Solar powered vents - Nicro

[stnick]

Here is a trick i just learned to re shine plastic ! Go to the auto parts store buy a red sponge ball for a drill to do Tires ! use Aquabuff 2,000 ( 9 dollars a tub )a 2k grit and polish. I use it on my dodger E glass withe amazing results. Works on fiberglass , plastic ports, e glass , I shine my solar panels too , It will work on stainless steel but the Spotless Stainless does it faster and lasts longer !

[Eastward ho 24]

Junk junk junk... I bought 4 of them they're junk I returned 2. I have the more expensive marinco ones with the LEDs. I can say marinco is very helpful and take the returns. But unfortunately you can't polish a turd. After 6 months I'll love ripping them out and replaceing then with droade boxes and vowl vents

[RNWilson]

Originally Posted by PEACETIME

I use the small computer fans. Around $5.00 US and last ? Of the 6 I have mounted through out the boat 2 years ago, all are still working. They are all reclaimed, so I don't how old they are. They draw about 1/4 amp each. Some are louder than others, some move more air.

I too have used reclaimed computer fans. I Rig them up two in series so they're actually only running on 6 volts each ( and therefore run slower ) and they're much quieter and together seem to put out about the same amount of air.

[79Endeavour32]

Grossly over priced for a computer fan and a rechargeable battery in a case - could make your own to vent into a dorade box

[Fluenta]

Next year when we likely transition from full time cruising to being liveaboards in Canada (only 10,000 nm to go) for a few years I am thinking of putting a large computer fan into two of the dorades - one pulling air in and one pushing are out - to add a constant ventilation. We will be on a dock likely for the winter so the dorades will likely not work as well with the natural ventilation. Seems less intrusive (no cutting holes in hatches) and would be considerably cheaper. Has anyone else tried this ?

It would not be solar powered directly but rather off the boat's house bank which is already supported by 600W of solar and a Silentwind wind generator.

Great little fans - I have duct taped on to the outside of the Silentwind charge regulator as its internal fan has died.

[Toys_with_time]

Originally Posted by ferrailleur

They work on 12 V?

Many computer fans are 12v. The voltage is usually on the central hub.

TwT

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by Calypso52

I have had two of these. The first failed and the solar panel was cloudy. The second just failed and the panel was clear.
Has anyone had success with these lasting more than a couple years? At more than $100 a pop, this is not an incidental expense.
Any experience with a brand that seems to hold up or is that small panel just destined to fail?

Consider yourself lucky, here in Aus they are more like A$300.00

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I have two that don't work. I tried a new battery and that didn't fix them. The solar seems to work but the fan motor doesn't spin. The directions or troubleshooting say it won't work on solar if the battery is dead so if it doesn't work in sunshine don't assume it has to be the fan motor is bad. I'm going to take the fan motor out and measure it to see if I can find replacements. Nicro doesn't sell them.

Hi, I feel your pain, nicro couldn't help me with either motor or new panel, 2 separate units.

[Trekka]

Yeah this is a case of a once great design manufactured here in the US that got offshored and became crap. My boat has one of them from probably sometime in the 1990's - clearly very old when I bought boat in 2004. It still runs as soon as morning sunlight touches it. And with no battery inside!

I have three of the 2005-2009 vintage that have been replaced at least once each. One replaced twice. Another might have, too. If they fail it is usually in the first year.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Calypso52

I have had two of these. The first failed and the solar panel was cloudy. The second just failed and the panel was clear.
Has anyone had success with these lasting more than a couple years? At more than $100 a pop, this is not an incidental expense.
Any experience with a brand that seems to hold up or is that small panel just destined to fail?

Most of these spend a long time on the shelf. The NICAD rechargeable is DOA. Check on YouTube for how to replace or jus dig in. These things are worth about five bucks, way overpriced. They also fail to block water over the deck from entering the cabin. My opinion is don’t buy or install one.