Association Forum - Solar Fan's - Day/Night -vs- Day only

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Solar Fan's - Day/Night -vs- Day only

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/04/2005 : 20:06:53

I've been looking at Solar Fans to mount on my front hatch and was wondering the +/-'s of the standard day only type -v- the Day/night type. Obviously the main difference of course is the D/N running at night.

Are there any other +/-'s worth noting?
Are they really worth having?

1997 250 TR WK (sold)
1984 O'Day 28 (sold)
1979 SISU 22
Bath, NC.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2005 : 22:20:46

The key to reducing mildew and thereby the worst of the odors is running the fan at night in order to remove the humid air when it's cooling down and before it starts condensing on everything in the interior. That's the whole point of the day-night units. Circulating air during the day does nothing for that problem--the air is generally being heated in the boat and its relative humidity is dropping to a lower level than outside.

Edited by - on

ddlyle
Captain

Members Avatar

302 Posts

Response Posted - 08/04/2005 : 22:47:50

Yes, worth having!
Mine has a battery (or capacitor ?) that stores the solar charge and continues to run the fan at night or very cloudy days. It's been running for years. It's NOT noisy.
It is also easy to remove which I did for 4 or 5 months.
Just put it in the drawer so the sunlight wouldn't make it run.
So I'm sure the battery ran down in a few days.
But when I put it back on deck for duty it came back to life very nicely.
I had to spin the fan blade to get it running and it's been running ever since.
I think mine is a Nicro (?) something like that. The company makes "millions" of them.
Mine isn't fancy (plastic housing vs. stainless steel that you see on fancy boats).
But it works great.
And when I stepped on the plastic housing (rain shield?) and tried to glue it back on ...
Well, the company mailed me a new housing / rain shield free!!
Fine company, fine product.
I'd get another in a heartbeat.

Edited by - ddlyle on 08/04/2005 22:48:21

tmhansen
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 00:30:00

Yes they really do help. We also have the day and night version. In the winter it seems that it does not get quite enough sun in our side yard to run 24/7 but it still runs each day.
One night I could not sleep and the noise, although minor was an annoyance so I stuffed a sock in the vent to stop the motor. The next morning with all four of us sleeping on the boat it was much more damp in the boat than it had been. I was chastised by the Admiral and admonished to never stop the fan motor again.

Edited by - on

mmac
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 01:10:49

I put a day-only solar vent on Mara about 16 years ago. It really helps keep the musty smell out of the boat. After the 11 days of continous rain we had earlier this year, I noticed it had stopped running. Little Sailkote and a couple of turns by hand, and it started humming away again. I'd say I've gotten my money's worth for this vent.
However to really keep the boat "dry", I bought a WM electric dehumidifier last year. Some guys leave an electric lamp on all the time to do the same thing.

Edited by - on

Esteban
Navigator

Members Avatar

139 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 09:21:58

Id be interested to see where everyone is placing these solar vents. I too have a lot of interest in one but just can't see where to place it as our deck space is very limited.

Survey says?

Esteban

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 14:06:15

I have the largest Nicro solar day/night vent, model 2000 or something like that. It's square, stainless steel, and has a way to close it off if the seas are high. It's mounted through the roof between the mast and the front plexiglass hatch. It doesn't catch the headsail.
Works great. I recommend it highly. Keeps funky smells way down.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 16:15:28

Looks like the day/night is the way to go. How about mounting areas? I'm thinking the forward hatch would be a good place. Any thoughts on the best place to mount it?

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 18:28:08

The front Hatch on the 89 wing is plexiglass so I didn't want to weaken it in any way as sometimes I will step on it inadvertantly. Fortunately I haven't gone through it. that's why mine is roof mounted.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 21:04:00

I installed the Nicro Day/Night 2000 through the forward hatch of my WK. I bought the (accessory) spacer (black ring in the picture) because the hatch isn't very thick. I went with the white plastic to blend in with the deck. The plastic seemed as tough as the stainless steel when I looked at both in the store.

The boat spent last winter under a blue poly tarp and enough light came through to keep this thing running all the time. No mold/mildew - kept the cabin fresh. I highly recommend it.

Edited by - on

mmac
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
168 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 00:55:34

Mine vent is in the forward hatch. At the time I was real reluctant to cut that big of a hole in the deck.

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 01:52:26

I thought it would be easier to replace a hatch than to fill a hole in the deck so I drilled a hole in the hatch.

Edited by - on

existentialsailor
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1180 Posts

Response Posted - 08/06/2005 : 07:13:56

Mine is on the forward hatch (Capri). My slip neighbors is on the cabin top slighty forward of the mast on the port side (Catalina 25). I like his placement better because it is behind the rigging, but I simply don't have the room there.

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2005 : 07:18:30

Has anyone thought of putting the solar fan in one of the companionway boards? I know this is a bit unorthadox, and I don't know if the fan would even operate on its side, but I would rather cut a hole in a companionway board (or make a board with a hole in it) rather than put a hole through the forward hatch.

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2005 : 07:45:39

Interesting idea Ben, I too would feel better doing that. However, I want to replace my hatch with something to let light in, so I was already thinking of a new hatch, or at least putting in a "window' in the hatch. If I am doing all that, then a fan is right at home there as well. Still thinking on it though.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2005 : 10:35:21

I have a friend with a Capri 22 with starboard crib boards, he put a fan in one of the crib boards, works fine.

Edited by - on

John P
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
324 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2005 : 07:39:22

It seems that since I read this, I now notice that almost every sailboat in my marina has some version of a Nicro fan installed. I seel them install through the deck and through a forward hatch. This is to be added to the "To Do" list.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2005 : 15:53:40

Another Idea that I have come up with is I have a 5W solar panel that a 12 volt fan is attached to. The solar panel was put on top of the coach roof and hard wired to a switch. The solar vent was monted in the forward hatch. The solar panel has enough power to turn the fan pretty well So when I know I will be up at the club for a couple of days I just leave it running. Seems to move the air inside the cabin very well. The fan was bought at Walmart for 9.00 So if I burn it out I will just go get another one.

Edited by - on

Bubba
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
542 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2005 : 20:04:02

Boat US has the Nicro day/night fans on sale right now in Maryland - maybe nationally?

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.