Contaminated bilge water - help please!

[Alan de Enfield]

12 minutes ago, NB Lola said:

We carry 400 litres

I think we had 400 litres diesel & 650(ish) of water in the NB.

We have 2700 litres diesel & 1000(ish) of water in the cruiser.

[no worries]

Ref. Oil in bilge, we have a 'Wavestream' filter in the discharge hose from the bilge pump as there isn't a separate drip tray under the engine. Passed the last two BSS exams with it. We're on the Broads and folk a hot on oil slicks.

[Arthur Marshall]

2 hours ago, no worries said:

Ref. Oil in bilge, we have a 'Wavestream' filter in the discharge hose from the bilge pump as there isn't a separate drip tray under the engine. Passed the last two BSS exams with it. We're on the Broads and folk a hot on oil slicks.

What's a Wavestream filter? Does it collect the gunge or just stop it passing through? Sounds like something my tub could do with. 

[no worries]

58 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

What's a Wavestream filter? Does it collect the gunge or just stop it passing through? Sounds like something my tub could do with. 

Hi Arthur, its a clear plastic top screwed canister containing a pleated filter similar to an old school oil filter with a bulkhead fixed top with 3/4 BSP in and out. We fitted the smallest model as there's not a lot of space under the cockpit floor of our yoghurt pot - mistake as the filter needs changing twice a season at £30 a pop! Not cheap but we'd have had to have the engine out to glass any form of tray under it. Hope this helps.

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, no worries said:

Hi Arthur, its a clear plastic top screwed canister containing a pleated filter similar to an old school oil filter with a bulkhead fixed top with 3/4 BSP in and out. We fitted the smallest model as there's not a lot of space under the cockpit floor of our yoghurt pot - mistake as the filter needs changing twice a season at £30 a pop! Not cheap but we'd have had to have the engine out to glass any form of tray under it. Hope this helps.

What happens when the filter is full, does it bypass or are you left without a bilge pump?

 

[no worries]

I've not noticed any drop off in flow, just a a bit of a film on the water, so I reckon it by-passes. The pleated element certainly looks like it doing the job.

[magictime]

20 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

 

Just thought I'd point out that the 'larger nut' that was the problem is the bleed screw - this may be useful to know when you do the next service yourself

Also, I'd say, another clue that the the finger of blame points to the useless RCR 

 

Ah, OK - so the bleed screw is something he would have had to touch, is it, as part and parcel of the service? Sorry, I know next to nothing about these things. 

[Iain_S]

2 hours ago, magictime said:

Ah, OK - so the bleed screw is something he would have had to touch, is it, as part and parcel of the service? Sorry, I know next to nothing about these things. 

Quite probably. The filter should be checked as part of the service. However, unless the pre-filter is below the level of fuel in the tank, undoing the bleed screw is a waste of time, and actually counter productive.

[Arthur Marshall]

12 hours ago, Iain_S said:

Quite probably. The filter should be checked as part of the service. However, unless the pre-filter is below the level of fuel in the tank, undoing the bleed screw is a waste of time, and actually counter productive.

As I've said before, the water seperator has never been checked as part of a service that I've had done in the past thirty years. The only person who has ever touched it is me. And it's well below the fuel tank. 

Edited April 10, 2019 by Arthur Marshall

[magictime]

2 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

As I've said before, the water seperator has never been checked as part of a service that I've had done in the past thirty years. The only person who has ever touched it is me. And it's well below the fuel tank. 

Sounds like your water separator is a permanent fixture of some sort though, whereas what I have is a replaceable pre-filter that (as I understand it) combines a water separator and a sort of first-pass fuel filter. RCR definitely check and replace this; I think they charge me an extra £5 for it.

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, magictime said:

Sounds like your water separator is a permanent fixture of some sort though, whereas what I have is a replaceable pre-filter that (as I understand it) combines a water separator and a sort of first-pass fuel filter. RCR definitely check and replace this; I think they charge me an extra £5 for it.

The same as mine but no where near the engine. 

[serenility]

The type of agglomerator depicted in the photograph has its top fixed to the boat. next part down is a replaceable filter and below it is the 'metal cup' with the drain for letting out any accumulated water. The filter can arrives with a collection of seals.From the top, there is a small O ring that goes beneath the head of the centre bolt. On the underside of the top there is another O ring approx 1 inch or so in diameter which needs to be pushed up into the groove having first removed the old one. You need to feel for this as you can't see it unless you stand on your head in the engine 'ole! Next is a large square section rubber ring the same diameter as the top of the filter can. This fits into a groove in the top. There is another large diameter rubber ring around the bottom of the can.

It is important to remember to change all of these seals and to make sure they fit properly into their respective grooves or a bilge full of diesel will ensue. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by serenility
make more sense!