Thread: Bilge Safety
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Old 09-14-2010, 11:54 AM
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ndutton ndutton is offline
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I wanted to address something Dave mentioned, the fume sniffer. Strangely I don't see it talked up much on this site, a site involving gasoline in boats. Xintrex makes models that simply alarm audibly and models that automatically activate the bilge blower in addition to the alarm. I have the latter.

As effective as the halon systems are, Joe's remark that they engage after it's too late is well made. Also, properly installed, the halon systems shut down the blower so as not to ventilate a fire and exhaust the halon.

The fume sniffer is intended to either alert you or exhaust the dangerous fumes before the worst happens. On another thread I told the tale of fumbling my fuel filter upside down in the bilge and the Xintrex system alarmed and activated the blower automatically within seconds.

I'm thinking a combination of the sniffer and automatic halon systems would be the best of both worlds.
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1977 Catalina 30
San Pedro, California
prior boats 1987 Westsail 32, 1970 Catalina 22
Had my hands in a few others
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