Golden Rods

D

Delta dawn

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2004
RO Number
15495
Messages
44
I'm thinking of installing a Golden Rod in the engine compartment of my twin gas inboard engines and found this information from the manufacture:

"How does GoldenRodВ® work?
GoldenRodВ® heats to a surface temperature of less than 150 degrees (which is almost too warm to hold) and circulates warm, dry air throughout an enclosure on a 24 hour basis. This increases the temperature of the air inside to several degrees above the ambient outside temperature. Expansion of the heated air forces the moist air outside through the vents or loose fitting doors leaving the dry air inside. In order to work correctly, it is important to ensure that there is adequate ventilation.

Can I install GoldenRodВ® myself and how do I install it?
Yes, you can do it with simple tools. Using a drill and screwdriver, just attach the universal brackets using the enclosed screws. Then snap the GoldenRodВ® in place into the brackets. The GoldenRodВ® MUST be mounted horizontally at the bottom of an enclosure to work effectively. "

I'm a little worried that heating the comparement to drive out moisture won't help with keeping the compartment from freezing, and needing ventilation will only ad to the cold air coming in. What do you think? Many thanks!
 
That hasn't been my experience. These have been on the market for many years and I've never heard or read of anyone who was dissatisfied with them. I consider them to be "cheap" insurance, though they are somewhat expensive!
 
I've used GoldenRods on a wooden boat for several years. They are used to dehumidfy an area, and do not provide enough heat to provide serious freeze protection unless the boat is right on the edge of freezing. As GoldenRod states, when used properly they will only raise the temperature in a compartment by a few degrees. There are expensive engine heaters available that will provide serious freeze protection.

In the Delta, boats that are kept in the water in covered slips will not need serious freeze protection. The Delta water temperature will keep engine temperature above freezing. If the boat is kept in the water and in the open where wind chill is a factor, you may want some extra protection.

So, that little bit of heat from a GoldenRod may be enough to provide a little more anti-freeze insurance, but not a lot.

GoldenRods work very well to control humidity, but you must use enough of them to cover the cubic footage of the compartment. See the website for information on how to calculate the size and number of GoldenRods you want to use for a particular area. Ventilation is a must if you want to keep a compartment as dry as possible over the winter. I normally leave the engine compartment hatch cracked open an inch or so when I leave the boat. During the winter, a GoldenRod in always on in this area. When it's very cold like now, I leave the hatch closed to raise the temperature a little, figuring the passive ventilation system (clam shell vents) will do the ventilation job okay for a few days when lows are in the 20's.

In the cabin, I leave the windows locked and cracked open an inch or less. Cold air entering the cabin is not a problem, it helps the GoldenRods or light bulbs inside to keep the boat condensation free.

Expense: A 24" GoldenRod will cover 300 cubic feet of area and will cost you as much as that little round fan-driven de-humidifier, but the GoldenRod will cost you a lot less on the electrical bill. They are very effective in driving moisture out of an area. In fact, the water in the toilet bowl dries out so fast with a GoldenRod nearby that I have to add water to it if the head hasn't been used for a couple of weeks.
 
My Father owned a boat berthed in BI, and I did a lot of carburetor work on it (unfortunatley). It had two small, maybe 18" GoldenRods in the engine compartment, and it was always warm and comfy working on that engine. I'd be willing to bet my bottom dollar that that block would never reach a freeze, unless an EXTREME freeze occured.

I bet they are conservative on their claims, for legal reasons.

I had a friend that put a 100 watt bulb in his engine compartment of an I/O in San Ramon during the huge freeze of 91?, and his block cracked...so I'm not too fond of that method.
 
Wednesday, I moved the 25" GoldenRod from the center of the engine compartment to alongside the engine block. The heavy soundproofed wooden hatch right over the engine was closed.

I opened the hatch yesterday and everything was just fine. No freeze-up of the old fresh water cooled engine... but it was still very cold to the touch. The compartment and the engine did not seem quite as cold as the air and metal items in the cockpit above. I moved another 25" GoldenRod near the engine just to be on the safe side.

22 degrees at Spindrift early this morning. A little electric ceramic space heater ran on low all night long, but kept things very comfortable in the cabin.

Spindrift leaves a little water running at the end of each building to avoid freeze damage. Many of the smaller 3/4" PVC pipes running to slips and exposed hoses were frozen, but undamaged. The larger pipes were fine. I think one small PVC pipe busted early this morning and that was it.

It was warm enough this afternoon to spend a few hours outdoors working on the boat. Beautiful, still winter sunset with Delta birds making their usual end of the day racket.
 
I sure hope it is 15 degrees or so warmer next month if we get together at Spindrift! I was wise to postpone the gathering, I think.

In the Bay and Delta Yachtsman' New Products section, they are featuring a new product from Davis Instruments called an "Air-Dryr". Is anyone familiar with this product? I'm thinking of getting one for my RV. To keep the heater running at 40*, my power bill doubles! This doesn't have a fan, so it might be more efficient. All of the water is drained out, so I don't have to worry about broken pipes. But I do worry about moisture inside.

http://www.davisnet.com/marine/products/list_marine.asp?grp=mo1
 
The Davis Instruments "Air Dryr" seems to be exactly the same kind of device as the GoldenRod, but has a different shape. Both are low powered heaters without a fan. I'd compare price, coverage area and convenience for use to make a choice.

Or, as mentioned earlier: I use a clamp light with a metal shade and 40-watt bulb to de-humidify the cabin. Use a 60-watt bulb for a larger area. Don't use an energy-saving bulb, you want the waste heat from an ordinary soft-white incandescent bulb. The light stays lit all winter long, clamped to the dinette table in the middle of the cabin and aimed a little down. A 25-cent, 40-watt bulb usually lasts all winter before burning out and needing replacement. As a de-humidifier, this lamp works exactly like the Davis "Air Dryr" and the GoldenRod plus it gives your boat that "lived-in" look. The metal shade is essential: it makes a darned good heat radiator. This is NOT SAFE for engine compartment use. A light like this will set you back less than $15 at Ace Hardware.

pACE2-1153579reg.jpg
 
In the great freeze of Dec 1990, the San Joaquin froze completely across in front of Windwmill cove. Village West marina also had portions of the Marina frozen. Many boats in the water and in sheds suffered damage. One thing that helped was having your hot water tank on and filled with hot water as well as heaters in the engine compartment. Boats on trailers in the parking lot suffered most of the damage. Hard to believe that was 18 years ago. That's when many of us found out how good your insurance company was, as many refused to pay for frozen cracked blocks. I slept on the boat for a couple of days and it was amazing watching the number of water pipes in the Marina burst. Even the birds landing on the ice in the Marina were fun to watch as they when sliding past very confused.
 
I remember that freeze too, but I didn't have a boat then. Something like 13 days consecutive days with lows below 32. It killed the big cactus we had in the front yard. I think that was the freeze that killed a lot of eucalyptus trees all over northern California, too.

I seem to remember a Sacto low of about 19 degrees one of those mornings.
 
dugs

Your info was new to me! I can just imagine those silly birds skating by, trying to keep balance with their wings! What a funny site that must have been!!!!
 
FB, the funny part was watching them land.... it appears they expected liquid and instead got a solid. They looked like those old pictures of WW II, when Hellcats were landing on carriers out of control.. the birds did the same thing. Guess they didn't have the right runway RCR (runway condition reading). They just skidded along on their beaks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top