How Do you use your blower?

[MalibuTime]

It's interesting what different peoples practices are. Kind of like the theme on alot of other threads kicking around - do you use tie downs? Do you unhook your boat before you back it down the ramp? Do you wear a helmet when you (wakeboard, mt bike, motocross, snowski,ride your motocycle?) Do you turn your bilge blower on before you crank the starter? Do you wear a seatbelt?

I generally open the covers and give the sniff test when putting the boat in with the thought if a leak started while towing there may be a fair amount of fuel sloshing around in there. The fumes are going to be pretty thick if somethings going to blow. After a sniff test I don't necessarily wait too long for the blower, but it always goes on before starting. Sniff test after buying gas also. The blower is so quiet in this boat we often forget to turn it off.

The analogy of starting your car everyday doesn't apply, it's not a closed space like a bilge. If you walked into your garage and there was gas all over the floor and (your house didn't already exlpode from the water heater pilot or furnace) you smelled strong gas you probably wouldn't be firing up the motor either.

Edited July 10, 2008 by TheBlackPearl

[SKI LVR]

One I/O, Three inboards, 20 years: Never turned the blower on. Just drove 20 freeway miles, it's had plenty of air!

[stonelx]

Yep, every start.

I think the blower has been in boats for decades, and there's a reason for it being there.

So I tend to use it.

[jgouveia3]

I, of course, always use the blower for at least 5 minutes before each start up of the engine.

Now my good friend, Johnny Schultz, never uses the blower and has never used the blower on any fuel injected engine in his life. He wonders if you put a fan under the hood of your car in the morning (before you start it) when your car has been parked in the garage with no air movement to disperse fumes away from the engine. He wonders how many times that happens in a day in america without an issue.

the car analogy is not even close to a boat analogy at all. closed system vs open, engine in an enclosed bilge vs. a wide open engine compartment...

[winddawg]

I run the blower while in the prep lane getting things ready for launch. I always flip the blower on before turning the key, but don't wait the recommended 3-4 minutes before cranking, unless it has been sitting for more than a half hour (usually its just a couple of seconds before cranking). Once underway I rarely remember to turn the blower off so it usually stays on until the key is turned off. So the hour meter basically indicates the same for the blower run time; at least as long as I have owned it (30 hours or so). I suppose I could wear out the blower prematurely but I don't loose sleep over that. Has anyone worn out a blower motor prematurely or frequently?

I turn it on about 30 seconds before each start and leave it on while I have the engine running. I just replaced the blower yesterday at 308 hours.

-Dave

[CLOUT1]

I generally will run for two or three minutes the first start of the day and 95% of the restarts for about 5-10 seconds...piece of mind thing. This is probably a stupid question but would the blower help any fumes while surfing??? I suppose 99% of that is exhaust so I've answered my own question but I was just curious.

[WakeGirl]

I always use it when I start the boat, hot or cold. Sometimes I forget to turn it off in between, but I never forget to use it on startup (I don't time it). But....I grew up on old boats where the threat of leaking gas was a very real thing, so this is more force of habit than anything else. Gas fumes are present in every boat to a certain extent, it's the nature of the beast.

[SacRiverRat]

I run it be for each cold start not very often between ski's. (MHO) is it is not a critical with injected boats I also run it during fueling.

With 40% overdrive on top of the intake manifold but it kept getting in the way of the ski rope so I had to go back to it just sucking the bilge.

Carb or injected won't matter if you get a leak in your tank or fuel line and fill the bilge with fuel.

If you bilge is full of gas, running the blower isn't going to help at all -

[SacRiverRat]

If you just finished towing the boat, isn't that more than equivalent to the boat moving on its own (it ventilates itself)

Not to discount the safety aspect, but I think it makes much difference.

Have you seen the Mythbuster episode, where they tried to fill a box with gas vapors, and see if they could get an explosion with a cell phone, or static shock, or just plain ol big spark.. it was really difficult for them to get any sort of explosion.

I'm not going to tell anyone not to use it - some people just like that security... like following the suggested break-in procedures.

Have you seen any of the multiple mini-mart gas station security camera videos floating about where someone lights off the gas hose while they are filling up due to what ever static charge they happend to discharge at the wrong time? You're right, generally it's not so much an explosion as a big fireball.

So you haven't seen the episode then.. Check it out. Seriously, the few gas station fire videos that are available over the past 20 years of everyone filling their vehicle once a week or so... Makes it pretty clear the low risk.

I realize I'm arguing why it isn't so important to run your blower - Sorta lame, I know.. But I do think it is something that was important years ago with carb engines, and fuel sitting around open in the engine compartment.

[M3Fan]

We run the blower constantly at all times. Don't see a reason not to.

[Malibudude]

I, of course, always use the blower for at least 5 minutes before each start up of the engine.

Now my good friend, Johnny Schultz, never uses the blower and has never used the blower on any fuel injected engine in his life. He wonders if you put a fan under the hood of your car in the morning (before you start it) when your car has been parked in the garage with no air movement to disperse fumes away from the engine. He wonders how many times that happens in a day in america without an issue.

In the case of an auto there isn't a floor or completely enclosed box so to speak, so IMHO the comparison is tough to make.

[1FootDan]

I heard a story yesterday of a boat blowing the engine hatch off on our stretch of the river several years ago due to an explosion in the engine bay. The root cause was never found, but some think that the guy put in a non-marine alternator. This makes me really think about how I use/ do not use my blower. I'm very good at turning the blower on for 2 minutes before the initial start of an outing, however between ski sets I never use it. Sometimes the boat can sit for 10-15 minutes between sets. I taught my wife to use it and she always turns it on. Perhaps I should follow her lead....

