bezda
Junior Member
Posts: 15
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Post by bezda on May 18, 2017 8:31:12 GMT
Hello, I've just discovered quite a bit of of water under my cabin floor. I assume the problem is somewhere around water tank/pump as that area is quite damp and I can see air bubbles leaving the accumulator tank. I've put some paper towels under all the joints and the pump and ran the water for few minutes but I can't see any obvious leak. What would you recommend as next steps please? I'm going to put some food grade dye into the tank to confirm the water is from there, but after that I'm not quite sure what to do next
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Post by lollygagger on May 18, 2017 9:21:17 GMT
Has the pump been pumping without anyone running a tap?
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Post by Saltysplash on May 18, 2017 9:22:15 GMT
Water can get into the bilge from a number of sources. Condensation is one, it can also find its way in through poorly seated windows especially during heavy rain.
Shower pumps, sink drains, leaking water tank. Its a matter of eliminating the obvious first.
How old is the vessel?
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Post by peterboat on May 18, 2017 10:58:56 GMT
As others have said if no obvious leaks look at windows etc my other boat is leaking from them very badly so all will be removed and reseated
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Post by bodger on May 18, 2017 18:46:44 GMT
I can see air bubbles leaving the accumulator tank. can you clarify that a bit please?
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Post by JohnV on May 18, 2017 18:50:04 GMT
more info is needed ...... welcome by the way
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bezda
Junior Member
Posts: 15
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Post by bezda on May 18, 2017 20:38:29 GMT
Thank you for responses all! In last few weeks I've only heard the pump running once or twice unexpectedly when the taps were closed.
Also all the windows seem to be quite well sealed, window frames and woodwork around is dry.
As for the bubbles leaving the accumulator tank - I have transparent hose between tank and the taps and I can clearly see big air gaps flowing with the water. Also the taps are dispensing air when opened. However, the water pump seems to be dry. It's now sitting on a paper towel for last day and I haven't seen a single drop on it
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Post by lollygagger on May 18, 2017 20:43:28 GMT
Is the accumulator working? How much water from a tap before the pump kicks in? I get something like 1/2 gallon.
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Post by lollygagger on May 18, 2017 20:50:31 GMT
There are so many possibilities. Myself in the last year... Kitchen sink drain had extra open spur that had once been tied up high enough not to leak. Shower tray drain securing screw rusted through, pipe fell off tray. Cracked strainer on pump. Pump over pressuring causing hot release valve to dump 5 gallons into engine bilge over a month or 2. Calorifier heater element seal distorted and leaking a drip per second...for years. Not had an accumulator problem yet.
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Post by Mr Stabby on May 18, 2017 20:56:20 GMT
Hi Bezda and welcome to Thunderboat!
I'd say get the water out of the cabin bilge by pumping and sponging, and then leave a piece of fabric, such as an old T shirt, halfway between the cabin bilge and the open air so that the last of the water can be removed from the bilge by capillary action, and then just monitor the situation.
I posted a few months ago about a similar amount of water in my bilge but I opened the inspection hatch today and it was completely dry.
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Post by gigoguy on May 18, 2017 20:56:49 GMT
Is the accumulator working? How much water from a tap before the pump kicks in? I get something like 1/2 gallon. I had a similar problem on my old boat. The pump would run for a second every so often and I had an accumulation of water over a period of time. Not a lot but it was there. I couldn't find a leak, and never did. Neither has the bloke who bought the boat, and it still does it. I blame the Russian, or the Tories
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Post by lollygagger on May 18, 2017 21:00:49 GMT
Indeed, it could leak at say 1/2 gallon per 10 hours and you might never hear unusual pump action. Conversely in some circumstances the pump goes off because the hot tank has cooled.
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Post by JohnV on May 18, 2017 21:06:41 GMT
A pump cycling even once or twice a month could add up to a lot of water in a bilge, however occasional cycling can occur due to hot water systems cooling and contracting (mine does if you are letting the hotwater tank cool down) The air bubbles in the pipe puzzles me ...... this would tend to indicate that the pump is sucking in air from somewhere. This is a often caused by a leak in the pump body but you say this is staying dry ...... I would suggest then, that the next place to check is the pipe and the joints between the water tank and the pump.`
mostly finding this kind of fault is by the tedious job of checking every bit of pipe and every joint from the tank to the taps and it can be a right PITA
good luck
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bezda
Junior Member
Posts: 15
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Post by bezda on May 18, 2017 21:37:41 GMT
The accumulator tank is just 2L and it almost completely empties before the pump kicks in.
Thanks for the tips for drying the bilge, I'll definitely do the t-shirts. I'll try to re-seal all the joints from water tank to taps and watch it closely. I was also recommended to add food grade dye into the water tank to confirm water is coming from there and not from outside, so I guess I'll be drinking green water for next few weeks.
The problem now I can't get to all the sections between bulkheads to get the water out. I've already cut new "inspection hole" under cupboard and got another galon out, not sure what to do with the rest of cabin. Don't really want to cut holes into the floor...
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Post by bodger on May 19, 2017 7:59:06 GMT
your boat should have been built to allow bilge water to migrate from bow to stern. there should be 'limber holes' where the bottom stiffeners have had the lower corner cut off diagonally where it meets the sides. if the bilge space is not full of crud (insulation foam offcuts, sawdust, etc.) it should drain properly and there is no need to access every space between the bottom stiffeners.
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