Help! Bilge Blower Died

[pbnelson]

Proud owner of a 1969 CAL-34 here. Went on vacation, came back a month later, and the bilge blower is dead.

Symptoms:

1. No sound of blower running when activated by the little button-pull next to the starter key
2. Fuse is hot (confirmed not blown, but very hot)
3. Wires on the back of the button-pull activator switch (i.e. inside the starboard cockpit locker) are very hot, like the fuse.

So... my lubber's diagnosis here is that the motor went dead and is essentially shorting out. I like to think it might work again if I whack it with a stick - maybe the rotor is just stuck on a brush, or something? Or I could replace it.

My question for the forum is: where is it? I don't even know where the thing lives. In the bilge? In the engine compartment? In the bottom of a cockpit locker? Does anyone know, and can tell me?

Better yet, can someone with an original Cal-34 take a picture of theirs and post here?

Quick help is appreciated. I did a "bilge sniff test" and started the engine without running the blower first, but was very unhappy about it. I'd like to not do that again, and rather get it fixed ASAP.

-peter

[rcvesselstyn]

Replacing it is the way to go. Bilge blowers only have a limited lifespan so I'm sure previous owners have replaced yours overtime. Since that is something that does get replaced there is no guarantee that it would be in the same place as the original. You probably have two clamshells on the stern. Follow the hoses from those and you should find your bilge blower fairly close to the transom. A bilge blower acts more like a vacuum than a blower. It should cause negative pressure in the bilges so that the bilges fill with fresh air from the opposite clam shell. The further the blower is from the clamshell the more resistance it has. You would be looking for a replacement blower that has the highest output for your hose diameter and of course the longest lifespan. Other considerations would be power drainage and noise. If your lazarette is anything like mine you'll have to pull out a bunch of gear to follow the hoses. Good luck!

[pbnelson]

Well, you weren't wrong. The bilge pump is mounted on the transom, totally out of sight. It was quite a head scratcher, and I only found it in the end because the blessed thing suddenly started working again* and I was able to hear it. I then took a video with my arm stuck as far into the cockpit locker as I could reach, wildly pointing the phone in all directions. Viewing the video finally revealed the culprit.

Now if only I had a mechanically-inclined child about three-foot tall I might be able to talk him through the replacement procedure. But for the life of me I don't see how my 15 stone self can ever replace that thing where it's at. Not only is it on the back wall of the transom, but it's on a little shelf, for pete's sake. I guess I'll call the local Marine repair shop and see if they want to tackle it.

Here are a few photos for posterity. Fellow Cal-34 owners, this is your bilge pump...

* alas, it quit working again after running for 15 minutes.

p.s. that tank you see on the right hand side is for fuel; the original leaked and was replaced by a previous owner.

[pbnelson]

Question for the group: would it work to simply add an "in line" bilge blower, a couple feet back from the old blower? Has anyone ever tried one of these things...

https://www.amazon.com/SEAFLO-Line-Mari ... 00F7ANK7S/

[rcvesselstyn]

Yes. I use an inline blower. It works fine. As far as leaving the previous bilge blower in place, you would be decreasing the effectiveness of your new blower substantially because the blades of the old blower are either going to be turned or partially blocking the tubing to the clamshell. Is there no access to the transom from the starboard side?

[pbnelson]

Is there no access to the transom from the starboard side?

Good to know the "inline" is an option, albeit probably requiring removal of old blower, which, if I could do that, would mean I'd just replace it with one of the same kind.

There *is* access from the port locker, but it was full of old docking lines and other junk, and I didn't want to empty it all out just for a photograph. No matter how much room it has, it won't be enough for my 6'2" fifteen stone frame.

No worries, I called the marine center this morning and they seemed pretty confident they could deal with it, already having a bad back and all (that's a quote, heh).

[Capn ken]

A mans gotta know his limitations !

[pbnelson]

Follow up from the OP: our local marine shop here in Lake City Minnesota had me fixed up in a week, and total invoice was $350, which I consider a bargain. Loving life, baby!