We all know that even when we are trying fix something simple, chaos theory somehow takes hold and solution spins into complexity. Sometimes when I look back at what/how I fixed something, I just shake my
head and wonder how I ended up here.
In this first example, I had our
bilge blower fan freeze up and start blowing
fuses. Removing the rear
aluminum transom cover with dorades, the
motor was mounted vertical and any
water from the dorades hit the fan blades and ultimately the
motor.
So I decide to replace the 20 year old squirrel cage motor with an inexpensive in-line blower. However, the inlets/outlets were a different orientation so I needed to make a platform to mount the new motor horizontal.
In an effort to keep
water out of the motor, I found the access panel wasn't big enough to put a dorade box on top. So I thought of putting a loop with the flexible hose but couldn't figure out how to drain it. The dorades are 3" so I ended up going to Home Depot and
buying a P-trap. Then I realized there was no good way to mount the p-trap to the 40+ year old corroded
aluminum plate so I make a new one out of starboard and the used plastic spaces that I spun on a lathe to mate with flange, and then there was a brackets needed to support this mess.
Then I needed to put a brass fitting in the trap and 20 feet of ½” hose to drain to the
bilge, but it finally came together.
Looking back, I could have just used a $20 inline fan, had the job done in an hour and merely replaced it every 5 years or so when it failed. Instead it took a two weekends and lots of time at the
hardware store to mate everything up.
So this is my first contribution to the Rube Goldberg thread, but feel free to add your adventures into complexity as well.