Poll: Do you use your Bilge Blower ?

[silverghost]

Poll:
Do you use your electric powered bilge blower ???
Supposedly you must run your bilge blower at least THREE Min. before starting your boat's inboard engine. according to the warning on my boat's keyswitch panel.

Because of the leaking & rusting/corroding gas tank issues our old Donzi speedboats are know for; and because the ethanol now in much of our fuel supply is know degrading rubber fuel lines, carb power valves, accel pumps, fuel pump diaphrams, etc. & other fuel system parts I thought I would start this Poll to see where our forum members stand on ACUTUALLY USING their electric powered bilge blowers ?

I have seen at least six boats that had exploded, and/or burned to the waterline over the last 50+ years from bilge gasoline fumes & fuel leaks .

All feedback, boat burning , or explosion stories, & opinions are welcome.

[f_inscreenname]

1st start is always done with the motor box open (want to make sure nothing is squirting out that shouldn't be). After that ....no.
I to have watched a couple boats burn to the waterline. Both happen to be outboards.

[maddad]

The switch is on like the bilge pump switch is on auto. If the battery is on, the blower's running.

[Donzi Vol]

I always hit the bilge blower, but it's usually not for a full three minutes before firing. Like many of you, the first start-up of the day includes the hatch being open for about a minute as well. I generally do not run the blower when at the fuel dock, as to ensure that I don't accidentally suck any fumes INTO the bilge from the pumps.

[glashole]

ALWAYS

should have put another one on there that said run blower and also open hatch to check for smell of fumes

[Carl C]

I put "always" for lack of other options but, like glashole, a lot of times I just open the hatch and stick my head in and do the sniff test and also do a quick visual of everything. My hatch is always up while fueling. Sometimes while anchored I open the hatch to let things air out and cool down. I never start the engine without running the blower or doing the sniff test. BTW, where I boat a properly plumbed and working bilge blower is required by the Coast Guard.

[PMZONER]

Hatch and Blower 1st start, Hatch and blower at the refuel dock! Watched a nice Baja go up at KY lake last year, only to be followed by the tow boat catching fire pushing the flaming mess away from the fuel dock. Amazing no one got seriously hurt.

[mattyboy]

I have not seen a reason nor a need to run my bilge blower over the last 3 years.........................

[gcarter]

That's funny Matty!
Ya probably couldn't if you wanted to.....
Kinda like a certain TR I knw of!

I think mine's in a box.

[Dr. David Fleming]

Young dentist, wife two kids. Boat exploded from fumes out in the lake. Mom and dad dived overboard or were blown overboard. Children in front cockpit of wildly burning boat. Several boaters came to the rescue and braved the heat and flames pulled off the little boy. The daughter was scared into disfuction. Could not get her and she died in the flames. Body never recovered. Mom and dad sitting in police cruiser filling out report with a look on their faces not to describe. Later they divorced. Whenever I boat on Mullett Lake I think of the missing girl - my Lady of the Lake! Use the damn blower.

[Fishermanjm]

i will open the hatch before starting,,, i do run the blower if i have been ideling for a while like in port or something like that

[biggiefl]

My Baja it never worked but I bought a 3" instead of a 4" and never got around to replacing it. I would lift the hatch at startup(check oil, etc) and if going slow for a long while I would just bump the hatch up a couple inches. Baja also had a much larger engine bay.

The 22 I lift the hatch and give a quick sniff at the house while checking oil. When I get to the ramp I turn on the blower, give her some throttle and hit the key. When cruising slow I turn it on as well. Many times I forget to shut it off and she runs all day. Better to be safe than sorry. Mechanic's client blew himself clean out of the boat and damn near died from engine fume blowup. Not sure if boat was totalled but he was f'up up...use it. This was a fairly large boat as well(30+).

[Morgan's Cloud]

I think blowers provide a sense of false security to too many inexperienced people. Kind of like those bikers who think if they have their headlight on all the time there is some sort of safety bubble around them.

Back in the early 70's I was invited to go out skiing in my friend's boat.. we often went out multiple times day if we could and I was in fact responsible for his dad purchasing the boat and I knew it well.

On that particular day it was his sister and her b/f who wanted to go out and they needed me to make up the legal numbers. First we needed fuel though and once we had finished topping up I prevented the b/f from hitting the starter and I went to open the engine box like I always did (actually keep it open while filling).
I was horrified to be greeted by eye burning gas fumes and the sight of about 5 gallons of gas sloshing around in the bilge. The fill hose had a huge split in it on a bend near the connection on the tank.

IMO , if you've got more than half a teaspoon of fuel in the bilge you need more than a blower !

Sorry about that diatribe , but I hope it's relevant info .

[jl1962]

Agree with Morgan's Cloud.

I ALWAYS run the blower and I almost always do a quick visual inspection/sniff test before starting. I often run it if I am at idle for a period of time too.

A few years ago at the Lake George Dustoff I was filling up next to another old 16 at the Hague dock. The other 16 was a one owner, mid-'70s boat that the family had trailed out from Michigan. I took my usual 20 gallons and went to pay. When I came back, they were still filling. At first we thought they had a slower pump, but I checked the dial which was about 50' away and they had pumped almost 100 gallons into the bottom of the boat as the hose had gotten disconnected between the deck and the tank! The gas dock guys suddenly became VERY interested, told the owner (whose hand was on the key) to not touch ANYTHING. They called the Fire Dept and towed the boat a 1/4 mile or so to the Hague boat ramp. I ran them 20 miles down the Lake so they could get their car and trailer. The boat was hauled out and the FD captured most of the gas from the stern plug. And they had to pay for all the gas too!

Long story short, the blower is good for fumes, not for leaks. My gas gauge is pretty good, I usually know within a half gallon how much fuel I will need. If more goes in, then something is wrong.

[jonzis donzi]

Every time I pull up to the launch ramp I flip it on so it runs a good three to five minutes. I also run it every time before I restart out in the lake. Cheap insurance to avoid an explosion in my opinion.