment. So if your engine compartment does not have good air flow into it the blower actually starves the engine of combustion air.

Benny17441 · Apr 26, 2012

To each its own. A boat with a diesel engine does not require an engine comparment blower. I'm curious as to where is that hot air being exausted to. Like Bill indicates you should not remove air out of an enclosed space without providing an intake port to maintain air flow. The problem with exausts to the outside of the hull is that it opens a path for other things to get in. To exaust the hot air into other comparments of the boat makes no sense to me either. The benefits for increased engine and alternator performance are nill based on the small output of the items to start with and the narrow differential in actual temperatures.

Sail123 · Apr 26, 2012

To each his own? If you would like to admit that a properly installed blower fan in the engine room only has positive outcomes for your yacht, we will let you convert to our side without saying we told you so. Lol

My boat has two air scoops, one pointing bow and one pointing stern, so the airflow helps vent the engine room blower on or off. This keeps the engine room supplied of fresh air most all the time, even while in the slip with no one around. Screens keep bugs out.

I wonder who here will be the first one to admit having an engine room blower on a diesel is something they want to add to their yacht rather than just Po Pooing the idea?

Photo is one of two air scoops, this is the intake on the port side, in mid cockpit area above the engine room. The starboard side has the exhaust pointed stern. These are well above the waterline.

Benny17441 · Apr 26, 2012

We got you Bill get a good one with a spark arresting motor for safety.

Sail123 · Apr 26, 2012

http://www.defender.com/category.jsp?path=-1|6880|46775&id=732133

This link shows some wide application choices. Defender tends to run the lowest in the industry for prices plus they give excellent customer service.

You are not going to get low amps at a high CFM. They pretty much go hand in hand. .22 rifles, do not shoot police loads .40 S&W. You could have more than one blower motor, a low amp model and a higher amp one when you are running the engine and it is charging the battery (s).

There are companies that make solar powered blower motors.

http://bilgewizard.com/bilge.php

http://search.defender.com/?expression=Solar+Vent&x=10&y=8

Dantodd · Apr 26, 2012

Blowers on my Yanmar for all the reasons mentioned above. With a center cockpit design I have living area on all 4 sides of my engine room so blowers keep the heat out of the cabin and draws fresh cool air in for the engine to use.

Why the PO installed CO detectors installed I don't know, I guess if you were to tie up with a boat running a gas generator. :shrug:

Recommend an engine compartment blower

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