Solar powered vents

[voyager35]

Hi I am thinking about fitting some solar powered vents into some of my hatches so that humid air can be gradually extracted .
Does any own have experience of these either good or bad, any recommendations for which make works best, dont leak and how long they run for at night.
Thanks

 

[Refueler]

I asked this question ages ago ... and general opinion was against fitting.

Would you fit a Solar Vent to a Forehatch ?

So far - it still sits on the bench ....

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Does any own have experience of these either good or bad, any recommendations for which make works best, dont leak and how long they run for at night.

They last about a decade then give up. The plastic is usually pretty poor. Replacement causes the problem of finding another that fits the hole. One of mine never let any water in, the second did if a green wave came over the deck. Not long for the last question.

 

[Bobc]

I have one and it works very well. It is about 8 years old and still going strong.

 

[salar]

I have one, had it 8 years and it has worked non-stop during daylight hours. Only one problem, it does leak when I'm taking serious water over the bow.

 

[Refueler]

I have one and it works very well. It is about 8 years old and still going strong.

It would be interesting to know where on the boats people have them fitted. There's a world of difference between fitted aft high on coachroof to that of fitting to a forehatch.

 

[Refueler]

On the matter of how long they last ..... many have replaceable rechargeable battery ... often an AA or C size battery. The life of the vent then comes down to the motor or the solar cells ....

OK ... having shelved the idea of fitting the full solar vent I have. I then looked at whether the workings could be removed and fitted to a standard mushroom vent. In fact the actual working parts of the solar vent ... motor / fan and battery are basic items and nothing really special. Its the solar cell that is the questionable part to transplant.

mmmmmmm let me look at this more ....

 

[PetiteFleur]

I fitted one some yrs ago and it lasted about 3 yrs - I was not impressed. They may have improved since then.

 

[oldgit]

Have a couple on the coachroof of my mobo, one in bog/shower room,one in the forecabin.
Working well at the moment with any decent sunlight.
Plastic casing looks fairly faded, going to guess they are fairly old..
Did have one fitted to a 1980s boat, years ago , just left it in situ when it finally stopped working, had know it had Nicad innit, might have tried to repair it.

 

[Bobc]

Mine is on the coach roof behind the mast

 

[Sandy]

Why do you

I am thinking about fitting some solar powered vents into some of my hatches so that humid air can be gradually extracted .

Why do you think that they will work any better than a dorade and a few open hatches?

 

[Refueler]

Why do you

Why do you think that they will work any better than a dorade and a few open hatches?

Given that they can move air why not ? So far my boat has forehatch open just a touch and main companionway hatch left just open ... is fine because I have my boat moored at my home privately. But I would not wish to do this in any marina ....

 

[salar]

It would be interesting to know where on the boats people have them fitted. There's a world of difference between fitted aft high on coachroof to that of fitting to a forehatch.

Mine is fitted on the coachroof just forward of the winscreen (see avatar) so it only sees water when I am punching into a sea. Due to it leaking in these situations I'm thinking of replacing it with a closeable vent with a powered fan somewhere else, aft bulkhead probably, to draw air through when the boat is not in use. A computer fan is 12V and 0.1A so I might just leave this on when the boat is hooked up to a mains supply to top up the battery.

 

[Refueler]

Mine is fitted on the coachroof just forward of the winscreen (see avatar) so it only sees water when I am punching into a sea. Due to it leaking in these situations I'm thinking of replacing it with a closeable vent with a powered fan somewhere else, aft bulkhead probably, to draw air through when the boat is not in use. A computer fan is 12V and 0.1A so I might just leave this on when the boat is hooked up to a mains supply to top up the battery.

Interesting you mention Computer fan .....

With the development of Electric powered models - we have now ESC 's capable of controlling 100A or more .... in some installations where airflow is limited - we can fit small fans that run of 5V or so. The amount of power they draw vs the airflow is surprisingly low.

Example (just remove the mounting ring) :

TURNIGY Heat Sink with Fan for 36 series motors.

 

[38mess]

I had one on my old moody. It worked ok but developed an annoying squeak when it was spinning. I replaced it with a dorade vent, much better imo

 

[voyager35]

I have one and it works very well. It is about 8 years old and still going strong.

Do you know what make it is, and is it a location that gets waves over it

 

[Bobc]

Got it off ebay for about £40. Stopped the leaking by taking it apart and putting some Sealent between the skins.

 

[Lomax]

The solar vents and other "marine" fan powered vents I've looked at felt way too expensive for what they are - I just use standard computer cooling fans instead, which seem to run happily on typical lead-acid battery voltages. Lots of CFMs for little money. I was able to find a company in India who custom made 120mm dia brass "mushroom vents", so that I could use bigger fans, which are less noisy at a given CFM. I use a simple PWM controller to adjust the fan speeds. Another benefit is that their shallow depth will allow them to disappear inside the insulation, with the grilles becoming flush with the headlining. And the grilles I bought turned out to be magnetic despite being stainless, so a cut out piece of fridge magnet film can be used to close them off completely. Since I have a total of 600W PV capacity they're just as "solar powered" as any vent with built in solar cells...

TL;DR:

I recommend using normal PC cooling fans with separate solar panels.

 

[ctva]

Ive had the one that fits in a Tannoy vent so as water proof as the original vent. It just works and over the 20 odd years, only replaced it twice.

It is a great bit of kit, just works during sunlight hours but what a difference to the freshness, dryness and lack of smell in the boat.

 

[Refueler]

Ive had the one that fits in a Tannoy vent so as water proof as the original vent. It just works and over the 20 odd years, only replaced it twice.

It is a great bit of kit, just works during sunlight hours but what a difference to the freshness, dryness and lack of smell in the boat.

Link or advert please ?