| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Chriznat20 |
Posted - Mar 26 2012 : 20:52:31
I unwinterized my engines last week when I started them up on the muffs.
The temps have been in the 70/60/50's lately here in SE Michigan and I didnt expect it to be 27*F degrees tonight. Right now its 30*f, and today it was 41-45*f all day.
I put a 100w severe duty light bulb in my clamp light in the bilge, between both engines. I put it on a timer to run from 11pm to 430am.
Overkill?
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rawidman |
Posted - Apr 09 2012 : 16:12:03
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdyroady
...Outside of Winterizing for an isolated weather phenomenon is there any safe recommendations for keeping your engine compartment above freezing?
Any USCG approved ER heater. For gas engines, it needs to be plugged in outside the ER. I am quite pleased with my Xtreme brand. I believe the other brand of choice is boat safe.
If you don't have snap on covers for the air intake vents, stuff them with a large 1 piece rag like an old shirt or a piece of an old sheet to keep the wind out. The reason for one piece is to make sure everything that went in, comes out.
HTH.
You can make, or have made, canvas snap on covers for the vents. |
| Ghost |
Posted - Apr 08 2012 : 22:08:05
In Seattle were pretty similar. Usually my engines never get cold enough, plus I run heat exchangers so I can only lose those, not the blocks. If I don't want to worry, every few years I break down and spend an hour to actually winterize. I'll put af in around dec and blow it out at the end of feb. |
| KiDa |
Posted - Apr 08 2012 : 10:44:10
quote:
Originally posted by Rowdyroady
...Outside of Winterizing for an isolated weather phenomenon is there any safe recommendations for keeping your engine compartment above freezing?
Any USCG approved ER heater. For gas engines, it needs to be plugged in outside the ER. I am quite pleased with my Xtreme brand. I believe the other brand of choice is boat safe.
If you don't have snap on covers for the air intake vents, stuff them with a large 1 piece rag like an old shirt or a piece of an old sheet to keep the wind out. The reason for one piece is to make sure everything that went in, comes out.
HTH. |
| Rowdyroady |
Posted - Apr 08 2012 : 09:21:19
OK, so another question along the same line. I live in Central Texas and usee the boat year-round. Normally the Winters are OK, and the big lake we are on does not get below mid-50's or so. Should be fine if it stays in the water, right? Well last Winter (2010/2011) we had a severe cold snap. four straight days where the temps never got out of the 20's (severe for Texas, anyway--no comment form you Northies). A lot of folks gutted it and found cracked blocks in the Spring. I was lucky.
Outside of Winterizing for an isolated weather phenomenon is there any safe recommendations for keeping your engine compartment above freezing? |
| rawidman |
Posted - Apr 02 2012 : 13:51:34
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa
WRT chiding: ...How dumb would you feel if it started a fire or explosion?..."
The post directly above mine and the one I had just finished reading:
"Probably overkill but how dumb would you feel if you didn't do it and they froze?"
(emphasis added) |
| Bondo |
Posted - Apr 01 2012 : 07:38:13
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa
Nah! In order to freeze the blocks, the temps would have to be sub freezing for several days and nights straight.
Ayuh,... Right,....
6 hours at 28°, 'n you'll be buyin' a New Block....
I can't believe people are so Lazy, they can't just Drain the Block, 'n Manifolds....
Air, just Don't Freeze.... |
| GeeBee |
Posted - Mar 30 2012 : 14:46:04
If his boat is out all by itself and it burns up fine. If he is in a marina with other boats, he owes it to those owners to use greater care. Seaworthy magazine (an insurance publication of BoatUS) is filled each year with fires started by light bulbs. It is likely very few have enough liabilty coverage to cover a marina fire started by using an unapproved heat device in the bilge.
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| KiDa |
Posted - Mar 30 2012 : 11:06:46
quote:
Originally posted by Ghost
...YMMV but as far as I'm concerned Ron is absolutely correct and those chiding him may want to re-think that.
We're all here to learn which is why I posted we don't know what we don't know. Perhaps he did not know the potential dangers.
WRT chiding: ...How dumb would you feel if it started a fire or explosion?..."
John 8:7. |
| Ghost |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 17:00:23
Ron, look at it this way. Some boats are worth more effort to protect than others. Yours is not a "light bulb" boat. |
| rawidman |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 10:00:39
Ghost, thanks for making this real.
I don't make this stuff up. |
| Ghost |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 18:01:15
I won't use a lightbulb anymore. Not theory for me. I had used one of those clamp lights once, somewhere along the way the el-cheapo clamp failed and the light came to rest on the lid of a holding tank. When I found it, a large portion of the lid was charred and the boat was filled with smoke.
YMMV but as far as I'm concerned Ron is absolutely correct and those chiding him may want to re-think that. |
| marathon man |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 17:01:26
Chriznat, nice, lmao. |
| 32carv |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 22:02:34
I did that once and had a nuclear meltdown and saw Jesus.
Jim |
| Chriznat20 |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 20:30:19
Sorry I didnt respond earlier guys...woke up this morning to firetrucks and fire rescue vehicles in my yard :(
It appears the light bulb in my bilge not only ignited the fumes in my bilge, it also contributed to childhood obesity, the US divorce rate, several fish kills on our lake, and get this - my black lab now favors my other half more!! The investigators determined that all this was contributed to my use of a clamp light in my bilge for 1 night.
Haha, just kidding. Everything went fine. Thanks for the replies! |
| KiDa |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 20:05:17
The former. |
| rawidman |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 19:28:16
quote:
Originally posted by KiDa
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman
quote:
Originally posted by 32carv
Probably overkill but how dumb would you feel if you didn't do it and they froze?
Jim
How dumb would you feel if it started a fire or explosion?
If you believe you need an engine room heater, you need an ignition protected engine room heater unless you have a diesel fuelled boat. Even then, light bulbs do not make good or safe heaters.
Lighten up Ron. Maybe he doesn't know the dangers. When I was growing up decades ago, before anyone knew the danger, lightbulbs in the bilge was a common practice. You don't know what you don't know.
Are you implying that if he doesn't know the danger, nothing bad will happen?
Or that members here should not bother to tell someone when he or she may be taking an unecessary risk? |
| KiDa |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 15:01:38
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman
quote:
Originally posted by 32carv
Probably overkill but how dumb would you feel if you didn't do it and they froze?
Jim
How dumb would you feel if it started a fire or explosion?
If you believe you need an engine room heater, you need an ignition protected engine room heater unless you have a diesel fuelled boat. Even then, light bulbs do not make good or safe heaters.
Lighten up Ron. Maybe he doesn't know the dangers. When I was growing up decades ago, before anyone knew the danger, lightbulbs in the bilge was a common practice. You don't know what you don't know. |
| rawidman |
Posted - Mar 27 2012 : 06:52:31
quote:
Originally posted by 32carv
Probably overkill but how dumb would you feel if you didn't do it and they froze?
Jim
How dumb would you feel if it started a fire or explosion?
If you believe you need an engine room heater, you need an ignition protected engine room heater unless you have a diesel fuelled boat. Even then, light bulbs do not make good or safe heaters. |
| 32carv |
Posted - Mar 26 2012 : 21:51:55
Probably overkill but how dumb would you feel if you didn't do it and they froze?
Jim |
| KiDa |
Posted - Mar 26 2012 : 21:14:57
Nah! In order to freeze the blocks, the temps would have to be sub freezing for several days and nights straight. |
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