BILGE BLOWER

[Crunluath]

My elderly wooden yacht has a bilge blower, I seldom remember to use it and we haven't blown up yet! Is it just a hangover from the days when the boat probably had a petrol engine or do they have a use in a diesel engined boat? We have no gas on board and there is plenty of air space around the engine.
Keith C

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[ongolo]

Hi there, unless you heat your diesel to 70 Cel. and shake it so that it forms a vapor, there is no chance of any fire or explosion. If an incident should occur ( I know of such a case and thereofre dont call it explosion), it is not a violent explosion to blow you boat apart, but it is a wooosh for a short time and the danger is more of a fire, but even that is unlikely as the woosh is too short.

The concentration of vapour will be unpleasantly high before that happens.

All unlikely, relocate the fan and use it as an aircondition.

regards ongolo

<hr width=100% size=1>So what......... it floats

 

[DogStar]

Before removing the blower, I'd check whether there is any other fresh air inlet to your engine bay/room. I am installing a big genny in mine at the mo' and need to put in a fresh air vent for the genny's intake. Then I started thinking. Where was my engine getting its air from? I don't know any other situation where an engine is running for such prolonged periods with no fresh air ingress. All my mechanical knowledge comes from working on cars, but fouled air, even air that is too hot, I always thought reduced the efficiency of the combustive process (by reducing the amount of fuel vapour that the air will hold in suspension, I believe).
If your engine has an air filter on the carb, and not in a sealed enclosure fed by hose from an above the waterline skin- or maybe deck-fitting, I would think you should leave the blower where it is, and maybe run it too.

I may be talking through my stern-gland, but it makes sense to me.

<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!