BrentwoodBayliner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2020
- Messages
- 43
- Location
- Canada
- Vessel Name
- Bonita Rose
- Vessel Make
- 1981 Bayliner 3270
Hello everyone - I'm renovating my 1981 Bayliner 3270 and have a question about my under-stairs cabin heater. It has two fan blower motors (probably original), mounted to a radiator-type bus heater. They run okay, but seem to be drawing too much power.
My normal house voltage readout sits at 12.3. But when I turn on the two cabin heater fans, it drops to 11.0. As a comparison, when turning on my two engine room blower fans, it only drops to 12.1. That seems more normal.
I've pulled the unit and spun the fan blades by hand. They both do spin, but not 'freely'. When I try to spin and release, they stop immediately. They feel 'equal' to each other.
I've looked up the replacement motors for the heater and they are supposed to draw 3.6 amps max each. So 7.2 amps for two of them. It's a two-speed motor, they are $70 each, and I need two of them, so I'm reluctant to order them if I don't need them, since the unit seems to be working okay. They look like automotive heater/defroster fan motors.
Even though they 'work', I'm concerned they will draw more power than necessary when away from shore power.
So here are the questions for the electrically experienced.. is this a normal current draw for these two fans? Or are these old fan motors probably too old, dusty, tired and in need of replacement? Or is there any lubrication or cleaning I can do to possibly revive them? Or is there a possibility there is a completely different electrical issue causing this result? Bad connection? Bad ground?
Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.
My normal house voltage readout sits at 12.3. But when I turn on the two cabin heater fans, it drops to 11.0. As a comparison, when turning on my two engine room blower fans, it only drops to 12.1. That seems more normal.
I've pulled the unit and spun the fan blades by hand. They both do spin, but not 'freely'. When I try to spin and release, they stop immediately. They feel 'equal' to each other.
I've looked up the replacement motors for the heater and they are supposed to draw 3.6 amps max each. So 7.2 amps for two of them. It's a two-speed motor, they are $70 each, and I need two of them, so I'm reluctant to order them if I don't need them, since the unit seems to be working okay. They look like automotive heater/defroster fan motors.
Even though they 'work', I'm concerned they will draw more power than necessary when away from shore power.
So here are the questions for the electrically experienced.. is this a normal current draw for these two fans? Or are these old fan motors probably too old, dusty, tired and in need of replacement? Or is there any lubrication or cleaning I can do to possibly revive them? Or is there a possibility there is a completely different electrical issue causing this result? Bad connection? Bad ground?
Thanks in advance for all your help and advice.