Bilge Blower

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 5:39 pm

I'm messing around with this rig. It's a 3" 12v bilge blower, you know, what they use to ventilate engine bays on boats. Got it off Ebay around $30. I just ran it through 4" dryer duct because that's what I had lying around. I'm running it off a 6v power 700ma supply here. I ran it off a 12v 1000ma power supply and it really made it scream. I think if I find a 12v 400-500ma power supply that'll do the trick. I don't know if these little power packs can handle the job, they seem to get pretty warm. I could use advice on how to power this little fan.
It says it's rated to 6 amps. I hooked it to a battery charger and it drew about 3 amps at 12v. I would like to be able to vary the speed, is there a pot I could use? Any advice appreciated. I'm always looking to beat the price of the AC squirrel cage blowers available.

WNY · Post by **WNY** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 5:46 pm

The milliamps have nothing to do with it on the power pack, it's the 6v vs. 12 v. If you don't have ENOUGH miliamps, the transformer will burn up because the draw from the blower is too much. If the fan is drawing 3 amps, you will burn up the power transformer pretty fast.

YOu would need some type of Rheostat, got a car headlight dimmer switch? that is rated 12vdc. that might put enough resistance to slow it down some.

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 6:14 pm

Yeah, I know it's ridiculous to run a 12v fan on 6v, just what I have sitting around for experimenting. So if I hook it up to, say, a tractor battery, there's so much amps available, the fan will run full out? If I can get the right variable resistor in there I'll be able to control the fan speed. I guess it would have to be a rheostat with a beefy enough rating. I'd like to control the fan speed more for making it run quiet than anything else. It seems like the indoor temperature comes up faster when I'm pushing some air through the stove.

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 6:22 pm

Why not just go with something like this which is cheaper?: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servle ... =100067594

OR

go with something like this
**Broken Link(s) Removed** which I have hooked up to my stove via duct fittings. (3 speeds, quiet & cheaper than the Harman blower)

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 6:27 pm

Very cool, Dev, thanks!

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Thu. Feb. 05, 2009 6:39 pm

Dann757 wrote:Very cool, Dev, thanks!

Your welcome dann. Here's a pic of my blower hook-up

Uglysquirrel · Post by **Uglysquirrel** » Sat. Feb. 07, 2009 8:34 pm

Devil, is that a Rat I saw running across that picture. Is that yout pet?

Dann757 · Post by **Dann757** » Sat. Feb. 07, 2009 9:52 pm

Well that sure looks like something I would do. I checked out that blower- is it quiet enough for you? The duct fan really has me thinking too, I bet they are quiet.

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Sat. Feb. 07, 2009 9:58 pm

Dann757 wrote:Well that sure looks like something I would do. I checked out that blower- is it quiet enough for you? The duct fan really has me thinking too, I bet they are quiet.

The inline duct fan is damn noisy! (try one)
The Blue Blower is pretty quiet & I never run it at top speed since it just tends to cool the stove down rather than transfer heat into the room. The fact that it sits on the floor (behind or beside) the stove, & is therefore not bolted to it, cuts down any potential vibration noise.
Cheaper, easier to clean & replace & more powerful than the Harman blower....Tuff to beat!

Bilge Blower

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