What's everyone's thoughts/ practices?

Me too, but she also forgets to turn it off...

Edited July 10, 2008 by 1FootDan

[1FootDan]

We run the blower constantly at all times. Don't see a reason not to.

The noise? Oh I forgot, on the Nautiques the engine is so noisy that it actually covers the sound of the blower...

Edited July 10, 2008 by 1FootDan

[Arkid]

If you just finished towing the boat, isn't that more than equivalent to the boat moving on its own (it ventilates itself)

Not to discount the safety aspect, but I think it makes much difference.

Have you seen the Mythbuster episode, where they tried to fill a box with gas vapors, and see if they could get an explosion with a cell phone, or static shock, or just plain ol big spark.. it was really difficult for them to get any sort of explosion.

I'm not going to tell anyone not to use it - some people just like that security... like following the suggested break-in procedures.

Have you seen any of the multiple mini-mart gas station security camera videos floating about where someone lights off the gas hose while they are filling up due to what ever static charge they happend to discharge at the wrong time? You're right, generally it's not so much an explosion as a big fireball.

So you haven't seen the episode then.. Check it out. Seriously, the few gas station fire videos that are available over the past 20 years of everyone filling their vehicle once a week or so... Makes it pretty clear the low risk.

I realize I'm arguing why it isn't so important to run your blower - Sorta lame, I know.. But I do think it is something that was important years ago with carb engines, and fuel sitting around open in the engine compartment.

I watched that episode cause my wife always freaked out about using the cell phone at a gas station.

In the closed container where they were trying to duplicate some sort of explosion not only could they not get it to work but by the end of the experiment out of desperation they were pretty much spraying gas into the box hoping something would ignite and they couldn't even get that to happen.

I don't run our blower much as I store the boat indoors with all the compartments open to keep it aired out and when it's on the water I usually lift the lid for a minute just to check everything.

Edited July 10, 2008 by Arkid

[dalt1]

I, of course, always use the blower for at least 5 minutes before each start up of the engine.

Now my good friend, Johnny Schultz, never uses the blower and has never used the blower on any fuel injected engine in his life. He wonders if you put a fan under the hood of your car in the morning (before you start it) when your car has been parked in the garage with no air movement to disperse fumes away from the engine. He wonders how many times that happens in a day in america without an issue.

the car analogy is not even close to a boat analogy at all. closed system vs open, engine in an enclosed bilge vs. a wide open engine compartment...

[dalt1]

I run it be for each cold start not very often between ski's. (MHO) is it is not a critical with injected boats I also run it during fueling.

With 40% overdrive on top of the intake manifold but it kept getting in the way of the ski rope so I had to go back to it just sucking the bilge.

Carb or injected won't matter if you get a leak in your tank or fuel line and fill the bilge with fuel.

If you bilge is full of gas, running the blower isn't going to help at all -

Probably not, but if it is just the beginning of a leak, it may give you a couple extra chances of not blowing up to recognize a leak and fix before disaster strikes.

Edited July 12, 2008 by dalt1

[2thdoc01]

I run mine as soon as I put the kids in the boat, my son is responsible for putting on the blower while my wife and I ready the rig. I only then use it if we are cruising slowly or if the boat has been sitting for a while in the sun.

[chrisallenhogs]

I run mine as soon as I put the kids in the boat, my son is responsible for putting on the blower while my wife and I ready the rig. I only then use it if we are cruising slowly or if the boat has been sitting for a while in the sun.

2 - doc, How is the boat treating you now, did you get everything worked out?

[2thdoc01]

I have some minor warranty issues....and a poss tear that was repaired at the dealer or factory in my rear bench backrest.

Otherwise its been fun so far.

[catalac]

And the 08's are so easy to flip the blower on for a couple minutes, first turn the key on to activate the lcd, then surf 2 or 3 menus to find it and you are good to go, lol.

[wakeup]

I try to follow BU's recommendations of running the blower before starting the engine and at cruising speed. Does not always happen at cruising speed, but try to do it when I remember.

I think they recommend operating the blower for 4 minutes, but I probably do it for less time.

If you trailer the boat, I would think it had plenty of air circulating through the engine compartment. You can always run the blower just in case since it is just a flip of a switch and insurance. It is not like you have to fan the engine yourself!

[hawaiianstyln]

I always run it as someone backs me down in the water...always..

[Swoop]

I run my blower almost constantly. Prior to start, at idle speeds, filling sacs. Occasionally, on long runs, I turn it off. But as soon as I stop it comes back on. People make fun of it sometimes but I dont care. They can jump out of the boat and find another ride as far as I'm concerned.

[th3po1son]

Before its started, and low speeds.

And to whoever said something about the noise... I can't even hear mine over the engine.

[drbach]

I heard a story yesterday of a boat blowing the engine hatch off on our stretch of the river several years ago due to an explosion in the engine bay. The root cause was never found, but some think that the guy put in a non-marine alternator. This makes me really think about how I use/ do not use my blower. I'm very good at turning the blower on for 2 minutes before the initial start of an outing, however between ski sets I never use it. Sometimes the boat can sit for 10-15 minutes between sets. I taught my wife to use it and she always turns it on. Perhaps I should follow her lead....

What's everyone's thoughts/ practices?

I use it every time before a start. The gas fumes may get into the engine compartment, that is where the explosion can come from. I have never known anyone this happened to. Always skied behind MasterCraft and Nautiques before I bought the ultimat in boats, my Malibu.