How Do you use your blower?

[95echelon]

My boat has some custom blowers and cooling that the dealer installed 10 years ago or so but the blower turns on with the key in the run position, and then there is a supplemental (main) blower as well. I just put it to run for 5-10 seconds before heading out. I think that this is more of an issue on the v-drive boats than the direct drive.

Come to think of it the key blower runs full time with the boat on, we had issues with hydrolocking when we bought the boat and that feature was installed along with a radiator for the water.

Edited July 22, 2008 by 95echelon

[dalt1]

And now I run mine after shutdown to remove excess heat from engine compartment to prevent vapor lock.

[Air Force 1]

Haven't read entire thread? But blower? Whats that.....

Cool little thing. I found mine across the border. I just disagree with the majority on blow time. I like to use my blower for at least 10 to 15 minutes each time about every 2 hours, starting the boat or not......

[noodleski]

fuel injection v. carburetor

I think that I would use the blower more if my boat used a carburetor

does anyone else feel that way?

flawed logic possibly

I use it more now .... after seeing all of the related fires

but not every time

[Longjohn]

Only when I foresee an explosion.

[TxSurfer]

I run the blower before every start, It's not worth the risk.

[brettpendl]

OK, Seriously, no good jokes about this thread's title yet?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I almost had brain-joke overload! Anyways...

1) How out-of-your-way is it to flip a switch as your backing down the ramp?

2) It's a feature almost all boats with engines have had for ages. That should say something.

3) $50K boat, enough said.

4) at least one human on board who has to turn the key, which is either me or a friend or family.

5) How much does a broken blower cost from overuse? Wait a minute... Forget it...

6) Even if this is false science, Why risk it? This seems like one of those really bad points to prove.

I'm curious about the person who said their manual said to always run the blower while below 15 MPH. I never heard this before, but honestly speaking, I haven't read the owners manuel front to back yet. It makes sense, but I've never known anyone who does this. Anyone else do this???

[CrazyTegger]

I'm curious about the person who said their manual said to always run the blower while below 15 MPH. I never heard this before, but honestly speaking, I haven't read the owners manuel front to back yet. It makes sense, but I've never known anyone who does this. Anyone else do this???

I think I remember reading something about that in the indmar manual...

[Liquidmx]

I run that thing constantly. I fire it up as the boat is getting backed down the ramp and let it run until we turn off the motor and hear it still going. Generally its one of the things I turn off as I am turning on the boat. So ideally, if the motor is running so is the blower. I purchased a 4" hipo version for something like 30 bucks. I have dumped a TON of water into its tube and still not had any issues with it (knocking on wood).

I figure, for 30 bucks I will just run it constantly and replace it when need be.

[Sunsetter95]

I open the cover at the ramp to double check things and turn on the fan, then closed on the way down the ramp, and unless we stop for a while and sit, I leave it run pretty much the whole time on the water. I would rather wear it out, than burn. I have seen some really nice boats burn on the water up in the Great Lakes because the blower was not run long enough to clear the fumes out. Rare but it happens.

[mellen_mpz]

A boat blew up here right on the dock at Lake pleasant AZ last year. I heard it hurt a few kids that were sitting in the back near the engine compartment. Not sure what type of boat it was but it was because he didnt use his blower.

[mellen_mpz]

here it is:

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories...n.2b290046.html

[CrazyTegger]

they said to run the blower for 10 mins or longer... that seems a little exessive...

[Boat Rocks]

It seams to me with the new fuel injection system this should eliminate a lot of issues with using the blower. I understand with it with a carbureted engine, but with the new system the only fumes would be a leak in the fuel system itself. JMHO!

[Sunsetter95]

Speaking of blower use, I dropped a bolt down by the exhaust and blower hoses. While looking for it I dicovered that the blower hose was torn and partially crushed by the exhaust hose and muffler. PITA to though to pull of the exhaust hose. I was going to replace the complete hose back to the transome but I couldn't get it free from under the fuel tank without pulling it in my DD so I used a 3" plastic RV sewer hose (a new clean one!) connector from ACE. Nice air flow out the back now.

[Mud Bug]

I use mine about 99.9 % of the time, mainly because i use it to pul in a soloniod for my second battery. So while you are starting the boat or running you are on two batteries, and when you are sitting listening to some tunes (with the blower off) you are only on one battery.