MARINE BOAT SOLAR POWERED 8.5" WHITE VENTILATOR ODM

Looking for a solar vent for my boat, and found this unit. The price was considerably less than what you would find in a retail store (betweeen $150-$200 at West Marine, Walmart, etc). Thought I was getting a deal. The package arrived quickly which was nice.The unit is made of plastic and, while not constructed shoddily, doesnt feel durable, but time will be the judge of that. The instructions state stainless steel screws for installation are included, but they weren’t (not a big deal). The unit I purchased is labeled the 13024. No battery is included with the product, which is why it’s so inexpensive, I asssume.. The problem, though, is that the solar cells on the unit are ridiculously weak. You need 100% DIRECT sunlight, with no obstruction, at all times to work the fan. If its cloudy, or worse, something on your boat casts a shadow over the unit (say a mast), the fan stops working completely!The seller does state “passive ventilation at night,” which is a way of saying it only works with sunlight, but I am disappointed. I would have expected a better quality solar cell that could pick up daylight and operate with it.To the other reviews that state it is loud, i would have to disagree. When it does operate, I have noticed tha fan is very quiet, which is a positive.I will update the review as time goes on.UPDATE: I’ve had this running now for a couple of weeks and I have to tell you that the mildew/moisture issue in my boat has completely gone away. The fan does operate on cloudy days, but still won’t work if a heavy shadow has cast over. Still, for the price you would pay at West Marine versus the cost listed here, you are getting a bargain. Since I’m saving a ton of money on buying Damp-Rid bags, I’ve upped the rating to 5 stars. The unit does exactly what it says its supposed to do.

I got this to replace the solar powered fan on my storm shelter. I mean you do get a solar powered fan but it most anything solar powered that you buy, including the cheap little garden light things, there is an on/off switch and a built in rechargeable battery. This thing is a cheesy solar panel wired straight to a motor so I hope you don’t want ventilation at night. It comes with a wiring schematic if you want to BUY a a 12 volt battery, wiring, a switch, etc, and cobble this junk together. There are no wires coming out of the device to hook any of that to so you have to take the thing to pieces to get at the wiring. This is a joke and might even be a scam. Don’t buy this garbage. I don’t see a way to return it so I guess I’m just out nearly $70. This is a no star review.

this thing works pretty well. it was even spinning on a completely overcast day when i installed it.

It does function slowly and air flow can be reversed by changing fan blade which was provided. Collar for tube was provided, but not easily identifiable. The stainless steel mounting screws were not included, but were supposed to be.

I have five of these things now and they are all happily whizzing in the sun, sucking out the stale air from my trailers and storage boxes. Three years plus and no problems. Works exactly like you hope it would!Order a 120mm hole saw to make Installation a breeze!Update: Two years later, I have eight of these and none of them work anymore. Direct sunlight. Nothing happens. Not happy. It’s a solar panel connected to an electric motor. They should last for a decade at least. 8-(

Dislike!No instructions. No contact information.Yes it’s solar powered but it moves only a minimal volume of air, barely detectable, only when it receives DIRECT sunlight. Be aware it is a non-return item.

Love it. Keeps the super hot air out automatically.

Some kind of ventilation is better than none right?! In retrospect I wish I had gotten a solar vent fan with batteries to vent at night too. Seems like a well built fan though. Maybe adding a second one that sucks fresh air in will make a noticeable difference!!