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Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 8:03 am
by Marty
Looking for opinion here....

I do not run the genny all night to run the AC (although I would appreciate the cooling), as we have a gas unit that is underneath the salon in our aft cabin.

My concern was carbon dioxide issues.

I do have 3 CO2 detectors on board but the risk isn't worth it in my opinion.

Any thoughts otherwise?

Thanks and Happy Canada Day to the Canadians on board.

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 8:10 am
by pepmyster
Personally I would not run anything that might produce CO while I'm sleeping. Just in case. But, that's just me.
Happy Canada Day too!

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 10:15 am
by Viper
Nope, not worth the risk. Too many things can go wrong and have resulting in fatalities. Happy Canada Day guys. Insert Canadian Flag emoji here...hint hint ;-)

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 11:09 am
by bud37
Nope.....do not run while unattended......even if the CO monitors don't alarm, there will be low levels that have long term detrimental effects on your health, especially the young ones.

This is assuming you mean carbon monoxide and not carbon dioxide....

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 1:06 pm
by g36
My 405 genset is also under the salon. No I won't do it either. In Tennessee there's sometime so much humidity and heat theres no way to sleep. So There has been sometimes I will bring my honda eu2000 and put it on the bow and it will run my aft cabin ac only while we sleep.

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 2:17 pm
by Benda515
We run ours all night have done many times no issues, you have CO2 alarms if there is a problem. As long as it is a true Marine genny installed correctly that is what they are for

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 3:04 pm
by g36
Benda515 wrote:Source of the post We run ours all night have done many times no issues, you have CO2 alarms if there is a problem. As long as it is a true Marine genny installed correctly that is what they are for


I agree that might be what there for but I had friends die last year from CO with operable detectors still don't know why they didn't go off. anyway I'm not trusting a detector with me or my wife's lives. But each to their own .

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 3:09 pm
by Midnightsun
One thing should be mentioned speaking of CO. Rafting! There have been several cases where people have rafted up overnight. The adjacent boat was running the genny and killed the occupants of the boat next to them during the night. Just something to keep in mind if you raft up and spend the night on the hook.

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 6:26 pm
by bud37
Benda515 wrote:Source of the post We run ours all night have done many times no issues, you have CO2 alarms if there is a problem. As long as it is a true Marine genny installed correctly that is what they are for


Pages 12 , 13, and 14 owners manual......

https://carveryachts.blob.core.windows. ... ook-x4.pdf

Re: Running the Genny at night?

Posted: July 1st, 2020, 10:54 pm
by Viper
Good post Bud. It's clearly not safe. You don't know what you don't know, and if you miss something, or there's a problem you're not aware of, you and everyone on board will end, period. You may get away with it for some time but Murphy and the perfect storm are just waiting for the perfect time. Don't know about anybody else but I know I can easily neglect something after a few drinks for example, I suspect I'm not alone there.

We have a neighbour that puts on an annual family reunion, and one group has been coming for years in a bus type diesel RV done to the nines. They would run the genny all night every night (common in RV life apparently), we could hear it. All went right for years until one morning we were awaken by a commotion next door. We drew the curtains to find a couple of ambulances in their driveway and the crew extracting the occupants of the RV. When they didn't come out for breakfast, folks checked up on them. They had done everything right for years prior but this time, they left a roof vent slightly open and the breeze was just right for the overboard exhaust to get into the living space. Either they didn't hear the CO detectors or they didn't work that night. Don't know the findings on that but they operate much like marine ones in that they are hooked up to the on board 12 volt system. They survived the ordeal and still attend the annual event but have since never run their generator while sleeping. Close call and very lucky.

Midnightsun wrote:Source of the post One thing should be mentioned speaking of CO. Rafting! There have been several cases where people have rafted up overnight. The adjacent boat was running the genny and killed the occupants of the boat next to them during the night. Just something to keep in mind if you raft up and spend the night on the hook.

Anybody I raft off to has a clear understanding that nobody is to run their generators overnight due to CO concerns, OR while anybody is in the water in the immediately vicinity of the boats. I trust my wiring but nobody else's!