Solar Vent Leakproof ?

[dgale]

This isn't really a plumbing post (though it could be if I get it wrong...). I would like to improve the ventilation in our Voyage 44 cat when the hatches are closed. I am considering installing a 4" Nicro Day Night 2000 Solar Vent in the foreward cabin of each hull. But they would be exposed to green water when we are going to windward in offshore conditions. Before I cut holes in the deck I want to make sure that the vents can be made leakproof. Does anyone have any experience either way with these units in a similar application?
Thanks,
Derek Gale
s/v Idyll Island

[marc2012]

Mine leak one day will throw away.marc

[Drew13440]

Make sure the model you choose can be closed from beneath the hatch. No worries.

[Therapy]

My opinion of them (mine are a year old) is that they cannot be made leak proof.

We bashed to windward for a while (but seas only 4ft) before the wife noted water dripping off them. I had not closed them. I closed them and we bashed to windward for two days (only 4ft seas though) without any more leaks.

We had a lot of water over the deck occasionally (routinely?) but I would not really call it "green".

To me "green water" is solid with no air in it, not just a splashing wave top being driven into/through.

Not sure I would trust them for that but on a cat like yours, that high up and all......................dunno for sure.

[bstreep]

I agree with Therapy. They are not leakproof.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Rebecca.

I’m pleased to learn that you are able to list thoseat things about which you have no qualification to write, in a single sentence. I wish I could do so.

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[Pblais]

I have two 3 inch Nico vents. They clearly are not leak proof but at anchor or dock they don't leak from rain. I wouldn't have one over my bunk. In any head they should be in a safe place where a drip isn't damaging. They come with a plug that installs from the deck down and then leak proof. You could take the vents out on passages and use the plug.

They do a great job preventing mildew and I find they are more valuable when you are not sailing than when you are. They do moderate temperature and change out the air that removes moisture that condenses inside the boat. The 3 inch vents do that just fine. I have one in an aft head and a second over the galley stove. Both are high on the deck and not far forward. I set both to blow out of the boat as exhaust vents. As a side benefit one dries the head quicker after a shower and the other vents cooking steam and heat out of the galley. For active cooling they are for the most part worthless. Used as exhaust vents they are the perfect choice. I don't see the larger 4 inch vent being that much of an advantage.

[bloodhunter]

dgale,
I have four nico solar-powered vents one intake and exhaust pair forward and one pair in the galley area. While the vents themselves are not leakproof, when I expect to take water over the bows I have two options. I have a cover that fits over the bottom of the vent or I can take the whole vent out and screw in a cover plate. Both of these work and have never had water come in when the covers are on.
However, I have found that in really heavy rain I get some dripping. Usually I just put a container under the vents since I want to keep the air coming in (they have store the solar energy so they'll run 24-7 for a couple of days without sunlight).
But as has been pointed out, I would not position them over berhs or seats

[scotte]

The old ones snapped into a deckplate, which was nice because you could replace them with the cover. The new ones don't work that way - they screw directly into the deck, and have a shutoff on the inside, instead. I think the old style was better.

Oh, and rebecca14 was just a spammer depositing links via signature/profile. Used to get these all the times on a couple forums I administered. They try to have some generic "on-topic" text to fool moderators into not deleting their posts and user. They do this not because they expect anyone necessarily to click on the links. The ideas is makes it appear to search engines that their site is very popular, as all these different sites have links to their site.

[Eric50]

Hi and our apologises for the late input...

We experienced 2 types of such solar powered systems:

Nicro and ICP.

The Nicro failed after 6 months but never shown any leaking signs although we are in the (probably) most rainy area in our country and use to sail all the year long in not so calm weather...

The ICP did stopped working after 2 years...we suspect the "darkening" of the plastic over the solar cell to be part of the problem.

We are quiet disappointed as the second one did work very well and was very effective...both are expensives in respect to their life expectancy, to our opinion.

But we will buy a new ICP to replace the old one.