Alarm, yes or no?

[ndutton]

It's been sort of asked before and frankly had few replies. I'm hoping we can do better this time. The question: Do you have the oil/temp engine alarm system?

[sastanley]

Whoop whoop!

Neil..no, I do not...however, I am pretty anal about checking my gauges...probably because I do not have the alarm.

I am sure I'd be less anal if I had an alarm. I have the Moyer kit in my "to-do" folder when I have 'nothing else more important to work on' boat list.

[Marian Claire]

No alarms on the MC. I do have water temp and oil pressure gauges that are easy to see and read. Frequently glancing at them is just part of my routine. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[Jimmy]

Yes & No

Picked up the kit...installed the oil pressure portion......the temp portion is still on the to do list. I have a good line of sight at all gauges while at the helm. I use the alarm as a reminder to keep the key switched off.i keep the key stored in the switch while aboard. Only took a couple coils to realize the value.......
Jimmy

[joe_db]

I have yet to have the high temp or low oil pressure alarm go off for real, but they are a great reminder to turn the ignition off
I also have a CO alarm. I think these are a necessity for a boat where you will have people sleeping with the engine running.

Alarms I am going to add when I get a chance and spare $$$$:
1. Coolant flow
2. Exhaust temp
3. Low fuel pressure (maybe)

[ndutton]

You make a good point Joe. Although it's not directly intended to monitor the ignition, how many times have we heard stories about absentmindedly leaving the key on after the engine has stopped (for whatever reason) and destroying the coil? As you said, an alarm system would alert when the oil pressure dropped reminding the operator to turn off the key within seconds.

To Dan's comment, I watch my gauges diligently too but the alarm system adds another tier of monitoring for a very reasonable cost. It might be one of the best cost vs. benefit additions we can have on our engines.

The early poll numbers surprise me. I expected most of us had the alarm. The Newport 27's and 30's of the early 70's didn't even have an engine panel or gauges. They had an ignition switch and a fuel gauge inside the cabin and the alarm system for everything else. I'm not suggesting anyone should do this but instead showing an example of how common the alarm is - or was. As another example, listen across the marina as boats start their engines for a day on the water. Power or sail, diesel or gas, alarm squeal before the engine starts is as common as [insert favorite metaphor here]. Example #3: Alarms are standard equipment on all Yanmars, probably other brands too.

I know it's early in the poll but it's not what I expected, not at all.

[Dave Neptune]

It's personal

I am a mechanic by nature and "listen" to the engine whenever it's running. I seldom look at the gages after the beastie warms up. If the sound of the engine-exhaust changes I'll check the gages otherwise when all is well (most all of the time) I just enjoy the cruise.
I like the simplicity of not having the alarms as far as wiring is concerned and if something is amiss and the buzzer is going, so will my temper and the buzzer is likely to be removed in a somewhat ripped out fashion, to get rid of the noise. Then I will begin the trouble shooting. I have had a few boats with alarms and I found that as I keep things in prety good shape by the time something fails the buzzer has failed to do its job. I also have worked on many a boat that the alarms were buzzing and nothing was wrong but the alarm system in an otherwise well maintained system. My primary reason still is simplicity especially in a small boat.
However if I am running a boat that is unfamiliar to me I would want the alarms on "HIS" boat for "my" convienience.

Dave Neptune

[ndutton]

Reading your post Dave I thought to myself, "Yeah, but how many Dave Neptunes are out there?" I already know you are a rarity (in a good way) but you answered it at the end with a chuckle, "Don't want it on MY boat but certainly want it on someone else's."

[Kelly]

No alarms here, just the oil pressure sensor wired into the fuel pump to help prevent "that" catastrophe.

I'm with Dave Neptune on this one. As long as I'm the one in charge of the boat, I'm pretty much hyper-sensitive to engine behaviour [sic. European influenced spelling]. A sort of biological alarm, you might say. If I were to loan my boat, however, I might consider installing alarms beforehand. Having easily read gages is a must, I believe.

[ndutton]

Kelly,

Just wait until you get older and your memory . . . . uh, where was I? Oh yeah, you'll reach a point where you can't remember if you zipped your pants.

[Mo]

Reading your post Dave I thought to myself, "Yeah, but how many Dave Neptunes are out there?" I already know you are a rarity (in a good way) but you answered it at the end with a chuckle, "Don't want it on MY boat but certainly want it on someone else's."

Right you are Neil,
When dealing with boats it's not just the engine they have to keep on top of. It's a whole new mind-set to look after a boat. We have to adapt a manner of thinking of what is likely to go wrong, what will wear, what's the life-span of parts and gear, AND how do I fix it and keep it up. Those that don't do that normally don't stay with it for very long.

[roadnsky]

Like others, my gauge cluster is good line-of-sight and I glance there often for peace of mind. (Sorta like using my mirrors while driving)
I'm also an "A4 Listener".

But the idea of an audible warning appeals to me as an added layer.
If nothing else, for the ignition/coil/EI protection factor.
Before I got the new MMI gauge panel with the cover, I was always concerned that a misplaced foot or knee would flip the ignition on, so I was constantly checking on it.
The cover has cured that worry.

Anyway, the alarm is on my wish list...

[edwardc]

My gauges are also easy line-of-sight, and I monitor them continuously.

But I also have a high-temp alarm, with the sensor mounted in the coolant outflow from the manifold. The setpoint is fixed pretty low at 200 degrees (my normal operating point is 180). I figure an overheat condition could escalate rapidly, and it would only take a few minutes of inattention to miss it without the alarm.

The only time I ever get a "nuisance" alarm is if I shut down the engine immediately after cruising in gear. The temp will rise to over 200, and the alarm will go off briefly when I restart. Simply running in neutral at idle for 1 min before shutting down (my normal practice) eliminates this.

Although I don't have a low oil pressure alarm, the Oil Pressure Safety Switch (OPSS) will shut down my electric fuel pump, which should kill the engine in the time it takes to empty the float bowl (30-60 sec?).

I have a friend who has alarms on everything, and he took great pains to insure that each one had a distinctive sound and could not be confused with any other one!

[dvd]

I just monitor my guages and listen to the engine. I have heard alarms going off on other boats that are just sitting in the slip. I was staying overnight a year or so ago at South Beach in SF Bay and this large brandnew ugly power boat thing had this high shrill alarm that was on all day and night. There were various mechanics crawling all over it to find out why but it still took til the next morning for the incessant noise to be shut down.

dvd

[67c&ccorv]

I have the oil pressure alarm system MMI sells and a AquaAlarm water flow alarm system mounted between the water pump inlet and water strainer outlet.