ALWAYS use your blower
06-07-2012 | 06:41 AM
#22
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From: SW CT & Long Island Sound
May be an old wives tale, but I was told by a sea captain 20 yrs ago that blower should be off while fueling. He also told me when you are done fueling, raise the hatch and see if you smell fumes before you turn the blower on, that if there are enough fumes when you start the blower the contact spark from the blower can spark and start a fire.
06-07-2012 | 06:57 AM
#23
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From: Manhasset, NY
Not as far as I know. I was told NOT to run bilge blowers while fueling. The blowers draw air from outside and that air will have gas fumes in it while the boat is fueled. After fueling is done then the blowers should be run before starting up. It's a good idea to personally sniff the air being expelled by the blowers to be sure that no fumes are present. Again, what I was told.
06-07-2012 | 07:24 AM
#24
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From: Cedar Rapids Iowa, LOTO, Cape Coral Fl.
I did it that way for years, but was corrected a few years ago. The blowers go on after fueling. If they are on during fueling, the blowers can actually draw fumes into the bilge through the make up air vent.
06-07-2012 | 07:45 AM
#25
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 239
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From: Erie, PA
I'm all for being careful, but I think this boat must have had bigger problems than fumes from fueling up.
I know these explosions do happen, but what was the real cause? I am guilty myself of not using blowers, and changing fuel water sep on the water with spillage. I have seen boats run all year with gas leaks (I stay away) I have smelled gas on boats from yards away. Hell I even watched a guys wife hold something on his carb cause it pissed fuel at idle......all year she held it, THAT boat smelled like gas. Still, I have never witnessed even a fire.....knock on wood
Bottom line is this is scary stuff, but how scary? Something makes me think there is more to the story than what we hear when these boats explode! To treat filling up like you are handling nuclear waste just seems a little goofy to me. "Ok crew, shut all the doors and windows, turn off everything electrical and exit the boat" "someone get me the pocket level before I fill up" "If you have a cell phone please turn it off and place it in the static proof bag" "Ok crew, boat is full, please open all windows, I will run the blowers for 4 mins, someone please time me then I will need everyone to do a sniff test in all areas of the boat before I start it" If THAT guy was in front of me at the gas dock I might lose it.
Millions of boats fuel up all year, one or two explode......no need to be paranoid
I know these explosions do happen, but what was the real cause? I am guilty myself of not using blowers, and changing fuel water sep on the water with spillage. I have seen boats run all year with gas leaks (I stay away) I have smelled gas on boats from yards away. Hell I even watched a guys wife hold something on his carb cause it pissed fuel at idle......all year she held it, THAT boat smelled like gas. Still, I have never witnessed even a fire.....knock on wood
Bottom line is this is scary stuff, but how scary? Something makes me think there is more to the story than what we hear when these boats explode! To treat filling up like you are handling nuclear waste just seems a little goofy to me. "Ok crew, shut all the doors and windows, turn off everything electrical and exit the boat" "someone get me the pocket level before I fill up" "If you have a cell phone please turn it off and place it in the static proof bag" "Ok crew, boat is full, please open all windows, I will run the blowers for 4 mins, someone please time me then I will need everyone to do a sniff test in all areas of the boat before I start it" If THAT guy was in front of me at the gas dock I might lose it.
Millions of boats fuel up all year, one or two explode......no need to be paranoid
06-07-2012 | 07:56 AM
#26
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From: Baton Rouge La.
I would have to agree with this. Your blower hose runs to the bottom of the boat to the reverse vents an the forward faceing vents are open to draw air in. Running Your blower while fueling could draw fumes into your bilge. Just think if Your fill cap an fuel tank vent were close to your forward vent??? Artie
06-07-2012 | 08:03 AM
#27
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From: Clarkston, Michigan
I always launch with the hatch open. I also fuel with the hatch open. To me that's a no brainer; Also a good time to show off the bling in there! We all have a fuel sniffer on the middle of our face. If I've been sitting for any length of time I stick my head in the engine room and smell, and run the blowers. If you have a serious fuel leak the blowers probably aren't going to get the job done. Open the hatch and smell!
06-07-2012 | 01:44 PM
#28
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From: Miami Beach
06-07-2012 | 02:11 PM
#29
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Almost happen to me once. It was after my motor was redone and i picked it up and went to fill it up and they hooked the gas line up wrong and it came out when it was filling up and I never look at the engine hatch just hit the blower and this one time I did the whole engine compartment was full of fuel!!So I call the marina and told them what happen and said that they need to pay for the fuel that was wasted because they didnt hook it up right and they refused to I finaly got them to. And that same marina winterized my friends cruser and a few weeks later it sunk at the dock.
Brett
Brett
