Twin blowers

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bushwood

Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2004
RO Number
15839
Messages
130
Recent purchase for us ('73 36 Uniflite DCMY). Surveyor said there needed to be two blowers in engine room because it's a twin engine vessel. Is this a new regulation? There currently is one blower.

Also, there is a second blower in the aft cabin under the bed where the water tanks are. Can not understand why one is there. The hose does not breach the bulk head, thus the surveyor's point of needing two in the engine room.

Has anyone run up against this problem and if so, my gut is telling me I need to pull the blower from the aft cabin and figure out where to mount it. Space is limited.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the Uniflite World! I have a 1984 36' aft cabin (same design). I originally had only a single blower (low in bilge pickup to get fumes out), and my surveyor never said anything. I found a heat problem (engine vaporlock) in warm weather; I added TWO additional blowers to the forward most vent tubes blowing outside air INTO the bilge... this cooled engines by about 30 degrees 1 hours after shutdown below what happened without additional blowers. Other Uniflite owners I know have multiple blowers (primarily for heat issues).

I also have the water tank under the aft berth. Only idea I can think of why a blower is there to move heat around to prevent tank freeze in winter. Are you in a cold climate?

Please feel free to e-mail me to discuss any issues - always happy to share!

Delaware Jim
 
bushwood, ABYC standards call for one blower per each engine. If you have a genny it also needs its own blower.
 
Maybe someone installed the blower in the aft section to reduce annoying smells after shutting down the engines and/or from the holding tank.
 
Thanks for the replys. I now plan on pulling the blower from aft cabin and moving it into the engine room as well. It just seemed odd to be back there.

Thanks
 
bushwood, buy a new blower for the engine room. that ones 30+ years old
 
My insurance company required me to install a blower on my new-to-me boat because it didn't have one when I bought it. It's a diesel, so why? Who knows, but boatfix has them for $20 and it was an easy install so I just did it. I think it will help evacuate heat after shutting down.
 
Brush:

Have the same boat. Have no idea why Uniflite put that blower on the transom. The hose snakes over to the starboard rudder post and to the bilge. I suspect that it exists simply to exhaust stale air that could accumulate below the aft cabin.

I did install an "in-line" blower that brings cooling air to the genny. Ran it along the aft engine compartment firewall from the port aft air intake. Had to cut a hole in air vent collector and epoxied in a hose fitting.

As to the ABYC standard for two engine blowers, it is not a requirement. The USCG has established required standards based on the size of the compartment and amount of air flow. The boat meets the standards in effect at the time of construction and thereby complies with all required regulations. Having said that, as Jim notes, a second blower clearly helps cool the ambient temperature. Just be sure that the second blower does not restrict the natural air flow that occurs when underway. I would not suggest replacing an existing hose with a blower, cut a new hole in the fiberglas collector.

Gene
 
Gene, I dont agree with your thinking on this issue. When a vessel is inspected, the recommendations are always based on the most recent and safest standards out there. USCG standards are not always the most recent nor are they always the best way to go. There are many USCG standards that are out of date or not very clear in some cases. As a marine surveyor my first concern is safety. Not saving my client a couple of bucks for a lower standard that will not protect him and his family when needed the most.
 
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