Blowers ON or OFF during refueling

[ImpulseIII]

Yeah, spell check will only do so much for you! I knew it didn't look right!

What is wrong with my antenna's?????? I think they are very pretty!

Thanks for pointing out yet another inadequacy.

 

[Bridog]

That's really semantics to me .... blower motors are like every bilge installed electrical device spark and explosion proof since they operate in a potentially gas vapor saturated environment and the blowers are specifically designed to evacuate these fumes if they should occur.

I'm sure you are probably right and it's overkill but Chapmans instructions go even further and recommends boaters to turn off main electrical systems and batteries before fueling (no batteries= no blowers) then AFTER fueling to turn on blowers for at least 4 minutes. Anyway, I'm sure any boater even reading this thread is already more safety minded than the other 90% of boaters who have no clue about anything.

 

[boatmailster]

QUOTE]Blowers should be on while fueling - they're ignition protected for that reason! (keeping them on prevents from fumes filling bilge while fueling, correctly installed blowers push fumes out!) and there should be flexible 3" or 4" hoses attached to blowers to "suck" out fumes from under engines. Looks like there are missing on your boat

Bad practice but that's your choice. Sea Ray owner manuals for gas boats states "all electrical equipment", including blowers are to be turned off prior to fueling.[/quote]

I know those idiots can write anything to cover theirs a...
Maybe they will design quick release fuse holder for automatic bilge pump and stereo memory leads and non-electric fume detector

 

[skibum]

I turn it off primarily because the area around the fuel dock has more vapors than my bildge area (at least it should have). I think that the blowers are more likely to be pulling gasoline fumes into the bildge when fueling is in progress. After the pump is off and the cap is on, there is no continuous source of vapor for the blowers to draw from, so I turn them on.

Michael