12V Panel Questions - Ericson 25 Plus

[Emerald]

Thanks Glyn & all. Interesting discussion & several different view points on this & the bilge fan in general.. Yes, this 25+ of mine is diesel - yanmar 10hp I believe (I have only scratched the surface on the engine of this boat so far - meaning about enough to know it runs well & the oil looks good). This is my 2nd diesel - the first was a Universal on a Catalina 30.

I was taught many years ago (espically in the older A4 gas days) The bilge fan was a MUST to vent explosive vapors. No matter if the vapors are gas, propane or diesel and I do realize that diesel fumes are not nealy as dangerous as the other two. I hadnt thought about the cooling aspect of air flow for the engine from the fan on long run, hot days - but that is a good point to consider.

Guess I'm just an old dog and a little OCD when it comes to venting the bilge, engine compartment, & all those other nasty little closed up spaces. Fortunately the blower on the 25 is easily acessable under the quarter berh via a large opening. Actually this space is also the battery compartment on this boat. A few tight spaces to replace the hose runs I think, but in general, not all that bad a job. (Hopefully!). Thanks again for all the input!

Mark Taylor, Smith Mountain Lake, VA

Hi Mark,

I agree with you on the need to exhaust explosive gases, and it's been one of my dilemmas on the setup oriented towards heat extraction. I've consoled myself with the thought that while it may not have the direct suction hose at the lowest point in the bilge, with the air intake run to that low point, I hopefully do exhaust explosive fumes. I do other things like store my stove alcohol above decks, so I've tried to minimize the source of something nasty as much as possible. It seems like everything boat, a series of trade-offs