Running the blower

[Shadowrider]

I've had 3 I/O boats and they all had vented engine compartments. I do not see where my AR210 could be drawing air so I'm ruining my blower all the time when underway. Is this necessary ? If not, that would be best so as not to wear out the blower motor prematurely. Welcome your input.

 

[Acard7]

Not necessary! Not sure my 98 crownline I/O really had any kind of venting come to think of it. Either way, the only reason my blowers are on when I’m underway is because I forgot to shut them off before leaving the dock ??

 

[HangOutdoors]

I've had 3 I/O boats and they all had vented engine compartments. I do not see where my AR210 could be drawing air so I'm ruining my blower all the time when underway. Is this necessary ? If not, that would be best so as not to wear out the blower motor prematurely. Welcome your input.

I try and run my blowers all the time when underway, especially when I am towing tubes and slopping the boat around pretty good. I found that when I am doing that, at times you can get a bit of exhaust fumes and such in the engine compartment which start to seep into the rear seat sides storage. I also notice it at slow no wake and when sitting with the engines running when I pop the engine hatch to look for water, etc.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I've had 3 I/O boats and they all had vented engine compartments. I do not see where my AR210 could be drawing air so I'm ruining my blower all the time when underway. Is this necessary ? If not, that would be best so as not to wear out the blower motor prematurely. Welcome your input.

The engines draw air on one side behind the seat backs on the swim deck, the other side is the exhaust for the bilge blowers.

 

[AZMark]

My 212 draws air from underneath the transom seat backs and through a couple of holes higher up in the engine compartment. Yours is probably the same or very similar.

Your engines are drawing a ton of air into the compartment, not much reason to have blowers running while they’re on.

 

[Shadowrider]

Thanks for all the feedback, I'll run with them off for a bit and see if I notice any fumes in the aft seating area.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

The only time I run mine while running is if I’m trolling With the engines on.

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

Only time I ever flipped mine on was for 2secs after I took the cover off in the driveway, just a quick check to make sure the battery was switched on. And I lived to tell about it.
Before the safety police arrest me I also checked the oil before every outing so having the engine bay wide open for long enough to check the oil on 2 engines was more than enough to evaporate any residual fumes.

 

[HangOutdoors]

The only time I run mine while running is if I’m trolling With the engines on.

I do the same.

I usually fill up on the way to the lake. So when I am staging I start the blowers up and at least leave them on till I am out of the no wake zone and we start blowing up tubes and getting everything situated.

Where I boat I can be getting slammed around with 3+ footers going really slow till I get out away and run the blowers then as well.

 

[David Martin]

I usually start with hatch up after checking oil ect............ You nose is the best alarm if something amiss in the fuel system. You will know if you have raw fuel present if you have a leak. The modern closed fuel/injection system should have no raw fuel smell if it does I'd be looking for the problem. As for the blower I run mine while engines are running.

 

[212s]

I've had 3 I/O boats and they all had vented engine compartments. I do not see where my AR210 could be drawing air so I'm ruining my blower all the time when underway. Is this necessary ? If not, that would be best so as not to wear out the blower motor prematurely. Welcome your input.

All boats have air venting of some kind so the engines can breathe - many are hidden behind panels, seats, etc. The purpose of the blowers is to clear any potential fumes sitting in the bottom of the engine bay for safety before you start the engines. You don't need to run the blowers when underway as the engines are running and pulling in fresh air continuously, and fuel-injected engines don't produce fumes unless there's a leak. Something I really like about these boats is the blowers start automatically after turning on the system with a 5 minutes countdown - this happens every time I turn the keys on as the Connext system boots up which makes it easy to remember to wait and check before starting the engines. I check the engine bay and oil levels before launching my boat at the ramp and then turn on the batteries to start up the system which starts the blowers for me while I back into the water. By the time I get in the boat, the blowers have run for at least 4 minutes and I'm good to start up the engines, check the pilot holes for a good water stream and depart the dock. Same procedure when docked for lunch - turn on the keys and the system starts a 5min countdown for me and we prepare to depart as the blowers run. When the blowers stop and no fumes are detected, I fire up the engines and leave - no need to keep track of the time.

 

[Shadowrider]

Thanks for the details, really helps.

 

[Marco Island Life]

My 190 Deluxe only a few weeks old, and I discovered the vent hose laying across the engine. No venting. By running the blower, I was actually making a potential problem worse. By aerating any fumes that might be present. I saw where this vent hose was to suppose to connect. I called the dealer and he said this is an on going problem. The factory mounting is a wire tie strap to hold it onto the plastic duct that passes out of the engine compartment. Pitiful. I used a 3 inch sheet metal adjustable 90, connected the vent duct securely to the 90, and then slipped the 90 thru the existing plastic duct. A permanent solution. Snipped the end of the 90, and bent the snips over, just like sheet metal people do it. To get to that end, you go thru behind the left swim platform backrest. The best thing, no more carburetors. Fuel injection is so much safer.

 

[HawaiiBreeze]

In the SX190's the air vent tubes connect to an open compartment behind the swim platform seat backs. I run the vent fan as a precaution to know that its working should there ever be a need to vent anything in the engine compartment.

 

[ripler]

You guys are overthinking this. Blowers really aren't needed on closed loop fuel injection systems like on most of todays boats, especially on a Yamaha. Even if you had a fuel leak the Yamaha doesn't have any exposed electrical equipment that can cause a spark in the engine compartment. PWCs don't have blowers and their engine compartments are more compact that a boat, so you would think there would be a better chance of a concentration of fumes in a PWC.

 

[ripler]

@seanmclean, please explain the dislike. I'm not saying don't use them, all I meant to say is that some of the comments above are overkill.

 

[212s]

You guys are overthinking this. Blowers really aren't needed on closed loop fuel injection systems like on most of todays boats, especially on a Yamaha. Even if you had a fuel leak the Yamaha doesn't have any exposed electrical equipment that can cause a spark in the engine compartment.

While I agree that fuel leaks are less of an issue with fuel injected engines, and these boats have ignition protected circuits to prevent sparks, there is always a chance for a spark from other locations than inside the engine bay. And if those protected circuits were damaged or not functioning correctly, an ignition source could be exposed which is probably the reason why blowers are required. Or it's just a hold-over from carb days like flame arrestors in the intake - not really needed but can't hurt?

PWCs don't have blowers and their engine compartments are more compact that a boat, so you would think there would be a better chance of a concentration of fumes in a PWC.

I don't know...I think the tighter enclosure would be less of an issue actually - fumes need to build up with oxygen in an enclosed area to combust explosively. Kind of like the difference between a small firecracker and a stick of dynamite - different chemical process obviously but the larger volume of air in a boat engine bay would contribute to a bigger volume of combustible fumes and a bigger bang. Jetskis are also open above the "deck" whereas boats are like big bowls that could hold fumes.

 

[212s]

My 190 Deluxe only a few weeks old, and I discovered the vent hose laying across the engine. No venting. By running the blower, I was actually making a potential problem worse.

And once again covid is to blame...lower quality control standards where the exhaust hose is not secured properly.

Something I don't understand why - on the single engine models the blower is at the bottom of the bay with the hose going up to the exhaust hole. On the twins the pair of blowers are up at the exhaust holes with the hoses hanging down into the bay. If the hose broke or fell off, the twins would still be able to circulate and ventilate the fumes - not as well without he hoses attached, but it could do a good job venting. The singles would just push it around like you said. I wonder why Yamaha doesn't mount the blower at the top?

 

[Shadowrider]

Thank you everyone who gave their input, really really helped