How to Find a Quiet Cabin Fan?

[BOATDOCTOR]

What's with the drama on this site? Just recently came on to help a few folks and all I see is drama. People bored enough to want to stir something up by taking pokes at someone who is here for help, more than for some twisted style of social networking - so it would seem. I think I'm already starting to regret helping people like this. This may be my last post. I don't have the time you all must have to be that bored...

Thank goodness this is not the case with most of the cruisers who are actually out here cruising by, that I deal with daily. A few good answers and then drama. OK, enough with my own drama here. Dumb waste...

After MANY of our own fans and replacing hundreds for clients, we've settled on the Caframo Sirroco (model 807). We runs these 24/7 and have done so for 3 years now (we are in the Virgins - full time on board). There are 8 on our cat and 4 on our mono. They get very quiet on low but still move air. On high, you'll feel them across a 14 foot saloon. The other major aspect to consider for most is power draw. These fans sip their power. Lowest consumption I've tested, and for my power retrofit customers, usually their second purchase.

Buy them at West Marine and get the extended warranty. They WILL fail in less than a year a lot of the time. With WM you only need buy one warranty. When one fails, go exchange it and buy a new warranty for the next one. Sounds like a pain but the upside is you will have continuously new fans for about twelve bucks a pop after the initial investment. They come in white and black. They are very easy to install and replace.

[SailSummerWind]

Thank you for your recommendation! Really appreciate it

[Dulcesuenos]

I love the features on the scirroco but for the price its sad it doesn't last longer. If your cruising I'd sacrifice and get a slightly noisier hella that will last 10 years over one of these that will leave you fanless in a remote area. I get aggravated renting all these "disposable" items. Items that only last a year or two that cost a premium.

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[ranger58sb]

Our AC (current) fans are from the local big box store, and they run mostly 24/7, at least when we have AC (current) available... which is most of the time. They're not screwed down, just scattered around the boat, in the saloon, at least one in each stateroom, etc.

They have two noise components: the fan motor, and stand vibration.

I haven't tried to do anything about the fan motor noise, although I suspect an occasional drop of lube might be in order.

OTOH, I have addressed the stand vibration issue by placing a small piece (or two, depending on thickness) of non-skid material, as in the stuff you'd use under a rug on a hardwood floor. Adding the insulation between the fan's hard mount and tabletop helps quite a lot. That should also likely be the case for permanent mounting systems, where some kind of flexible bushing in the mounts may well help reduce vibration noise.

-Chris

[symystic]

I use the Caframo 757 fans, but I use the rubber base, screw that down and it is all but noiseless. Moves lots of air, uses very little power. Easy to clean.

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by symystic

I use the Caframo 757 fans, but I use the rubber base, screw that down and it is all but noiseless. Moves lots of air, uses very little power. Easy to clean.

We agree with symystic. Have been using the Caframo fans more than 10 years and that is full time cruising. We have 6 onboard and most are on the big clothespin style fastener. Even have one that is able to be moved to the cockpit. Spend a few summers in the Sea of Cortez and you will get the point. We have used these fans for 1000's of hours with very few failures. In fact 4 summers running 24/7! Of course we don't have them all running at the same time but where we are sitting there is a fan.

Safe Sailing

Chuck
Jacaranda

[Blue Stocking]

lot of hot air on this thread.

[Bash]

We've switched from Hellas to the Calframo Sirocco. Would never go back.

[CAELESTIS]

Got one Sirocco, and plan on buying more. If Bash or Jedi says it is good, I know I will like it as well.

[Cheechako]

The Hella is quiet, works well and too expensive. But if you want quiet and life I would go with that. I guess they do fail sometimes but mine lasted 3+ years on two different boats with zero failures. Oh... and they were on the boats when I got them... so who knows how old they were!

[MarkJ]

Quiet fan? Buy any fan, carefully install it. Then hit it with a hammer.




.

[Dulcesuenos]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Quiet fan? Buy any fan, carefully install it. Then hit it with a hammer.




.

Lol

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[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by BOATDOCTOR

What's with the drama on this site? Just recently came on to help a few folks and all I see is drama. People bored enough to want to stir something up by taking pokes at someone who is here for help, more than for some twisted style of social networking - so it would seem. I think I'm already starting to regret helping people like this. This may be my last post. I don't have the time you all must have to be that bored...

Thank goodness this is not the case with most of the cruisers who are actually out here cruising by, that I deal with daily. A few good answers and then drama. OK, enough with my own drama here. Dumb waste...
ace.

Whats with all the drama about the drama...lighten up.

The noise of a fan is the blades and little to do with the motor. I have Hella's and as most of you know they fall apart before too long. Mostly (I believe) due to the lack of balance of the blades. In the larger Hella's, there is a PC board in it that fries also. It's a wonder there has not been a fire from these.

[River Cruiser]

I mounted a Hella turbo for the galley and solon and a caframo sirocco in my berth last year. They are both great fans but if I mount another it'll probably be a hella. I really do like the timer function on the sirocco, it's in the forward berth and brings air in thru the hatch, I normally set it for 4 hours and I'am fast asleep when it shuts off and by then it's cool enough not to need it, for this type use I recommend the sirocco.


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[ty.gregory]

Anybody try the Califamo Taku hatch fans. I hear good things about them...