generator and blower question

Drama Queen

Drama Queen

New Member
Feb 13, 2008
369
My friend told me this weekend that when you have your generator running and you are on the hook you must have your blowers running also. It seems logical to me but very LOUD. I couldn't imagine having your blowers running all night long and trying to sleep much. Do you actually have to do this?

If that is the case any time we cove I will be needing aLOT more wine.
 
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Yes, you do need to keep them running, not negotiable! It's not really any louder than the sound of the genny, and the blowers are further away from the sleeping quarters, so my guess is you would hear the genny vs the blowers.
 
Ours are run when on the hook, but are very quiet. We never sleep with a genny running because CO can be drawn into the cabin by the AC on calm, still evenings when the boat moves around on its anchor. This can set off the CO detectors.
 
DQ,

On the 310DA the blower housings are screwed to the mid-cabin bulkhead. If you sleep in that berth, they roar. I have been meaning to loosen the screws and put a rubber pad under the housings to see if it helps. I don't know when I'll get around to it, but if you try it first, please let us know if it helps.

The other possible solution, that I have heard about, is to replace the blowers with squirrel-cage units that are supposed to be quieter.
 
Thanks guys both very good things to know. I don't think we will be running the genny while sleeping. That is just too scary!!

I am also glad someone told us, we ran it without the blower running a couple of times!! YIKES!! Not sleeping thank god!!

I think I need to read the idiots guide to boating or something!!
 
Drama Queen said:
If that is the case any time we cove I will be needing aLOT more wine.
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Never heard the verb form of the word cove before. Is this a regional thing? I realize that we all boat on our boats and dock at our docks, but I anchor or moor in a cove - I never cove in a cove. :huh:
 
SeaGull,

It's not an official boating term, but when we talk about going coving or coving out it basically means to anchor or moor in a cove. I am not sure if it's regional or maybe just between me and my other boating friends that don't use the nautical terms!!

In other words, perhaps it's just made up or maybe it's a girly term. I will have to research this and find out now.:lol:
 
I don't remember, so I can't say for sure, but I thought that on my last three gas boats with generators that the blower went on automatically with the genie....:smt017...this getting old thing is really starting to take a set...
 
Sea Gull said:
Never heard the verb form of the word cove before. Is this a regional thing? I realize that we all boat on our boats and dock at our docks, but I anchor or moor in a cove - I never cove in a cove. :huh:
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It probably is more of a regional thing or a "lake" thing as we go back in a cove off of the main channel. ...but that is the word that is used..."to cove out" or we "coved-out" last weekend. Probably not the best use of the english language...:lol::lol:

Also...if our genset is on...the blowers are on.
 
I am so glad you chimed in, I was waiting for the other TR's!!! I was starting to think we were crazy and just made it up. Well, we are kinda making it up as we go along, but that one came from long ago!
 
Not sure where you "cove" Drama Queen. One of the things we do is cool the cabin down to about 55 degree until we are ready to go to bed. Then, everything is turned off and a hatch is cracked about the main berth. Our climate usually drops temps into the 50's at night so this works well for us. I'm sure Florida and the SE is a completely different story.
 
I love learning new things. Now I can chillax while I am coving over the holiday weekend.
 
Sea Gull said:
I love learning new things. Now I can chillax while I am coving over the holiday weekend.
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:smt038:smt038Now you got the Idea!!

Missouri Summer nights are hot and very HUMID. If we need to have air, we will just go back to the dock and plug in. No CO2 is gonna get me.
 
Watch the blowers that you're running. Not all bilge blowers are rated for continuous duty. If your boat's blowers are not so rated, they can overheat and melt down or burn up. It's happened and there was something about that in, I think, Boat/US's Seaworthy publication.

Best regards,
Frank C
 
I'm curious as to what running the blower does? If there is an exhaust leak INSIDE the engine room, it might help, but if there is an exhaust leak, you have much bigger problems.

I realize it is contrary to what a lot of boaters on CSR do, but we've always run the genny (on gas boats too) all night. We need AC. I am religious about sending my CO detectors in every 24 months. It's $25 per detector. We run 2-3 of them.

VERY few blowers are rated for continuous use.
 
fc3 said:
Watch the blowers that you're running. Not all bilge blowers are rated for continuous duty. If your boat's blowers are not so rated, they can overheat and melt down or burn up. It's happened and there was something about that in, I think, Boat/US's Seaworthy publication.

Best regards,
Frank C
Click to expand...
Yeah, then they'll catch on fire and you will breathe in the carbon monoxide and toxic fumes from burning plastic and fiberglass. You can't win. That diesel boat keeps getting higher on my list.
 
Pirate said:
VERY few blowers are rated for continuous use.
Click to expand...

I've only found Jabsco blowers to be rated for continuous duty. Rule claims "near continuous duty" for some of their blowers, whatever that means. Attwood, Sea Ray's brand, doesn't mention duty cycle at all.

BTW, the Jabsco blowers aren't cheap. But they do last a long time and are quieter than the Attwoods. The 3" Attwood in the cabin would wake the dead. The Jabsco replacement is hardly audible.

Best regards,
Frank
 
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When we bought this boat I had every intention of sleeping on the hook with the A\C running all night. Then my salesman who's been in the business probably 30 years now said he recommends to never leave the genny on all night. (He had 3 people die in a boat he sold last year to that) As someone earlier said he mentioned to crank it up before bed and it should stay cool most of the night.
 
Drama Queen said:
It seems logical to me but very LOUD. I couldn't imagine having your blowers running all night long and trying to sleep much. Do you actually have to do this?
Click to expand...

You must run blowers.

Solve blower noise problems completely by mounting blowers to a 10 inch piece of 1 3/8 inch diameter reinforced rubber hose and then mount the hose to the bulk head. Easy upgrade and you wont here your blower motors again, just the air flow.

Example of hose: westmarine part #4477063
 
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